Ambivalence [p.h.] - EDITING

chapter 5 || someone who was into greasy hair and bodily mutilation

Myra, of course, was the last of the initiates to jump.  After waiting for the applause she received but didn't deserve to die down, the boy in charge of the net joined forces with a dark-haired girl to lead us further into the compound. Always two steps behind the two Dauntless members, I observed my surroundings.  An abrupt stop nearly causes me — and everyone behind me, I would assume — to run into the person ahead. 

"This is where we divide," the girl said. The three silver rings through her right eyebrow were intimidating. I wondered when the last time I was vaccinated for tetanus was. "The Dauntless-born initiates are with me. I assume you don't need a tour of the place." Her chuckle invited the Dauntless-born to follow.  Once the last of them faded into a dimly lit hallway, the blue-eyed boy began to speak.

"Most of the time I work in the control room, but for the next few weeks, I am your instructor," he said. "My name is Four."  The silence was followed by a snort.  Nobody was surprised that it came from a Candor girl.

"Four? Like the number?" 

"Yes," Four replied. "Is there a problem?" 

I didn't think it was possible for silence to feel like it was echoing.  "No."

"Good. We're about to go into the Pit, which you will someday learn to love. It–"

The girl snickered again. "The Pit? Clever name."

Even Peter and the rest of the Candor transfers knew to keep their mouths shut. Four's muscular build and tall frame towered over the girl's.  She shrunk backward.

"What's your name?" Four's voice was intriguing; he always sounded so calm, but there was something in it now that kept me on edge.

"Christina," she squeaked.

"Well, Christina, if I wanted to put up with Candor smart-mouths, I would have joined their faction. The first lesson you will learn from me is to keep your mouth shut. Got that?" 

She did. 

Four glared at her for a moment longer.  Then, he nodded towards a shadow at the end of the hall. We followed him.  The double doors he pushed open looked like they weighed a thousand pounds.  Four gave us a silent command to pass through.

It was safe to assume the mass of hollowed out stone before me was the Pit, because, well, that's exactly what it was: a pit, and a large one at that.  The underground cavern stretched out, morphing easily into uneven stone walls.  The hallways and tunnels shot in and out, like veins, all leading different rooms I expected were for clothes, laundry, food storage, and anything else like that.  Maybe they would even have facilities like the ones at Erudite.  Above me, the midday sunlight refracted through the glass roof.  Aside from the randomly situation blue lanterns, the sun was the only major source of light.  The Pit was the heart of the Dauntless compound.  I could tell because of the black wave that flowed from as far as the eye could see, uninterrupted save from tattoos, bruises, and spunky hair colours.  

"If you'll follow me," said Four, "I'll show you the chasm."  His hand urged us to follow again.  As we proceed, I noticed every crack and crevice in the floor and walls.  Four's pace slowed as he neared a daunting iron barrier.  Though I heard crashing, like some strong force brushing roughly against the ground we stood on, like – like water crashing against rock, all I could see after it was more wall.  Once I poked my head out over the railing, I found the source of the noise.  Twenty feet below where we stood, the floor angled absurdly, sharply, and led down towards an enchanting river.  

"The chasm reminds us that there is a fine line between bravery and idiocy!" Four shouted.  "A daredevil jump off this ledge will end your life.  It has happened before and it will happen again. You've been warned."  Maybe Myra would— no.  That's too mean.  Plus, she would never do anything without Eddie, and Eddie wasn't stupid.