𝑭𝑶𝑼𝑹 𝑴𝑶𝑹𝑨𝑵𝑻 . Tobias Eaton

*ೃ༄ 10 ༄ೃ*

Now sitting in on my bed, I looked over at Sarai.

"I'm never going to make it." I puffed.

"Yes, you are." Sarai encouraged.

Al spoke up from the bed next to us.

"If they cut me, I think my parents would take me back."

Continuing the conversation, Will next to Sarai said, "Even if they wanted to, their faction wouldn't allow it."

"You know I'm not sure what my mum would be like if I tried coming back home." I looked down.

"This is getting a little depressing...You know we should get? We should get tattoos."

I unamusable nodded my head but she dragged me up from my sitting position.

Sarai and I race down the narrow path to the tattoo place. When we get there, Al is sitting in the chair already, and a small, narrow man with more ink than bare skin is drawing a spider on his arm.

Will and Sarai flip through books of pictures, elbowing each other when they find a good one. When they sit next to each other, I notice how opposite they are, Sarai dark and lean, Will pale and solid, but alike in their easy smiles.

I wander around the room, looking at the artwork on the walls. These days, the only artists are in Amity.  I skim the wall with my fingertips. A picture of a hawk on one wall reminds me of Tori's tattoo. Beneath it is a sketch of a bird in flight.

"It's a raven," a voice behind me says. "Pretty, right?"

I turn to see Tori standing there. I feel like I am back in the aptitude test room, with the mirrors all around me and the wires connected to my forehead. I didn't expect to see her again.

"Well, hello there." She smiles. "Never thought I would see you again. Aurora, is it?"

"Quinn, actually," I say. "Do you work here?"

"I do. I just took a break to administer the tests. Most of the time I'm here." She taps her chin.

"I recognize that name. You were the first jumper, weren't you?"

"Yes, I was."

"Well done."

"Thanks." I touch the sketch of the bird. 

"Listen—I need to talk to you about..." I glance over at Will and Sarai. I can't corner Tori now; they'll ask questions, "...something. Sometime."

"I am not sure that would be wise," she says quietly. "I helped you as much as I could, and now you will have to go it alone."

I purse my lips. She has answers; I know she does. If she won't give them to me now, I will have to find a way to make her tell me some other time.

"Want a tattoo?" she says.

The galaxy tattoo that was surrounded in stars, moon and planets holds my attention. I never intended to get pierced or tattooed when I came here. I understand now what Tori said about her tattoo representing a fear she overcame—a reminder of where she was, as well as a reminder of where she is now. Maybe there is a way to honour my old life as I embrace my new one. 

"Yes," I say.

"The universe of galaxies. "I touch my collarbone, "and a wave on my wrist."

Sitting on the chair as Tori set the tattooing pads on my collarbone and arm, I looked over to my friends who were laughing, Tori whispered to me, "They'll find out about you."

"I know." I looked over to her. I wasn't dumb, I knew, I heard many stories about being a divergent but a part of me didn't want to believe that it wouldn't affect me. That I can just continue being dauntless. "I'm a threat." I exhaled.

"To society." I finish my sentence.

"No, to the people in power. They can't control you."