'Choose!'

Knife or cheese?

They sat in front of me, there, waiting for me to take one. That stupid voice screaming at me didn't help. Think. What would an Erudite do? Being logical, I would say that the aptitude test was going to be dangerous, so I picked up the knife.

The baskets disappear as soon as I lift the knife. I hear a snarling behind me, and turn to face a large, slobbering dog. There is no time to think as it runs towards me, and jumps, straight at my face. I back up, fast. The dog stops, and glares at me, its deep black eyes boring right into me. It snarls. My palms are sweaty, and the knife slips out of my hand, It starts to pace slowly around me. It can smell my fear, and is just waiting for the right opportunity to attack. Think. I read about dogs, in one of the textbooks I managed to smuggle into my room, back at the Merchandise Mart. I need to stop my fear. I calm myself. Think. An idea forms in my head. I slowly, keeping eye contact with the dog, lower myself down, right down, so I am laying on the ground. Not a threat, I think to myself. I am not a threat to you, dog. I close my eyes as I feel it come closer. Then a bark. Something rough slides across my face.

It seems like a completely different dog to the one a minute ago. It is now small and whining, nothing compared to the snarling beast from a minute ago. If it expects me to pet it though, it has another thing coming. I am not going anywhere near that again, I think as I back up slowly.

Suddenly I hear a cry:

'Puppy!'

A little girl stands there, her face awash with delight. She stretches her hand out to the dog, which suddenly transforms back into the snarling beast. See what I mean? I was right not to pet it.

The girl is in danger. The dog rushes towards her, saliva falling from his mouth. I knew this was another test. Going after the dog would be a bad move. Could get hurt. I turn my back on the girl and the dog. Look after number 1. That's the smart thing to do.

I hear one final snarl, and a scream of terror. Then the scene changes.

I sit in a courtroom. I've been here before, with my Dad when he was on a case. Most boring day of my life. A man comes up to me. Holds up a picture. A simple photograph of a guy, around 30 years old, sandy hair, dull brown eyes. And I know that I have killed him.

'Did you kill this man?' The guy with the photo asks.

I know I have done it. And 16 years of living in Candor have ingrained it into me. As our manifesto says 'Truth makes us strong'.

I know what to say.

'Yes.'

My eyes jerk open. I am back, sitting in the aptitude test chair. The Abnegation volunteer stands above me, frowning, and typing furiously at a computer.

I get up. 'What happened?' I demand. 'What's my aptitude?'

The Stiff looks up.

'Lawrence, you're results were not normal,' she says in a kind, gentle voice, unfazed by my outburst.

'What do you mean?' I meant to sound angry, but it comes out as just curious.

'Well...you have an aptitude for two factions. This is very rare. Not unheard of, but rare. It is called Divergent. You mustn't tell anyone. They shouldn't know, because I inputed your result manually, as just one faction.

'Explain.' I said, not bothering to ask the questions bubbling in my head.

'Being Divergent is dangerous. Divergents die. You must keep it secret. You can't tell anyone, not your family, not your friends. I know how much Candors like to talk.'

'You say I have an aptitude for two factions. Which ones?'

'Candor.' She replies. 'And Erudite.'

As I walk home, back to the Merchandise Mart, at the end of school all I can think of is the test. What the Stiff said. Divergent.

Candor, my home faction, born and raised, my family's faction for 5 generations.

Or Erudite, the faction I have always admired, the faction I wished would come up as my test result. The faction I knew I would choose.

Now it came down to it, it was much harder.

Candor or Erudite?