Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven Encounter

The next morning, I didn't hear the alarm clock, the shuffling, or the chattering of new students.In my daze, I was shaken awake. Christina shook my shoulder with one hand and patted my face with the other.She was wearing a tight black jacket that was zipped down to the neck.Even after being wounded in the fight the day before, the bruises were hardly visible on her dark skin. "Come on, get ready," she yelled. I just had a nightmare where Pete tied me to a chair and tortured me if I was a Divergent.I vehemently denied it, and he kept hitting me until I nodded and said yes. I was about to say something, but in the end I just mumbled.My whole body hurts so much that it hurts even when I breathe.Not to mention crying so hard last night that my eyes were swollen.Christina reached out and pulled me up.

The clock says eight o'clock!We only have a quarter of an hour to prepare, and we should meet at the railroad track at 8:15. "I'm going to get some breakfast, you...just get it ready, it looks like you're going to need some time," she said. I grunted in response, bent my knees and squatted halfway without bending over, and reached into the drawer under the bed to grope, hoping to find a clean piece of clothing.Luckily Pete wasn't there and couldn't see me struggling, otherwise he would have made fun of me again.After Christina left, the dorm was empty, and it was just me.

I unbuttoned my shirt and stared at the naked half of my body, which was bruised and purple from the beating.For a while, I was confused by the color, and saw blue-green, purple, and dark yellow scattered all over my body.I changed as fast as I could, and let my hair hang over my shoulders because I couldn't raise my arms to tie it. I looked into a small mirror on the back wall and saw a stranger.She has blond hair and a slap face like me, but that's about it.Because I don't have dark circles, chapped lips, bruised chin, or pale skin.So she couldn't be me, even though she was doing the same motion as me.

When Christina returned with a muffin in one hand, I was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring down at my untied shoelaces.I had to bend over to tie my shoes, but the pain was unbearable. She handed me a muffin and knelt down to help me tie my shoes.There was a sudden surge of gratitude and warmth in my heart, as well as a little pain.Perhaps, selflessness has a place in everyone's heart, even if they don't realize it. Everyone does, except Pete, of course. "Thank you." "Thank you? We'll never arrive on time when you tie it yourself. You can eat as you go, right?"

We quickly walked to the deep pit of the base.The muffins in my hand are banana flavored with walnuts inside.My mother baked bread like this once for non-partisans, but I never tasted it.At that time, I was too old to be spoiled.I tried not to pay attention to the dull pain in my heart every time I thought of my mother. After I collected myself, I continued to move forward, half running and half jumping behind Christina.She apparently forgot that her legs were much longer than mine. We climbed the stairs from the base pit, entered the glass building above the pit, and rushed to the door.With every step, my ribs are so painful that I can only ignore it as much as possible.When we got to the track, the train was roaring towards us, and the siren sounded in our ears.

"Why are you so dawdling?" Will yelled over the sound of the horn. "The short-legged old lady turned into a foot-bound woman after sleeping," Christina joked. "Okay, shut up." I said half-jokingly. The fourth child stood in front of the line, almost close to the track. If he went one step further, the train would definitely scratch his nose.He took a few steps back, letting the others jump on it first.Will wriggled himself into the car, belly first, then lifted his legs up.The fourth child grabbed the handle next to the carriage, got on the train easily, and stood firmly on the train, as if his height of nearly 1.9 meters was not a problem at all.

I jogged along the car, cringed a bit, then gritted my teeth and grabbed the handle on the side of the car, and jumped hard, it really hurt. Al hugged me from under the arm and pulled me up easily.A sharp pain hit the side of my body, but it disappeared in an instant.I blushed when I saw Pete standing behind Al.Al was kind enough to help me, so I smiled at him, though at the moment I wish people weren't so kind.As if Pete didn't have that many topics to attack me with.Now he spoke again. "Are you in good health?" Pete put on a mocking sympathy, his lips curled up and his eyebrows curled up, "Do you still feel a little... 'stiff'?"

He laughed at his own joke, and Molly and Drew laughed too.Molly had an ugly smile, mixed with snorting and humming, and her shoulders were shaking up and down.In comparison, Drew laughed muffledly, but looked in pain. "We really opened our eyes, your extraordinary wisdom is really awe-inspiring." Will said sarcastically. "That's right. Pete, are you sure you're not a polymath?" Christina added, "They're happy to take sissies." The fourth child stood at the doorway, and before Pete could reply, he said impatiently: "Do I have to listen to you argue all the way to the fence?"

Everyone fell silent.The fourth child turned around and went back to the carriage door.He held the handles on both sides, with his arms spread wide, and he stood firmly in the carriage, with most of his body leaning out, the wind was blowing at him, and his shirt was stuck to his strong chest muscles.I looked over his body, trying to see where we were passing - the car whizzed past, the old houses and rows of dilapidated buildings disappeared in the distance. Strange to say, every few seconds my eyes always drift to the fourth child.I didn't know what I expected to see, I didn't know what I wanted to see, I just did it involuntarily.

I asked Christina, "What do you think is over there?" I nodded towards the door. "What's over the fence?" She shrugged. "Probably a large farm, I guess." "Well, I mean, what about the farm? What kind of enemy are we defending this city against?" "It's a monster!" She stretched out her hands, wiggling her ten fingers, threatening me. I rolled my eyes. "It's been about five years to guard the city fence," Will snatched a sentence. "Do you remember that there was a time when the Dauntless police monitored and patrolled non-partisan areas day and night?"

"Well, I do." I also remember my father being one of the voters for Dauntless to withdraw from the non-partisan areas of the city.He said the poor don't need regulation, they need help, and we can help.I'd better not mention that though, especially here.This is one of the evidences of the incompetence of the Erudites for the disinterested. "Oh yeah, I bet you see them a lot," Will said. "Why did you say that?" I said sharply.You know, I don't want people to think I'm connected to the non-partisan crowd. "Because you pass their residence every day on your way to school, don't you?" "What are you doing? Is it okay to memorize the city map when you are full?" Christina stood up to defend me. "Yeah." Will looked confused, "Aren't you?" I enjoyed the train "screaming" the brakes and everyone's bodies falling forward as the train slowed down because it was easier to stand that way.Looking around, the dilapidated buildings disappeared, replaced by a yellow field stretching to the end of the sky, with criss-crossing tracks.The train stopped under the canopy and I jumped down onto the grass, still clutching the handlebars to steady myself. Ahead of me was a chain-link fence with barbed wire wrapped around it.It was only after taking a few steps that I realized that the fence stretched out of sight, merging with the distant horizon.The fence used to be a forest, most of the trees were dead, only a few sparse green trees interspersed among the withered trees.Cruising on the other side of the fence are Dauntless guards with guns. "Come with me." The fourth child said.I followed Christina.Whether I admit it or not (it's the same for myself), with her by my side, my heart is much calmer.If Pete dared to taunt me, she would definitely protect me. Thinking of this, I secretly blamed myself for being too weak.These are extraordinary times where I shouldn't be bothered by Pete's taunting and insulting and should be thinking about how I could have done better in the fight instead of focusing on how badly I played yesterday.If someone bullies me, I should not rely on other people's protection, even if I can't protect myself, I should stand up for myself with the attitude of "I know I can't do it". The fourth child led us to a gate as wide as a house, facing a road full of cracks, this is the entrance to the city!When I was very young, I went to Friendly Pie Farm with my family, and the bus we took traveled this road, and it also came back.We picked tomatoes all day there, and our clothes were soaked in sweat. Thinking of my family, my heart feels like being pricked by a needle again. "If you can't rank in the top five at the end of the training, you may end up here." Said, the fourth child walked to the gate, "Once you become a fence guard, there is some room for promotion, but the space is not enough. Big. Sure, you might be sent to patrol the outskirts of Amity Farm, but—” "Why patrol?" Will asked. The fourth child shrugged one shoulder: "If you become one of them, you will know. As I said just now, to a large extent, those who came to guard the fence when they were young generally continue to guard. Some of them People insist that the job isn't as bad as it looks—if that makes you feel any better." "That's right, at least you don't have to drive a bus or clean up the garbage left by others like the non-factional crowd." Christina whispered to me. "Where did you rank?" Pete asked the fourth. I didn't expect the fourth to speak, but he stared at Pete calmly and said, "I'm number one." "And you chose to do this?" Pete's dark green eyes were so big and round that I'd think they looked innocent if I didn't know what a horrible man he was. "Why don't you go to the government and get a job?" "I don't want to." The fourth child said bluntly.Remember on the first day he said he was working in the control room, which is where the Dauntless monitor the security of the city.I can't imagine a guy like him living in a room full of computers all day.In my eyes, he is more suitable in the training room. In school, we were taught the job duties and positions of the various factions.Dauntless options are few and far between.We can guard the city fence, or be in charge of city security, we can work on the Dauntless base, such as tattooing at the tattoo parlor, forging weapons, or fighting purely for entertainment purposes, and of course we can work for the leader of the Dauntless faction.This last one sounds like it should be my best bet. The only problem is, I'm so badly ranked that I'm likely to be a non-partisan by the end of the first level. We stopped by the gate, and the few guards glanced in our direction.They were busy pushing the door—it was tall and wide, almost twice their height and several times wider—and a truck was waiting to go through it. The driver was wearing a hat, a beard, and a smile on his face.He stopped the car as he pulled through the gate, and got out of the car.The back of the truck is open, and a few friendly people sit on a stack of crates.I took a closer look at the crate, and it contained apples. "Beatrice?" a friendly boy called out. My head exploded, how could anyone know my name?A friendly boy from the back of the truck stood up. He had blond curly hair and a familiar nose: wide at the tip and narrow at the bridge.It's Robert!I tried to recall Robert at the selection ceremony, but nothing came of my mind except for the pounding of my heart in my ears.Who else transfers?Did Susan turn?Is there any new students in the selfless faction this year?If the Unselfish factions fail, it's our fault—Robert, Caleb, and me.My fault.Can't think like that, I drive the thought out of my mind. Robert jumped out of the truck.He was wearing a gray T-shirt and blue jeans, and after a few seconds of hesitation, he ran towards me and hugged me tightly.I became stiff all of a sudden.Only friendly groups greet each other with hugs.I stood there motionless until he let go of me. When he looked at me again, his characteristic smile disappeared: "Beatrice, what's wrong with you? Why is your face so hurt?" "It's nothing, it's just training, it's really nothing." "What Beatrice?" A grunting nasal voice sounded beside me. Molly crossed her arms and laughed out of breath: "Zombie, your real name is Beatrice?" I glanced at her. "Then what do you think the name Triss means?" "Oh, I don't know about that...could it be...synonymous with cowards?" She rubbed her chin.If her chin could be bigger, it would match her nose better.But her chin was so small that it almost retracted into her neck. "Oh wait, 'cowardly' doesn't mean 'Tracey', I got it wrong." "There's no need to make trouble with her." Robert said gently, "Hi, I'm Robert, who are you?" "Who cares what your name is, whether you're Carrot or Applet or whatever, it's none of my business," she quipped, "Why don't you go back to your truck? close." "Why don't you stay away from us?" I snapped at her. "That's right, I don't want to see you young couple being sweet." With a smirk on her face, she turned and left. Robert gave me a sad look. "They don't seem like good people, do they?" "Some people are not bad." "You can go home, I think the Disinterested will make an exception for you." "Why do you think I'll go back?" My cheeks were hot and I asked inexplicably, "You think I can't handle it, or what?" "It's not like that." He shook his head, "It's not that you can't, I just don't think it's necessary, you should live happily." "It's my choice." I looked behind Robert, and the fearless guard seemed to have completed a routine inspection of the truck, and the bearded man returned to the cab and closed the door behind him, "Besides, Robert , my goal in life is not just... to live happily." "But wouldn't it be easier just to do that?" he asked. Before I could answer, he tapped me on the shoulder and turned and ran towards the truck.There was a girl in the back of the truck with a banjo on her lap.When Robert got into the car, the girl began to strum the strings carelessly, and a pleasant sound of the piano and a soft singing floated over.The truck started slowly, carrying the sound of the piano and her trembling singing away from us. Robert waved to me, and the possibility of another life resurfaced in my mind: sitting in the back of a truck singing with the banjo girl—even though I'd never sung before and laughed it off every time I got out of tune; Climb up the tree and pick the apples.Forever peaceful, forever safe. A knock on the door brought me back to reality.Dauntless guards closed the gate and locked it from the outside.I subconsciously bit my lower lip, why did they lock the door from the outside and not from the inside?It doesn't look like they're trying to lock other people out, are they trying to lock us in? I ruled out that idea because it really didn't make sense. The fourth child walked away from the fence. He had just communicated with a fearless female guard with a gun on his shoulder. "I'm always worried about some stupid decision you're going to make." He said, walking about thirty centimeters away from me. I crossed my arms: "But this conversation is only two minutes in total." "I don't think a stupid decision will become wise because of the short time." He frowned, raised his hand and touched the corner of my bruised eye with his fingertips.I instinctively dodged back, but he still didn't take his hand away, tilted his head and sighed: "Actually, you can preemptively strike, and you will perform better that way." "Preemptive strike? How does that help?" "You move fast enough. If you can launch an effective attack before the opponent wakes up, you may win." He shrugged and put his hand down. "I'm surprised how you know this? Because you left in the middle of my one and only fight." I whispered. "I really don't want to see that kind of scene anymore," he replied. What does this mean? He cleared his throat: "It looks like the next train has arrived. Triss, it's time to go."