the heartless [e.c]

7 | capture the flag - 2

part two

OUR TEAM IMMEDIATELY starts pitching ideas of what to do. We argue for a bit before a Dauntless - Born speaks up. "Why don't half of us guard the flag and the other half look for their flag ," the boy says. He had blue hair and a owl tattoo on his neck. No one argued against him , so that was the plan we decided to go with.

I was sorted into the group that would search for the other teams flag along with Four and a few other initiates I didn't really know. I walked in the back of the group. So did Four.

"How are you feeling about initiation so far ?" Four sounds awkward as he tried to start conversation.

I nod , "I feel great. It's going great."

He returns the nod and we walk in silence for a while before he speaks again , "I saw you sitting with Eric at breakfast the other day."

"Yes ," I confirm , and Four keeps talking. "He's never going to care about you , Stevie. Don't expect him too."

I stop walking as he spoke , my eyebrows furrowed with anger. "I'm not expecting him too , why would you - "

"Don't play dumb with me. This isn't the first time I've seen Eric look at someone the way he does you," Four had stopped walking too. "I'm only trying to help."

I walk closer to him , pointing my gun towards his feet. "I don't need your help ," I say letting go of the trigger and walking away from his groans of pain.

Oliver was only a few strides ahead of us. The look of confusion was all over his face , "Did you just shoot Four in the foot ?"

"No ," I say. "I mean yes , but it was an accident." He nods slowly as he watches Four pass us , cursing under his breath.

"Okay ," Four whispers to our group. "Andrew found their flag hidden above an abandoned train cart." The boy - Andrew - waved his hand as he climbed down from a nearby tree. Four continued , "Now we can try a sneak attack , but there's a good chance they're waiting for us. So what are we gonna do ?"

No one says anything , so I speak up. "I say we attack. Surely part of their team is still out looking for our flag and we should be able to retrieve their flag before they find ours."

Four thinks for a second before responding. "Okay , let's move out."

Oliver and I could see the flag from where we hid. "When do we go again ?"

"At the sound of Andrew's whistle ," I whisper.

We wait for a few more minutes , both of us becoming anxious during the wait. I searched the darkness for any sign of the other team , but I didn't have much luck. "Do you see anything ?"

"No ," I respond but then my eyes catch something moving in a field of grass ahead of us. Just as I'm about to tell this to Oliver , we hear the whistle.

•

HE RUNS OUT just as I'm about to grab his arm. "Wait !" I yell to him , but it's too late. Oliver along with the rest of my team had already gone towards the flag , running straight into the trap.

They were hidden in fall grass , shooting anyone who came remotely close to the flag. People were on the ground in seconds. They were shooting quickly and no one had anytime to recover enough to get to the flag. No one had figure out where the shots were coming from either.

I had to think quick. If I could manage to get Oliver's attention he could help me. He was hidden behind some debris , shooting randomly into the air. I ran as fast as I could as bullets buzzed past my ears. He loooked relieved to see my face , "Where are they shooting from ?"

His voice was frantic. "They're hidden in the grass ," I yell back.

"What do we do ?"

I didn't know. They had us outnumbered and there was no way we could get to their flag. I looked closer at the glowing cloth. It looked different from ours. That's when it hit me.

"Their flag is in the field with them ," I say to Oliver.

He shakes his head , "What are you talking about ? It's literally right there."

"No ," I yell. "Their flag is vibrant but ours - it's glowing ! I don't know how else to explain it but you have to trust me."

Oliver looks at the flag on the train cart. "Okay , okay , okay. So we just go in there and take it ? I don't see how that could possibly go right."

"I know but we have to try ," I grab my gun and begin to shoot in the others team direction , hearing a few groans of pain. "Come on , we can go through over there and hopefully the others will figure it out."

We both run towards the field , stopping once we entered. It felt like a horror film. "Okay ," I whisper. "Let's just take out as many as we can and find the flag."

"Which way ?" Oliver asks.

I look around , seeing nothing but green all around me. "I think we should spilt up to cover more ground. So I'll take left and you right ?" I could hear his gulp in the silence , and we both
start to move.

As I start to move I can hear the gunshots more clearly. My heart was beating faster by the second , I could hear someone talking. My finger was on the trigger and just as I'm about to squeeze , a shot of pain goes through my body.

•

I COULD RECOGNIZE my sisters laughter as I fell to the ground. My whole back felt like it was on fire and my vision was becoming blurry. But I could make out Ashley's face.

"I didn't think you'd figure it out so soon little sister ," she smirked at me. "But I'm glad you did because now I can do this."

Another round of pain is sent through my leg. I clench my jaw to keep from screaming , Ashley laughs again. "You know , I thought you'd be Factionless by now. Didn't think you'd be such a threat to me during initiation ," she says. "But I'll admit you are. Especially with him looking out for you."

The pain was calming down now. Enough for me to speak , "What are you on about now ?" I get out in between breaths.

She rolls her eyes , "You think people aren't noticing Eric's little attachment to you."

When I don't respond , she scoffs. "Come on , don't act dumb. You both stare at each other any chance you get and the whole act at breakfast the other day ?"

I wrapped my finger around the trigger as she spoke , waiting for the perfect moment to strike. "It was pathetic ," she continued. "If you think he would ever like someone like you - you're wrong."

She laughed again. "You'll just be the second choice again , just like you always are."

I don't say anything. I just squeeze the trigger , over and over again.

•

WORD COUNT : 1181