If I Was Dauntless Born

Chapter 23- Fears

The concrete floor beneath me transforms into dry grass. The dull pipes become a colorless sky. I hear the thundering of wings, but I refuse to run. I know that it will do no good. Besides, this is a simulation. Instead, I crouch down in the grass. I remember this simulation. I felt utter powerlessness. Then I remembered the first time that I felt power.

The training room. I breathed in and think of the smell of metal and sweat.

A talon pricked my shoulder. Hard. I cried out in pain, but I refused to move. As if my scream was the signal, hundreds of crows fell from the sky and attacked me. Beaks and talons tore at my clothes and hair. I cried out again and fell to the ground. I reached out my hand to my find my gun. My fingertips brush cool metal. I grabbed the gun buried in the dry grass quickly. I began firing at the birds. I tried to slow my pounding heart and fast breathing as I shot at the hundreds of birds. Every time I hit one, there was a satisfactory burst of feathers.

The birds faded away, and I smiled. Then my foot squeaked on the floor below me. I looked down at what used to be grass but is now a cool panel of glass. The tank. I reached out and both of my hands hit cool glass. I reached up and felt the same thing. I looked around and saw some of the initiates standing around me. They were whispering and laughing. A transfer, Peter, pointed to my feet. My shoes were now covered in water, and the icy water was still rising.

I banged my fists against the glass, and the initiates laughed at my struggle. I tried to slow my racing heart as the water slipped up my calves. I kicked the wall with all my might. It didn't budge. I slammed it with my fists repeatedly, but the only result was aching hands. The water was now above my waist and rising faster. I took a slow, shaky breath.

I closed my eyes and envisioned a thin layer of ice. The water was now to my neck. I willed the glass in front of me to be as breakable as a layer of frost. I filled up my lungs one last time. I kicked at the glass while envisioning it as a thin layer of ice. My toes ached from the impact, and my lungs burned for air.

Then, I heard it, a crack. I kept kicking the wall until it was webbed with cracks. Then, the pressure of the water broke it out, and I could breathe again.

I had barely recovered from almost drowning when a solid wall of water hit me in the back, flinging me forward. I went underwater. I knew that I was in a huge body of water like the ones in my textbooks from school. I knew that I wasn't scared of drowning, but of not being in control. When I came up for air, I saw a sharp rock jutting from the water. I reached for it, but just as my fingertips brushed the rock, another wave crashed over me, pulling me under. When I came back up again, I clung to the rock with all of my might. A bigger wave crashed over me, but I had a better grip on the rock. When the wave receded, I rolled onto the rock and got to my feet. Even though my footing was slick and rough, I ran as fast as I could away from the crashing waves and into the red moon above me.

All of the sudden, I couldn't move anything but my fingers. I looked down and saw that my body was wrapped in ropes. A pile of sticks sat underneath me. The transfer initiate that I hated the most, Peter, was standing with a lit torch and sadistic smile. He lit the sticks underneath me and stepped back with a smile. I tried to stay calm, but I could feel heat rising underneath my boots. How could I get out of this mess?

"Hey, Tris. Guess what I smell? Your burning flesh." He said with his disgusting smirk plastered on his face.

"Hey, Peter. Guess what I smell? Rain." I say with a smile. Then a shriek escapes my lips as the fire licks my ankles.

Come on, rain. Come faster! I scream in my head. Then I feel the soft pitter patter of rain. It's coming harder now, falling in cold sheets. I hear the fire fizzle, and the ropes fall off of me. Then, everything is quiet.