Free and Captured ~Eric love story

Chapter one- last time

I stare at myself in the mirror, I've been looking at myself for too long. I was done with my hair 3 minutes ago, and I was supposed to be down stairs with my father.

I look at myself carefully. My long blond hair is pulled back into a tight bun.

I wear a long dress that covers me completely. It is baggy so it shows no curves, -even though I have many.- I pull a baggy sweater over my head

You can tell i've matured since the last time I looked

I didn't even hear my father on the stairs like I normally do, so when the door flies open, I jump and slam the panel shut.

looks at me and then at the now closed panel, then at me again.

He looks at me furiously, "Meredith Eveyln Eaton, what do you think you are doing?" he says, his voice calm, which in this case is actually scarier.

When I don't answer he walks over to me and grabs the bun of hair at the top of my head and yanks. "Answer me girl!" he yells in my face.

I cower, slumping slightly. "I-I w-was j-just l-l-looking" I stammer.

"You vain, selfish girl!" he yells. He pulls his hand to slam me.

"The ceremony dad!" I yell before he can hit my face.

He looks at me with so much anger, he throws me to the floor. "Fine" he says and walks out of my room.

I know better than to think he is going to leave me unpunished, so I stay on the floor waiting for him.

The ceremony that I was talking about is the choosing ceremony. The choosing ceremony is simple, but a huge deal. Every year, the children at the age 16 all take the aptitude test. Then the next day they go to the hub, along with parents, families, and random members of the factions and we all watch as the 16 year olds choose which faction they will live in forever. And this year, today, it is my turn.

Yesterday I took the aptitude test. The test that told you which faction you are most like and you should go to. Most of the time people get their faction of birth. But the test does not determine which faction you go to, it just tells you where it thinks you belong, it is just a strong suggestion, a nudge in the right direction. Unfortunately for me it didn't go as planned. The Amity lady I had told me that my test results were inconclusive. That I didn't fit into one faction, I fit into three, I had Abnegation, Candor, and Dauntless. She said it was called divergent, and that I was to tell no one of my test results, I was to lie and say it was Abnegation because that is what she put onto the computer. When I asked why she simply said that being divergent wasn't safe, and if I wanted to keep my life I would listen.

And so I did, I lied to my father saying I got Abnegation. Told him he could look in public records if he didn't believe me.

For most people, being divergent would be confusing, they wouldn't know where to go now. But not for me, really I could have gone without the test, I knew where I was going already.

I know I'm going to follow my brother to Dauntless and leave my father behind and never look back.

3 years ago my brother turned 16 and did his aptitude test. And then at his choosing ceremony he moved to Dauntless. And I plan to do the same. Whether he will recognize me. Or if I will even recognize him, I don't know. It has been 3 years and he has most likely changed since he was dauntless now.

I wonder what he looks like now. What his life is like. Who his friends are, where he works. Maybe he even has a girlfriend, or something more, a family.

I am pulled out of my thoughts when my father comes back in with a belt. I'm not surprised, this is a regular punishment, but it doesn't matter how many times he does it. It always hurts and I never stop being scared.

I look up at my father with big eyes, "please don't" I beg, "not today" I plead

He shakes his head at me, "you know better girl, and you will be published" he says in a harsh voice, "now, you know what to do" he says.

I know full well, he wants me to strip down into my underwear and bra so he has bare skin to whip.

But I don't move, shaking, and scared. "NOW!" he yells.

I jump and quickly fumble my fingers over the buttons. I finally pull my dress off and stand there practically naked in front of my father.

I sit in a ball holding myself, trying to stay warm.

"This is for your own good" he said, and then he whips me with his belt, again and again, and again.

I bit down on my hand trying to muffle my cries and screams.

Finally after I have lost count of how many times he whipped me he stops.

I look over at him with my cheeks stained with tiers. I'm shaking and I breathe rapidly.

Suddenly he is crouched behind me, his lips to my ear. "Darling if you just listen we wouldn't have to do this" he murmurs.

I shiver at the feeling of his breath on my neck. His hands trail down my body, stopping at my waist. And he digs his fingernails in. I whimper at the sudden pain.

Tears fall rapidly, but I don't make a sound, fear that he will do something worse.

He pulls away and stands up. He looks down at me and I glance at him from the corner of my eye, and I hold myself tightly.

"I have to go to the hub to help set up. I expect to see you there on time." he says like he didn't just bet his own daughter.

When I don't answer, he walks over and grabs my chin, holding it tightly in his grip. He forces me to look at him. "Do you understand?" he ask angrily

I nod quickly "y-yes, sir" I say quietly.

"Good" he says, letting go of my chin roughly. "Clean yourself up, you look terrible. I will see you soon"

He walks out and as soon as I hear the front door shut, I shake violently and weep into my knees.

"That is the last time" I murmur angrily to myself. "That is the last time he does that." I stand up and let out a groan at the pain that shoots into my back.

By now I've learned to just ignore it as best as I can. I walk to the bathroom and turn on the shower. I step into cold water and I let the water numb the pain and relax my muscles.

I do the best I can to clean the new cuts. When I walk out I dry off quickly, not even bothering to be careful with the open skin.

I don't have time. I go back to my room and throw my clothes back on and it covers every cut and old scar on my body.

I open the panel again, I pull my hair back smoothly again so that it is perfect. I touch my face gently.

My eyes are no longer swollen from crying, they just look sad, along with the rest of my face.

I then smile brightly at myself. To everyone else this is a real smile. But if anyone saw my real smile they would know this is fake.

My brother used to say that when I was really happy and laughed or had a real smile my whole face would light up. My eyes have a twinkle of happiness, and that my smile is bigger than the fake one I put on.

I shrug. I close the panel and walk down stairs. I slid my flats on and walked out the door. I close the door behind me.

I start my way out of the abnegation sector and toward the city, But I take one glance back at my house.

This is the last time I would see that house.

And I can't wait to never see it again, this is the last time..