Tris POV
My name is Beatrice Eaton. I am Marcus Eaton's daughter. I am 16. I am Abnegation, but not for long. Tomorrow is the Choosing Ceremony. I wouldn't have survived all my "lessons" as Marcus –I refuse to acknowledge him as my father –without knowing that one day I would be able to leave and create a whole new identity. You see to everyone else he is their selfless leader, but that is just a facade, a mask he puts on for everyone else and takes off for me. Today was my aptitude test and tomorrow is the day I'm leaving this place for good. Tori, my aptitude test administer, told me that I got 2 results. I never thought that it was possible, but I guess it is. She says they call people like me divergent. My results were Abnegation and Dauntless, but there is absolutely no way I'm staying in Abnegation so I guess Dauntless it is. It can't be that bad. Besides, I've always admired the Dauntless for their bravery. Whenever I went to school, which was not often to say the least, I would read the dauntless manifesto. One of the lines I remember is, "we believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another." That I do believe in. Whenever I went to school, not often due to my injuries, I watched the Dauntless jump out of moving trains. I will choose Dauntless tomorrow. I will make it through initiation. I will become a dauntless member. Marcus will never get to me again.
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When I awoke I saw Marcus towering above me. He looked me in the eye and said, "You will choose Abnegation today. Will you not?"
No I thought. "Yes Marcus I will."
"Good. Just to make sure you pick Abnegation, I will say this. Shall you leave, I will find you again. If you choose another faction, you will just be delaying the inevitable. I hope you realize that. Do us all a favor and just choose Abnegation."
No. I will leave and he will never get me again. I'll create as new identity for myself. I don't care what he thinks.
"Yes Marcus, I understand," I said knowing I would get 20 lashes then and there if I didn't.
"Be down in 30 min or you'll receive another lesson," he said. And with that he walked away. I ran to my dresser and pulled out clothes that I got for the ceremony. I took a shower and then changed into the Abnegation clothes. I lifted up my shirt to expose my stomach to see blue. I guess it I am going to have to hide my stomach. I went downstairs and followed the demon, A.K.A. Marcus, to his car. All Abnegation leaders can have one if they choose to. We drove to the ceremony and when we arrived Marcus walked up and started.
I looked around the room. The Candor, talking loud and arguing. The Erudite, dressed in blue, seemed as if they were above everyone. I caught a few with books in their hands, sneaking a few pages when no one seemed to be watching. The Amity smiled at everyone. The children braided each others hair. The Abnegation is constricting and quiet. Not one smile of genuine happiness. Just a smile to help others feel better. I can never fit in any of these. Then there was the Dauntless. The brave. The Dauntless looked wild and carefree. The exact opposite of Abnegation. Exactly what I need.
I heard a loud, haunting voice coming from the loudspeakers. Marcus. He's starting to read the names.
When Marcus called my name I shakily walked up there while he glared at me, silently telling me what to do. For my first act of defiance I walked up there, stared at him, and slit my wrist. The sizzling of my blood on the dauntless coals sounded like music to my ears. Though right after, the sound was drowned out by the cheering of the Dauntless. I looked at Marcus and smiled. His face was one of anger. I turned around and ran to the Dauntless. I looked around. Every other faction was one quiet before bursting into chatter. All factions in shock of why Abnegation's favorite 'selfless' faction leader's daughter switched to Dauntless.
When the last name rang out and the last future decided, the Dauntless pushed down the stairs. It occurs to me that I shouldn't be shocked. I thought only the abnegation use the stairs, but I guess I never realized that because usually I would stay behind to help clean up with the rest of the Abnegation and by the time we were done the rest of the factions where long gone by then. It makes sense. Its rebellious.
The sun blinded me when we got outside. I stopped and looked around. A girl ran into me.
I started running again. My lungs were straining. They started climbing a metal structure. I started breathing a little heavier. I grabbed the first rung.
When I got to the top I could see the train coming. I followed the others running away from the train. When it came it didn't stop. All of the dauntless-borns were jumping on the train with little to no difficulty, while the rest were struggling. When I finally jumped on I turned around helped a Candor girl on.
"Thanks," she said. "My name's Christina what's yours?"
"Call me stiff for all I care." I sat down. I looked out of the train and saw the fast-moving objects. As much as I wanted to leave home this was also the only place I truly knew.
Too soon I heard someone say, "There jumping off!" signaling it was time.
I looked up and sighed, indeed they were jumping. They weren't just jumping onto the ground. No, they were jumping across a wide gap onto a 7 story building. Why should I be surprised. I look again at the ground. Its far.
Christina grabbed my hand, "I just can't do it unless someone drags me." I am not complaining. If she didn't grab my hand I am not sure I would've moved my feet.
"Ok on the count of 3. 1, 2, 3," I yelled as we jumped off.
When I landed I inspected my arm to see if I hurt it when a candor boy said, "Ooh scandalous! The stiff is flashing skin." I can't stand the candor.
I dropped my arm and glared. I want to make a comment on his 'good-looks' but I probably shouldn't start any problems before I am officially a member.
A scream caused me to look over. I saw some dauntless-born crying. I looked over the edge. Some of us didn't make it.
"Listen up! My name is Max! I am one of the dauntless leaders of your new faction.
Several stories below us is the entrance to our compound. If you can't muster the will to jump off, then you don't belong here. Our initiates have the privilege of going first," a man says.
This is the first test; the first step to getting away from Marcus forever. I look around. No one seems too psyched about jumping off the ledge into the unknown. I hate heights. I can't stand them. I look into the hole again. I have a feeling if I don't go now, I won't ever. No one looks like they will go anytime soon so I walk up. I jump. I I land on something hard. It was a net. I lay back and laugh. Then I grab the first hand I see and pull myself off. I look at him. He has dark blue eyes. He has a spar upper lip and a full lower lip. His eyes are so deep-set that his lashes touch the skin under his eye-brows, and they are a dark blue, dreaming, sleeping, waiting color.
"A stiff? The first to jump? Unheard of," a voice says behind the guy who helped me. It belongs to a dark-haired girl with silver through her right eyebrow. She smirks at me.
"Theirs is a reason why she left Lauren," he says. His voice it deep. It rumbles.
"What's your name?"
I am not sure how to answer him.
"Think about it," he says, a faint smile curling his lips. "You don't get to pick again."
"Call me stiff for all I care," I reply. No one will ever know my name. It's too risky. I can't have anyone finding out about me. I will not be weak.
"Stiff," Lauren repeats grinning. "Make the announcement Tobias."
"First jumper –stiff!" Tobias yells.
A crowd materializes from the darkness as my eyes adjust. They cheer and pump their fists, and then another person drops into the net. Her screams follow her down. Christina. Everyone laughs, but they follow their laughter with more cheering.
Tobias sets his hand on my back, "Welcome to dauntless."
