closer

lifeline

"Welcome back initiates, I trust you all found the dining hall alright and are well energized to start part two of today's training session" Four called out as the last of the initiates entered the pit.

We had about thirty minutes to eat and I hadn't eaten much. Half of a blueberry muffin with bits of crystalized sugar on the top of it and a tall glass of room temperature water. My friends were concerned, asking why I didn't want to eat more but luckily my lying skills were impeccable. I simply explained that having a full stomach when doing physical activity wasn't a smart idea and only lead to stomach discomfort later on. Thankfully, they bought it. Tris seemed suspicious but being true to her abnegation roots, she didn't question me.

How would I explain my distaste for food to her?

How would I explain why I got full from drinking a mere glass of water? Why my body got used to surviving off of practically nothing?

"We are going to focus on your strength for the rest of today to prepare you all for when we begin sparring and hosting fights. Pick a punching bag and begin, I will be coming around to help you with your technique" Four stated, stomping his foot as a cue for us all to scatter. I ended up at the punching bag between Christina and a male initiate named Edward. He was tall, quite an intimidating man but beneath that rugged stature, he was a giant teddy bear. He transferred with his girlfriend, Myra, from Erudite and constantly gushed about her whenever given the chance. It was adorable.

I studied him, watching as he effortlessly made the weighted bag swing back and forth.

"How the hell did you do that?" Christina spoke up from beside me, taking the words out of my mouth.

"Remember how you stood for shooting this morning? Try to do that but put the opposite leg forwards and keep your core tight" he explained briefly, pointing out each step as he described it before delivering another solid jab to the punching bag. Christina and I shared a look before turning to our own bags. I internalized his advice, getting myself in the proper stance.

The bag didn't move.

But I didn't give up.

I spent the next hour attempting to get the bag to move through trial and error. If one stance didn't work, I'd adjust what felt wrong and try again. Through that process and my determination, I was finally able to get the weighted bag to swing back and forth. "Nice job Willow" Four commented from behind me, seeming to take note of how I was able to figure the right technique on my own. He looked slightly impressed. I opened my mouth to thank him but, was interrupted by Eric's booming voice. He had beckoned all the initiates over to a large digital board that had taken residency in the center of the room.

"This board is your lifeline here at Dauntless. These are your rankings, anyone below that red line gets cut at the end of the first stage. Remember what was said earlier about rankings determining what positions you move into after initiation? Well, here at Dauntless we operate on a points system. Your ranking also determines how many points you get. When you purchase things such as food, clothes, cosmetics, or even an apartment, you'll use points. As of today, you're collecting points. Work hard and as you improve, your ranking will go up" Eric stated, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched us all frantically begin looking over the board, trying to find our names.

There were thirty-three of us.

Anyone below twenty-one was in the red zone, in danger of being cut.

Edward was second on the board.

Peter was third.

Uriah was fifth.