Faction Before Love

Faction Before Love Chapter 18

Trinity stood still and waited for something to happen with a pounding heart. What was she in for at Dauntless? She had no clue.
Someone touched her shoulder.
Trinity whirled around, "James?"
"Don't worry, Trinity. It will all be over soon. Just turn him in." James said in a sickly sweet voice.
"Who?"
"That Dauntless punk. Just say he wouldn't leave you alone. He'll disappear."
"Maybe I don't want Leon to disappear." Trinity said defensively.
"How else will we be together?" James asked taking her hand.
Trinity snatched her hand back, "James, we won't be together. We can't."
"Why?" James asked. "Is there someone else?"
"Maybe." Trinity said.
James gritted his teeth, "You're being ridiculous, Trinity. With me you'll have a sure future. You know that's the way it is in Amity."
Trinity kept her mouth shut tight. What was this? Why was she experiencing one of her worst fears? She knew he what he was saying was true. Women weren't considered as strong as women in Dauntless or Erudite. If you wanted to get a good job or provide for yourself, you needed a husband. But there was only one person for her.
"I can't be with you James. I'll make it." Trinity said firmly, even if she didn't fully believe it. But her own words were able to calm her heart beat and James dissolved before her.
Trinity breathed a sigh of relief. But then she realized that James had mentioned Amity. If people were observing her, they would know she was posing as a Dauntless initiate.
That thought made her sweat.
Trinity closed her eyes and waited for them to come and get her.
She kept sweating. A lot more than she should have been actually. As beads of sweat rolled down her back, Trinity realized something wasn't right. She opened her eyes and gasped. Flames surrounded her. The enveloped the walls and were devouring the ceiling.
She screamed and backed up against the wall.
The flames swatted at her and hissed.
Trinity saw a door on the far side of the room. The only way to it...go through the flames.
Some Dauntless part of her made Trinity clench her fists. With a yell, she ran into the fire.
It burned like, well, fire.
It caught at her arms and neck.
Trinity ran faster.
She was going to burn alive!
Right when she didn't think she could go any farther, the fire disappeared just as James had. Instead, Trinity saw Gran rocking in her chair as if nothing was happening.
"Oh, Trinity dear." Gran huffed.
"Um," Trinity looked around, "What?"
"Why would you get yourself involved in such a situation?"
"I don't understand." Trinity walked closer.
"You failed as an Amity." Gran said harshly.
Trinity's mouth dropped open and sunk to the ground, "But..."
"I had such hopes for you. And you failed." Gran shook her head sadly.
Trinity went to her grandmother's side and pleaded, "Please help me. I feel horrible about what I did to Leon."
Gran looked straight ahead, "Now, thanks to your childish ways, you've hurt that poor boy and your reputation. Did you think people wouldn't find out?"
Trinity stood and looked at her Grandmother with a wonderful realization. It wasn't real. The pain and her guilt were but she could get through this. "I'm sorry I hurt you but you need to shut up." She said firmly.
The clone of Gran turned to her suddenly, "What?"
"Shut up. It's my life."
Gran gasped and dissolved.
Trinity laughed with glee, "Yes!"
"Hey."
Trinity's blood went cold. She turned slowly, "Leon?"
He stood there in perfection. His eyes shone like stars.
Trinity rushed forward and threw her arms around his neck, "Thank goodness! Come on, I'll get you to safety."
Leon had stiffened. He took her arms and slid them away, "How dare you come back?"
Trinity was taken aback, "I'm here because..." No, this was a simulation. She couldn't say Divergent. But if this was a simulation, the Leon standing before her wasn't real. But he still had the same effect on her that the real Leon did. And the sorrow in his eyes was almost more than she could stand.
"I'll give you your wish, Trinity. I'll go. But you have to promise to leave me alone too."
"Leon no! They'll kill you!"
"Who?" He demanded.
Trinity stopped herself from answering. She couldn't figure out how to get out of this fear.
Leon scoffed and turned away, "Go home, Trinity." He ordered over his shoulder.
Trinity tried to reach for him but her hand hit an invisible barrier that had suddenly appeared. She hit it with both fists, "Leon!"
He didn't hear her, or appeared not to.
Trinity beat the barrier harder, "Leon!"
Two men came out of the shadows and stalked towards Leon with long strides.
"Look out!" Trinity screamed. But the men struck Leon and he fell. "Stop! Stop!" Trinity cried as she hit the barrier with everything that she had. She leaned against it finally, exhausted. She looked at the men beating Leon and someone inside of her clicked.
"This isn't real." She whispered.
With one last effort, Trinity imagined the barrier breaking. And when she slammed her shoulder against it, the invisible wall shattered.
Bright lights flashed and Trinity yelped.
She was back in the room that Dauntless had put her in.
April opened the door and grabbed her arm, "Come on."
Trinity followed her out, past the open-mouthed Dauntless initiates.
When they rounded the cover, the girls broke into a run, "What was that?" Trinity demanded.
"I couldn't interrupt you during the test. But they're suspicious and we need to leave." April explained.
"What about the Divergents?" Trinity asked.
"Apparently someone got to them before us."
Trinity gasped and stopped running.
April turned to her and then shook her head, "No no. Someone else has taken them to find shelter. We need to get you back to Amity."
Trinity began to run again. She hoped Leon and the other Divergent were alright.
***
Trinity walked along the path behind the Amity houses, not bothering to pick up her feet. That fear test or whatever it was called had worn her out. What had that been about anyway? That was abuse! Did Leon have to go through that?
She got to her door and opened it slowly. Something wasn't right. There was dirt and blood all over the kitchen floor.
"Gran?" She called out.
James rounded the corner. His hair was sticking up and there was blood all over his clothes.
"What happened?" Trinity demanded shrilly.
James held up his hands, "Don't panic."
"Don't panic?" Trinity stormed towards him. "Where is Gran?" She went into the living room. She stopped suddenly and stared in disbelief.
Gran sat in her rocker. She had stopped rocking at the sight of Trinity and held up her hands, "They said they were waiting for you."
The people on the couch is what had frozen Trinity in place.
A Factionless man and two Dauntless. The man stood and bowed, "You're Trinity?"
"What the heck?" Trinity motioned to the other two. The boy and the girl Dauntless.
"Trinity! Don't say such things." Gran chided.
The Factionless man looked embarrassed, "He ate some bread." He motioned to the Dauntless boy.
But Trinity couldn't believe her eyes. Leon looked over at her and smiled like a lunatic, "Hey, Trinity!"
The girl shook her head, "He's acting crazy."
"To much peace syrum for someone who's not used to it." James commented.
Leon stood and hobbled over to her. He took Trinity in his arms and grinned, "Glad to see me?"