Drown [Eric Coulter] Divergent

Part XI

XI

"Welcome to the inner workings of my mind

So dark and foul I can't disguise 

Can't disguise

Nights like this

I become afraid

Of the darkness in my heart

Hurricane"

"Hurricane" -Ms Mr

 There was something different about Eric, but Harper chose to ignore it. Ignorance could be bliss, and in that moment she wished her father had never told her about Jeanine and Eric, about Erudite overthrowing Abnegation with such violent means, or about any of the suspicion he had. It was terrible of him to do such things, to put that weight on his young daughter's shoulders, but that was the world, and she wouldn't deny that she was glad she knew. Only that it would sometimes be a lot easier if she had not a clue, and lived like everyone else. The dull throb of the fresh tattoo reminded her of her past, but the feeling inside of her when she walked beside Eric drowned it out.

Both of them walked along silently, Eric was a step ahead so that he could guide where he wanted to go as he had not told Harper. His thoughts were still on who her father was, and he tried to see what she was hiding, but it appeared to him that she was either hiding nothing, or like him, had developed too strong of a skin to penetrate. The evening had come to a close, and the night had welcomed them with a cold breeze and a brilliant moon. There was not a single cloud in the sky, and it was littered with the sparkling stars so far away. Harper let her eyes follow through the Milky Way, smiling at its beauty.

Oddly comfortable in the silence, Harper hardly took note of where they were headed. They had left the pit, and nearly left all of the lit-up faction. Outside of the faction was the wall, where more Dauntless ended up working. Though many went to other factions to deliver security, most ended up holding a gun they would never use, watching the vast nothingness that was beyond the wall. But Harper had never seen the fence nor what was beyond it, and it began to excite her as she realized she was nearing it. It seemed to grow taller as they got closer, Harper needed to crane her neck back and still couldn't see the top of it. It would take a decent amount of time to get to the top, and she suspected that's where they were headed as Eric wrapped his strong hand around a rung, glancing at her.

"You're not scared of heights, are you?" he asked with a grin.

"Wouldn't you love to know my fears," she mused.

"I might sooner than you think." He began to climb.

She joined him, hoping that he wouldn't ever discover all of her fears. "The next section of training, right. Do you see it all or just the final?"

"I can overlook the training, but I like to see how people respond on their official test."

"Well, I'd rather people not be in my head," she said, clicking her tongue.

"Why?" he asked. "Any deep, dark secrets?"

Harper's heartrate wasn't beating faster than usual because of the climb. They were about fifty feet up already, every fifteen feet there was a platform for them to break, but Eric didn't at any of them so far. "Doesn't everyone have a few secrets?"