Revolution -Eric Coulter-

Chapter 45

After scaling the wall, they climbed down the ridge. Riley's feet landed with a thud against the dirt. She felt her heart start to race as she unhooked herself. Everyone around her was doing the same thing. Riley tried to process what was happening, but it felt as if it was happening to someone else.

They had made it past the wall. They were outside the city, yet the journey had only just begun. Where they were headed was a mystery. There could be nothing waiting for them. "Come on," Tobias shouts. "This way." They're moving again. Riley is appreciative she is not out of breath. Running long distances allows her to catch her breath faster than most. Others around her don't have that luxury, like Caleb, who was breathing heavily.

They ran over the hill and down the path through the debris. It looked like a dumping ground for old building material. The group remained entirely silent until they reached a field. The earth was vibrantly green, and Riley found comfort in the color. As they walked, her fingers would lazily skim over the ferns that grew.

Christina stayed by her side, sending harsh glares to anyone who got too close. It was obvious to anyone watching that she was annoyed with the choice to bring Peter and Eric along. She never liked Peter and felt that Eric shouldn't be associated with them. The only reason he was there was because of Riley, and Christina believed Riley could do so much better.

Around twenty minutes later, Tobias came to a stop. It caught the attention of everyone around them. Riley stood by his side and was stunned by the scene before them. The beautiful green field had vanished. It was replaced by dark orange and brown clay. The landscape consisted of knocked-over power lines and destroyed buildings—places from the war that never recovered. It was a wasteland. "Holy shit." It looked unsafe.

"What happened," Caleb asked.

They had all heard the stories growing up but had never seen such devastation with their eyes. Tobias didn't bother to respond and headed down the small hill to cross the land. The rest of the group moved with him. They didn't have a choice. The only option was to cross the land. There was no turning back once they climbed the wall. Evelyn would kill them for breaking the rules if they returned.

The only option was to go forward, and that's exactly what they did. It felt hot for some reason. Riley slipped off her jacket and threw it over her shoulder.

Once they reached the bottom, they followed Tobias's lead. Riley kept her doubts to herself. She feared they had made the wrong decision with leaving. "This hole looks radioactive," Caleb says. "Or it was in the last two-hundred years."

"Meaning what," Christina felt the need to ask.

"Someone seriously messed up the world," Peter muttered.

Riley remained silent, her eyes on the horizon. There was a creek beside her, and it looked as if the water was red. That couldn't have been a good sign. Above them, it started to rain a red liquid. "That can't be good," Riley murmured.

"Great, the sky is bleeding," Peter wiped the red rain off his face.

"This way," Tobias called out. "Come on, let's go." Riley moved first, running down a hill after him. He had spotted a building not too far away.

Their feet pounded against the clay, and they rushed towards the shelter as the rain got worse. Thunder rumbled from above, and the rain got heavier. Riley ran into the building, but the roof was covered in holes. There weren't many dry places, but it felt safe. Christina dropped to the ground, crossing her legs. Riley walked towards a pillar and sat down, letting her back rest against it. The jacket she had worked as a mediocre umbrella.

A heavy silence followed, everyone feeling the effects of the day taking over. "This was fun," Peter said. "I'm glad we did this."

"Shut up, Peter," Riley called. Her tone held pure annoyance.

"What if there's nothing out there," Christina questioned. Eric sat down beside Riley, but he remained silent. He hadn't spoken a word since they crossed over the wall. Riley knew this was the last place he wanted to be, but he went because she asked.

"There has to be," Tris responded. She had hope they would find something.

"I'm scared," Caleb said. Riley found herself agreeing with him. This entire situation was new and scary.

"Yeah," Christina nodded. "I think that's a good thing."

Riley sighed, pulling her knees to her chest. Her body was exhausted, and her eyes fluttered closed. "We'll camp here for the night," Tobias decided. "It'll be dark soon, and I don't think the rain is going to stop." Riley hummed in agreement, feeling sleeping creeping up on her. The others seemed grateful for that decision and laid down to get as much sleep as possible. Riley's head moved to the side, now resting comfortably on Eric's shoulder. The action took him by complete surprise, and he opened his mouth in protest. However, no words came out. Riley was asleep within seconds of Tobias declaring they were staying. It was clear how exhausted she was. He remained still, his eyes locked on the wall in front of him until he fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Riley felt disgusting. Her body felt sticky from the rain. The group walked through the high clay dunes. Everything looked the same, and Riley felt herself slowly losing hope that they would ever find anything. It was all the same. The group seemed to be thinking the same thing. They were moving much slower than the day before.

"Hey," Peter appeared next to her. "Want to play eye-spy?"

"Shut up, Peter."

He ignored her, "eye- spy with my little eye, something orange."

Riley couldn't help the laugh that escaped. Everything around them was orange. "You're an idiot." The group walked alongside the stream.

Peter opened his mouth to respond, but they heard the distant sound of an engine. "Do you hear that?"

"It's an engine." They all stopped walking.

"Someone is coming for us," Tris smiled. Above them, a car flew over the dune. Riley stared at the person driving. It was Edgar. The people beyond the wall weren't coming for them. Evelyn was.

"Run!"

Riley took off in a sprint behind Tris, her body moving quickly. Her hair flew back in the breeze, but she didn't care. There were bigger issues. Edgar had found them. They had to escape.

The group got to the end of the path, but Edgar was driving straight towards them. "Go, go," Tobias lifted his gun. "Cut through." The group turned to leave, but Eric raised his weapon to help Tobias fight off Edgar. It wasn't like him to help others, but he did it without thinking.

Riley led the group away from the vehicle, running ahead easily. The only person able to keep her speed was Peter. She looked over her shoulder at him, feeling the memories from her days at Dauntless returning. It was often the two of them running side by side. They were always the fastest. Riley would give anything to return to those days. They were simpler.

Ahead of them, Riley sees something. Tobias and Eric had rejoined them, but Edgar was still shooting at them. The bullets that missed seemed to bounce off a forcefield.

As they approached, the force field opened. It revealed a large black truck with a few people outside of it. "Woah," Riley slid to a stop. "What the hell."

"Hello, don't be afraid. You are safe now," a man approached them. "Four and Riley Eaton." He knew their names. "Tris Prior. It is truly an honor to meet you."

"How do you know our names?" They blasted Edgar's truck before closing the barrier.

"We've been waiting a long time for you," he explained. For some reason, Riley found herself feeling apprehensive. "We are the people who founded your city. We have a lot to tell you. Please, come with us."

~~~~~~~~~~

From here, I will focus more on the book rather than the movie! I will be sure to describe details more vividly to help!