divergent-excerpt

“You know. Like a bed of nails.”
He stares at me, and I don’t look away. He isn’t a dog,
but the same rules apply. Looking away is submissive.
Looking him in the eyes is a challenge. It’s my choice.
Heat rushes into my cheeks. What will happen when
this tension breaks
But he just says, “Careful, Tris.”
My stomach drops like I just swallowed a stone. A
Dauntless member at another table calls out Four’s name,
and I turn to Christina. She raises both eyebrows.
“What” I ask.
“I’m developing a theory.”
“A nd it is”
She picks up her hamburger, grins, and says, “That you
have a death wish.”
+++
After dinner, Four disappears without a word. Eric leads
us down a series of hallways without telling us where
we’re going. I don’t know why a Dauntless leader would be
responsible for a group of initiates, but maybe it is just for
tonight.
At the end of each hallway is a blue lamp, but between
them it’s dark, and I have to be careful not to stumble over
uneven ground. Christina walks beside me in silence. No
69