Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or the Divergent world. Those belong to author Veronica Roth. With that being said, this is an Eric/OC story set in Eric's initiation/first year. Some content will follow "The Transfer" from Roth's collection, Four, but it'll be slow moving in the beginning so that I can develop the story and characters.
"I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun." - Jane Austen
Growing up in Amity, I'm supposed to be peaceful. And I am, I swear I am. But I'm also restless. The orchards were the best part. I remember the running, wild and free, between the rows and rows of trees. There, I could be me. Out there no one told me to calm down. I could run and stretch and feel the cool morning air whip through my hair, the faint sweet smell of apples filling my lungs.
From a young age, I wrestled with the idea of remaining in my faction. Amity was kind, and growing up under the sun was the perfect picture of childhood. The restlessness within me was always there, though. And as I grew, that restlessness grew into a glow inside of me. I wondered, would I be content in these orchards for the rest of my days? Having this thought, I knew choosing to remain in my origin faction was wrong. I knew that having even the smallest ounce of doubt meant that it wasn't right.
I had seen the other children at school. Those in grey always helping people; as an Amity, I felt I could do that. But they were so stifled. Those in blue, so intelligent and logical. My mother had always sang me songs and told me silly poems as we worked on the harvest, but I had seen the way those in blue lived. They too would be too stifling. Those in black and white were honest, sometimes honest to the point of cruelty. Amity had shaped me in a way that black and white would never have even been an option for me. But those in black, they were the ones I really watched. Running, letting their energy take over their bodies, encouraged to let it out. Dauntless. The place where strength and movement were channeled into defending peace. The place where courage is used to stand up for one another. Dauntless. The place where I could be Amity and be myself.
The day of the aptitude test was a day of nervous excitement. My mother, always joyful, flowed into my sleeping room and woke me in her usual singsong way, "Rise and shine, sweetpea," then added, "You've got a test to take".
I rose, and told myself to shine as I dressed and began to make the trip into town. The other youths in my faction were all waiting in the center of the compound so we could all sing our way to the test. These small things were why I loved Amity. Taking joy in the small parts of the day was so engrained in me, and I knew I would always live with this in my heart.
Once we arrived, we sat around at tables snacking on apples and filling the room with our laughter. I couldn't help but let my eyes wander, again falling on the other factions. Watching the other students, I finally told myself that this would be the last time I sat with my faction as an Amity. No matter the results, I would be choosing Dauntless at the choosing ceremony. Upon this admission, I felt both happy and sad, but ready to make my life my own.
What pulls me out of my thoughts is a woman in gray calling my name.
"Marigold Hinton."
I walked into the room, suddenly faced with dozens of images of myself: mirrored walls. I hopped into the chair in the center of the room and attempted to smile at the Abnegation woman who would be administering my test. She met my eyes and gave a small nod as she attached at wire to my temple. She simply said, "This is a serum that will put you into a simulation. It will help decide what faction you should be in." Then she stuck a needle into my neck and ejected the serum.
Suddenly, before me was a table with two items: cheese and a knife, and a voice in my head told me to choose one. I had never handled a knife that large or sharp, so I chose the cheese. As soon as my fingers grasped the wedge, the table disappeared and in its place was a dog. I offered him the cheese and as soon as he had eaten it, he began to lick my hands. Laughter bubbled up through my chest.
At this, my eyes sprang open and I realized the test was over. My eyes moved to the administer and she gave a small smile, looked to the screen in front of her, and told me my results were Amity.
The results didn't change my mind. I was happy to know that I was kind to the core, but I also knew that the test had only looked for my allegiance with my own faction. The test didn't know that I was also wild, and vivacious, and aching to move. My faction may not be happy with my impeding choice, but I was, and therefore knew that my mother would be too.
The night before the Choosing ceremony, I laid out my summer cropped pants and a cotton rust red sleeveless top. I knew that Dauntless meant movement, and I wanted something I could run in. I also packed my few possessions into a small sack that could easily be strapped to my back. It included two small books of poetry that my mother had given me years earlier. I wasn't sure if they would be allowed in Dauntless with me, but I had to try because they were the only things of my mother that I would have after my choice.