Dauntless Born - Tris Pedrad

Chapter 7

"This, my friends, is the Fear Landscape room." Amar announces. "A fear landscape is where you confront your worst fears and conquer them. In a simulation, of course" Uriah and I say smiling towards the end. We say the same thing every year since we've been helping with initiates.

The erudite boy, Eric argues, "You don't know our worst fears!" Amar retorts back ending up with the nose having to go first. We aren't allowed to give the simulation since we aren't actual instructors. But we still stay and watch.

Its quite funny actually. Seeing the terrified faces of transfers after waking up. Most of them have the average number of 11-14 fears. Eric, which was really ironic had 18 fears total. I, of course only have 6 fears. That's where my name comes from. Lowest in Dauntless history Max says. The record before me was 9. I became a Dauntless prodigy right then and there after my first fear landscape.

I get bored about halfway through the initiates and decide to go for lunch. "Trissy," I hear Uri call after me "you going to the cafeteria?" He asks. I reply, "Yeah, I'm gonna go get Mar and Lynn first" Marlene and Uriah both have crushes on each other. They deny it but actually it's very noticeable. Lynn recently shaved her hair. "It makes me look more terrifying and dauntless" she says. It actually looks pretty cute. I look down at our feet and because I'm so short I take 2 steps for every 1 my twin takes.

I hear footsteps behind me so I slow down and check who's behind us. It's Shauna, Zeke, Mar and Lynn. I smile and wait for them. We get to the table and sit down. We talk about our days as Shauna and Zeke talk about their landscapes. They have been dating for about 2 years. We have all been friends since we were little.

Amar walks over to us. "Tris, we have Four over here with two less fears than you!" Wow. I didn't expect it. He gets a name for his fears as well.

I look into his eyes as he turns and faces Amar and I. They truly are brilliant. Cold, blue eyes. I start to daze off, day dreaming about Four.

I see a hand waving in front of my face. "Tris?? You in there?" I shake my head then look at Lynn. "God, Tris! Who were you daydreaming about?" I feel blood rush to my face. "We've been calling your name for the past 10 minutes. We even punched you and slapped your face a few times!" That's explains why my face hurts. I see Zeke and Uri laughing at me and I death stare them. They shut up quickly.

"As I was trying to ask you. Do you wanna go get a tattoo?" The young girl asks. I roll my eyes, when have I ever wanted to get a tattoo? Never but I guess we could go look at designs.

Lynn, Mar and I walk to the parlour where Tori and Budd work. We looks hundreds of different designs. Lynn had found a design with dauntless flames in a spiral while Mar found a epic heart design which she's going to get done on her wrist.

My eyes keep darting back to these three ravens. On the canvas they are all flying towards the same spot in a line. I think about where I could have it. Either on my wrist or on my collar bone flying towards my heart.

I decide to get it in my collarbone just as the new stiff, Four walks in. He's looking at large faction tattoos. I walk over to Tori. "Hey kiddo, what do ya want?" I show her the hard, plastic sheet with the design on it. She takes it and replies "first one ever, yeah?" I nod in agreement. I've known Tori all my life. She's one of my moms good friends. Thinking of mom, I haven't seen her since this morning.

Tori finishes with my new tattoo. She bandages it up. "'Bout 5 days keep it on for. If it swells come back and that's about it kiddo." She glances up to make sure I was listening. I nod and hop up. Tori takes Tobias into the back to talk to him but he comes back out minutes later.

Marlene and Lynn both finish with their tattoos. Budd did Marlene and a new trainee called Jess did Lynn's. We all walk back octane decide to go to my apartment that Uriah, Mum and I share. Zeke also used to Iive with us too but now that he's an initiate he has to sleep in the dorms. After initiation, they all get new apartments.

We decide to play a game of Candor or Dauntless later tomorrow night with the initiates. We sit on the couch for a while before watching a movie. It's one from a few hundred years ago. It's called Nightmare on Elm Street 2010. I believe that there is a sequel but we don't have it.

It's not that scary. The nightmares look like a fear simulation, with the only difference being that they die. Freddy's face looks epic. After the movie we decide to go to bed. Mar and Lynn both stay at mine tonight.

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"I love you" he says from behind putting his rough hands along my narrow hips. I turn and look into his deep, blue eyes and smile, leaning in for a kiss. I awaken with a gasp as mom stumbles in. "Are you okay?" She asked protectively. "Ah, yeah mom. Thanks" I reply confused. "Your brother, Uriah said you were tossing and turning like you were having a seizure." She says quickly turning to the door. "Love you mom" I smile. "You too, Beatrice" she's the only one that I allow to use my full name. I think it sounds way to abnegation-y. Tris or Six sound way tougher. I slowly drift back to sleep.

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