Inextricable: A Divergent FanFiction (Book Three) ©

Chapter 21

"I don't understand, it seemed like the plan was actually working."

"What's happening? Is he having a seizure?"

"This is all my fault. I should've tried something else. I should've stopped all of this sooner."

Though I could hear this frenzied conversation taking place beside me, I was unable to fully understand what was going on. My brain was much too busy working to keep up as a flood of memories began to fill my mind in quick succession. My past was blooming vividly from the miasma of uncertainty I'd been swimming in for the past few days, taking shape and becoming something solid and real.

Though outwardly I might've appeared to be suffering, looking like I was about to genuinely lose what was left of my mind, I was actually in the middle of a complete mental restoration. Like a tightly coiled leaf that held the promise of life, my own mind hungrily reached heavenward, towards the information that was showering all around me.

I remembered...

Old love, and new; each important and impacting my life in their own ways. The family I'd left behind in candor, and the new one I'd adopted in the underground world of dauntless; both currently in danger of being taken from me. I could see their faces as if they were standing right before me. Could even see his face, the real monster I'd stupidly thought of as a friend.

Banks.

His expressionless face stared at me with nothing but that horrible, hollow stare. It was so utterly frigid that it felt as if his eyes were actually reflecting the coldness that made up the core of his soul.

Hate, relief, yearning and frustration; there were so many complex emotions at work, each so potent I felt like I could literally touch them, trace the marks they'd left in their searing wake. It was living energy, fueling my blood the very way that adrenaline would've. My heart felt ready to burst, it was beating so fast, and yet I felt no fear.

"We have to take him to the hospital!" I could dimly hear Ally say. Shortly after I felt a tugging on one of my arms.

"And say what exactly?" Iris's voice argued back. "Do we just waltz in there and say, Ally here reenacted Sage's death in order to make him remember what happened, but oops, seems like something went wrong? They'll lynch us without bothering to hear any explanations."

Nothing's gone wrong. I feebly thought, wanting to speak but finding that I was unable to do so. Just give me time.

"He's bleeding!" Iris cried out, and at that exact instant I felt the faintly iron-like taste of blood as it began to coat my throat. I started to choke. "He must've bitten his tongue."

"Turn him on his side," Ally's voice commanded. I felt them shift me, and then begin to thump my back repeatedly until my breathing was mostly back to a regular rhythm. "I have to go get Grace. She'll know what to do. Iris, please, promise me you'll take care of him until I get back."

"You don't even have to ask."

Ally, stay! You did it, I'm remembering everything. I wanted to cry out when I caught the sound of her running footsteps. It worked. Don't leave.

As the seconds passed and my memories only continued to resurface, I wondered when the shaking would eventually stop. I desperately wanted to regain control of my body, wanted to leap to my feet and begin to craft a plan of action.