Студопедия

Главная страница Случайная страница

Разделы сайта

АвтомобилиАстрономияБиологияГеографияДом и садДругие языкиДругоеИнформатикаИсторияКультураЛитератураЛогикаМатематикаМедицинаМеталлургияМеханикаОбразованиеОхрана трудаПедагогикаПолитикаПравоПсихологияРелигияРиторикаСоциологияСпортСтроительствоТехнологияТуризмФизикаФилософияФинансыХимияЧерчениеЭкологияЭкономикаЭлектроника






Глава 6. I stand by the train tracks at the front of the group, waiting for the next train to take us to the city boundaries






I stand by the train tracks at the front of the group, waiting for the next train to take us to the city boundaries. In the distance, the chugging sound of an approaching train can be heard.

When the train nears, I break out into a light jog. I let a few initiates struggle onto the train before I reach for a handle on the side and hoist myself into the car smoothly. Once inside, I turn back to the car's opening to watch the rest of the initiates. I see Tris jogging next to the car. When she reaches for the handle, she winces, and for a second, I worry about her. Will she be able to jump a moving train after the injuries she sustained yesterday? I almost consider reaching out and helping her into the car when Al grabs her under each arm and lifts her in.

Almost immediately, Peter seizes his chance to ridicule Tris. " Feeling okay there? " he says, his lips turned down, arches eyebrows pulled in, giving her a look of mock sympathy. " Or are you a little… Stiff? "

He bursts into laughter at what he must consider to be a clever joke. Molly and Drew join in automatically. I can't stand their little clique.

" We are all awed by your incredible wit, " Will retorts.

" Yeah, are you sure you don't belong with the Erudite, Peter? " Christina adds. " I hear they don't object to sissies."

I don't have the patience and will to listen to their bickering all day. At times, it feels a lot like I'm babysitting a group of immature children rather than sixteen year old initiates.

I speak before Peter has a chance to reply. " Am I going to have to listen to your bickering all the way to the fence? "

Everyone falls silent, finally. I turn back to the car's opening, grip the handles on either side and lean forward so my body is mostly outside of the car. The wind whips my face and presses my shirt to my chest. I breathe in the air and, for the first time in a while, feel a sense of freedom that the underground cavern of the Dauntless compound does not offer. My eyes wander to the distant skylines, trying to find the grey outline of buildings that make up the Abnegation faction, but I find nothing. Instead, I watch as a sea of crumbling, abandoned buildings drift farther and farther away as the train carries us to the edge of the city.

Behind me, I hear Tris's voice above the noise of the wind.

" What do you think is out there? " she asks. " I mean, beyond the fence."

" Monsters! " Christina teases.

" We didn't even have guards near the fence until five years ago, " Will says. " Don't you remember when Dauntless police used to patrol the factionless sector? "

" Yes, " Tris replies.

She must have seen them all the time. After all, Abnegations have to pass the factionless sector to get to school. I still remember the numerous times I've walked past it. There are buses that run to and from school, but they crowd easily, and I've never been fond of enclosed spaces, so I prefered walking.

" Oh, right, " Will says. " I bet you saw them all the time."

" Why do you say that? " Tris asks sharply.

" Because you had to pass the factionless sector to get to school, right? "

" What did you do, memorize a map of the city for fun? " says Christina.

" Yes, " says Will apprehensively. " Didn't you? "

The train's brake squeal and everyone lurches forward as the car slows. The scene before me has changed significantly. Yellow fields and train tracks have replaced the worn down buildings. The train stops under an awning. I jump from the car onto the grass that surrounds the tracks.

In front of me is a chain-link fence with barbed wire strung along the top. It stretches on into the horizon. Past the fence stands a cluster of trees, most of which are dead. Dauntless guards carrying guns pace the perimeter of the fence on the other side.

" Follow me, " I say.

I lead the group towards the gate, which is as wide as a house. This is the entrance to the city. A cracked road extends from the city to the Amity farms beyond the gate.

" If you don't rank in the top five at the end of initiation, you will probably end up here, " I explain once we reach the gate. " Once you are a fence guard, there is some potential for advancement, but not much. You may be able to go on patrols beyond Amity's farms, but – "

" Patrols for what purpose? " asks Will.

I shrug. " I suppose you'll discover that if you find yourself amongst them. As I was saying. For the most part, those who guard the fence when they are young continue to guard the fence. If it comforts you, some of them insist that it isn't as bad as it seems."

" What rank were you? " Peter asks me.

I look levelly at him and tell him, " I was first."

" And you chose to do this? " Peter's eyes widen in disbelief. " Why didn't you get a government job? "

" I didn't want one, " I say flatly.

The Dauntless have limited job options. We can guard the fence or work for the security of our city, take up a job in the Dauntless compound, fight for entertainment, or work for the Dauntless leaders. Since ranks are directly related to job privileges, I was offered the best one – a government position. To everyone's surprise, I opted for a job in the control room, where I monitor the city security. The government job then went to the second highest ranking initiate, Eric. Many of my friends still insist that I should take over Eric's position, but I don't want his responsibilities to fall on my shoulders.

We come to a stop next to the gate. The guards pull open the doors to admit a truck. The driver wears a hat, a beard, and a smile. He stops just inside the gate and gets out, allowing the guards to do their routine inspection. The back of the truck is open, where a few other Amity are sitting on crates which appear to carry apples. I wonder if apple picking is a part of their initiation.

" Beatrice? " one of the Amity boys says.

Tris's head jerks around at the sound of what must be her full name.

Beatrice. It suits her. Or it used to. It suited the girl that wore oversized, grey clothes and put others before herself. It suited Abnegation. Beatrice means 'voyager through life'. I guess she's leaving Beatrice behind and traveling onto the next part of her life as Tris.

The boy hops down from the trucks and, after a moment of hesitation, embraces Tris in his arms.

I look away and turn my face towards the vast stretch of land that lies beyond the fence.

The wind carries bits and pieces of Tris's conversation to me and I can't help but eavesdrop.

" …just training. Nothing." She says.

" Beatrice? " Molly demands in her nasally voices and laughs. " Is that your real name, Stiff? "

" What did you think Tris was short for? "

" Oh, I don't know… weakling? Oh wait, that doesn't start with Tris. My mistake."

" There's no need to antagonize her, " the boy says, so softly that I almost didn't catch it. " I'm Robert, and you are? "

" Someone who doesn't care what your name is, " Molly snaps. " Why don't you get back in your truck? We're not supposed to fraternize with other faction members."

I hate to admit it, but Molly is right. Interacting with other faction members is discouraged because Dauntless takes the phrase 'faction before blood' very seriously. Any attachment to members of other factions indicate that you are not entirely satisfied with your decision of choosing Dauntless. Tris has a knack for being imprudent and unwise, and I'm worried that her actions will affect her initiation process.

My eyes wander beyond the fences. The land stretches on to infinity, yet we are fenced in like animals. What is it like to be on the other side? What is it like to not be governed by the factions? I snap out of my reverie when a female guards strolls by. I recognize her face; she was in my initiate group!

" Blair! " I call out.

Her head snaps around at the sound of her name.

" Four! I feel like I haven't seen you in years! How have you been? "

" Same old, just showing the new group around." I say, motioning towards the initiates behind me. " How about you? "

" You know, it's the same routine every day. It feels boring and repetitive at times, but it really isn't as bad as people make it out to be...looks like they're finished examining the truck." She says, nodding towards the guards who are now exiting the truck and returning to their post.

I turn and watch the driver and the boy climb back into the truck. A girl in the back starts to strum the banjo on her lap as the truck starts forward. The Dauntless guards close the gate and lock it behind them. I've always found it strange that the gates lock on the outside rather than the inside. I wonder if anyone else has noticed it. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but it seems like they are keeping us in rather than keeping something out.

I say goodbye to Blair, step away from the fence and make my way over to Tris. I stop a foot away from her and say, " I am worried that you have a knack for making unwise decisions."

She crosses her arms. " It was a two-minute conversation."

" I don't think a smaller time frame makes it any less unwise." I furrow my eyebrows and brush the corner of her bruised eye with my fingertips. She jerks her head back, but I don't take my hand away.

I tilt my head back and sigh. " You know, if you could just learn to attack first, you might do better."

" Attack first? " she says. " How will that help? "

" You're fast. If you can get a few good hits in before they know what's going on, you could win." I shrug and let my hand fall to my side.

" I'm surprised you know that, " she says quietly, " since you left halfway through my one and only fight."

She noticed me leave. I sigh and admit, " It wasn't something I wanted to watch."

She falls silent, though I'm dying to know what she's thinking.

A few seconds later, I clear my throat. " Looks like the next train is here. Time to go, Tris."

 






© 2023 :: MyLektsii.ru :: Мои Лекции
Все материалы представленные на сайте исключительно с целью ознакомления читателями и не преследуют коммерческих целей или нарушение авторских прав.
Копирование текстов разрешено только с указанием индексируемой ссылки на источник.