Today is the day. The day I would take the ultimate test, the test that decides every thing. Every thing I would know, live and act. Today was the day.

The golden morning sun is shining through my windows setting fire to my pale yellow walls as I look at the endless rows of corn and cotton. My family, we are farmers also know of as the "earth ", one of the three cells that our government holds. I'm dressing in our normal wear for the first day of high school. Well, there is no "true" high school in our country, but rather a special academy that we are sent off to at the age of sixteen. Once we take the test and our cell is decided we are taken away from our family and are to learn how to live in our new cell. Of course, here in our country the government chooses the cell based on our test results.

I take a last look in the mirror. I wearing a simple spaghetti strap crop top with a fitted tank top underneath and a pair of fitted jeans that are cut off at the knee. My hair is its normal, straight and blonde with a slight wave to it. My green eyes have a yellow ring around the center and are soft but fierce. I have a small rounded nose and high cheekbones dotted with light freckles from the summer time work in the fields. I am by no means pretty but have a meaning full look. There is nothing that would make me stand out. I'm around 5'6 and am thin with some muscle from the years in the fields. I resemble my father more than my moth-

"Elle! Elle! Come down stairs and eat or you'll miss the bus!" my mom called up the stairs interrupting my train of thought.

"Yes mother!" I reply. And swiftly rushed down the dull steps and past the countless picture frames that hold the precious memories that our mother says we should always cherish. While we're together at least. We have only one that we keep of Matthew, which was my eldest brother that would now be eighteen. He wasn't really my blood brother but my parents found him when he was six just sitting out in the fields and of course took him in and raised him as their own. His test results were "The Fire" that was the cell that was responsible for supplying "The Heart," which is the cruel capitol of our country, with weapons and soldiers for the army. But he was killed in a rebellion group that tried to storm The Heart and kill President Bell.

When I get downstairs I quickly shrug on my coat and grab an apple.

"Good morning sweetheart!"

"Morning Mother." I replied more sharp than I meant after all she is just trying to be nice. I'm almost to the door and she yell out after me

"Have a good day!"

"You to Mom!" I yelled back trying to have a kinder tone in my voice.

"And remember Elle, I lo-" But I'm already out the door.

I stand by Will, my also sixteen-year-old brother. He has the blonde brown hair like my mother, and her deep blue brown eyes. He has dimples on his cheeks and a soft nose, but a rather square jaw. His hair is cut short, and has a slight sweep to the right. He is muscular but not heavily built. In other words he is handsome.

"Hey Ellabeth!" he says with an exited and playful tone that almost confuses me. How can he be peppy on the first day of "high school" when he's about to take the biggest test of his life?

"Hey William!" I reply. He glares at me jokingly. "You know to call me 'Will'." he says with a light chuckle, I give him a playful punch in the arm "You know to call me Elle."

"Fine, fine, fair enough." My brother and I have always been very close. Especially after Matthew died.

2

Just then the bus pulls up and Will and I step inside. Where Will and I go our separate ways. I sit with my best friends Claire, Nick, Christiana, Alex and his brother David. Instead of going to our normal middle school building we are taken to a large building made of stone and glass. I'm pretty sure my jaw drops. I look over at Claire and Christiana and they have huge grins plastered on their face and a fire behind their eyes that shows excitement and utter disbelief. I have to admit it's amazing but I still don't get why everyone is so exited about today.

"Why is everyone so excited about today" I finally say, "I just don't get it? I mean have you even thought that you might leave your family and friends and every thing you've ever known to go live in an alien part of the country and adapted to a whole new life!" "I mean Jeez!" They all look me with utter shock and surprise, I guess it's because I'm usually quiet and laid back but still. "Well…" I start.

"Now that I think about it I guess your right " David says finally speaking up after an awkward silence. "Just think guys today could be the last time we see each other like this." with that another awkward silence comes up. "Then let's make it the best!" Alex says breaking it cheerfully. That's always Alex, making the best of everything. "Ok, hmmm…."Claire said contemplating. " I got it!" exclaimed Claire as we filed out of the old rusty bus, "let's have a sleepover" "Everyone at my house by eight Kay!" she said while twisting her hair." and bring your bathing suit". Before we could respond an older sharp-looking woman with pursed red lips and her gray and brown hair in a messy bun cleared her throat to get everybody's attention. "Follow Me," she barked. Her voice raspy but cold and loud. We all followed her into the building Claire and nick holding hands and Alex and Christiana doing the same. There all together but I made a vow to myself not to fall in love until I reached my permeate cell in fear that we would be ripped away. I almost feel sorry for them because it would be a miracle if they got to be in the same cell.

A chorus of "wows" echo through the hallway as we enter the huge main room of the building. "This is amazing" I hear Claire murmur. I'm struggling to see what they can but when I finally enter the door I can't agree more with Claire. It's simply breath-taking, the stonewall is a beautiful gray with bits of silver specks dotted on it and the top of the ceiling is pure gold. Coming from what seems like nowhere are small streams that come from the top of the wall to the bottom. The floor is made of glass allowing me to see where the streams lead. This is what makes me gasp. This glass floor is the only thing keeping us from an almost beautiful beside its intimidating appearance, cavern that all the little streams build up and make four huge waterfalls that all falls into a river below. The tables that hold all the fourteen-year-old students from each cell are scattered around the room, but no two cells mix. Soldiers all the way from the heart guard the doors. Their expressions stern, and they hold their guns at a ready position as if ready to shoot any one at any time. The "Mers", which sit at the far right of the room, is the cell that is responsible for the metals and sea resources for the heart. The "Mers" then send the metal to "The Fire" where they make the weapons and train soldiers for the army. Then us "The Earth" handle the responsibility of the crops, cattle, and cotton for cloth to be sent to the heart.

We all go and sit down at the tables. The loud sounds of Claire and nick whispering and Alex and Christiana giggling are just a hum of background noise as I focus on the glass floor looking down into the river. I unfocused my eyes and look over at David. He looks just as out of it as I am. "David" I say trying to get him to come to his senses but no luck. "David" I say with a little of annoyance in my voice. With this his chocolate-brown eyes snap up to mine. "What?" he replies with the same amount of annoyance? I frown, "nothing" I snap. He shrugs and we both go back to focusing on the floor.

"Welcome young students" a high voice squeals into the microphone, breaking my contemplation of the chasm like river that lies below our feet. "To the 267th annual grouping day." I turn my head to the front of the room and stare at the woman standing in front of the mic. She is no older than 25 and has a warm pleasant smile with straight white teeth to match. Her high cheeks are dotted with dark reddish-brown freckles. She has her long orange waves pined back in a bun on the top of her head and a few curly strands hung down. Her blue eyes are soft and round and she is wearing a simple red dress with lime green and yellow flowers on it. It hugs her curves and is very flattering. I have never seen her before, but you could Cleary tell she was a member of The Earth.

"Now is the time for you to spilt up and go to separate rooms wear the tests will be administered. Then after the tests you will come back here and eat then load up and your drivers will take you home. Good luck" with that she is finished and she walked off the tiny stage and disappeared into a small room.

"Every body up " a harsh voice barked. As on cue we all scrambled out of our chairs and stood up. When I looked around The Fire stood at a stiff and ready position like a bunch of soldiers ready for a command. Compared to them we look really unprofessional, just standing around waiting for something to happen. "My name is Commander Kent and you will call me Commander Kent, you will address me as sir and nothing else is that clear" "YES SIR!" The Fire replied "I thought I was addressing everybody, I said IS THAT CLEAR!" we all replied "YES SIR!"

"What it this army call?" yelled out a Mer. big mistake. Commander Kent nodded to the guards at the door and soon enough they had found the young Mer and dragged him off shouting, "hey put me down, get off of me, put me down!" Probably to kill him, but that's just the way things are around here. I almost feel sorry for him. I turn back to Commander Kent and with a grim grin on his face says; "Now the fun begins"

3

By the end of all the dividing, yelling, kids being dragged out, and just utter fear, Christiana and I along with five Mers and three other members of The Fire are in a dull room with ten desks in five rows of two. A tall bulky man stands in the front of the room. He wears a freshly pressed tuxedo, obviously from the heart. His black hair is buzzed close to his head and is slightly graying at the edge. His eyes cold and hard are eying each of us down in a scrutinizing way as if searching for flaws. It makes me shiver.

"Welcome" he starts. His voice is monotone. "Today you will under go the first part of a three course test. Intelligence and instinct reflexes. Five of you will start with intelligence and the other with instinct reflexes." the room is so quiet I bet you could hear a pin drop. "Christiana Thomson, Jake Woolworth, Brianna nave, Benjamin Nixon, and Ellabeth Roberson." As soon as he calls my name, he head snaps up to meet his icy gaze. I look away immediately. "You will stay hear with me and take the reflexes. While the others take the intelligence course." then a soft knock echo's through the still dead silent room and the Earth member from earlier walks in. "I have come to take the other group of children" she chirps. The kids that names weren't called out stand up and walk out of the room with her, joining the other kids that are taking intelligence first. Before we begin, five other students come in to join us. Now it's just a stern emotionless man and us ten sixteen year olds in a small dull room, about to take the first part of the biggest test of our lives. And quite frankly I don't like the feeling.

He hand out this little drab pink colored patch and tells us to put it on our wrist. As soon as I do it I feel the effects. A cold heavy feeling enters my body and even though awake I feel subdued. I just want to lay my head down until the dreadful feeling subsides. I pinch the bridge of my nose releasing some of the pressure of that had built in my head. I look around as the man is passing out the strange cube like devises. A couple of the other kids are rubbing their temples and others just stare off into space.

When he's done he stands back in the front of the room. "Take your cube and press your thumb to the top. Then when you have done so your own virtual and personal profile will show up along with your picture". I do as instructed and see a true wonder. Every thing about me is on this file. From my birthday to the last day of middle school. Its clearly amazing, and kind of creepy thinking they know everything about you. I can only dream that I don't look as ridiculous as I feel. "Then a red beam will come out and scan the patch that you were given." we do as told and sure enough after scanning our thumbs the little red beam comes from the bottom of the box. "Then press start, and you will begin". As soon as I press start a wave of dizziness washes over me and I am engulfed in blackness.

4

"Hello?" I call out. No answer. "Hello?" still no answer. I look around and I am still in the same room, but I'm the only person here. 'Where is every body?' I think to myself. I get up and walk around the room trying to figure out what's going on. The door opens and Commander Kent walks in "solider follow me" he snaps. Solider he can't be talking to me can he? I just stand there. "Have you gone deaf farmer girl, I said follow me". With this I scramble out the door to catch up with him. As we walk down the corridor, he hands me a gun and tells me to quiet down. I raised my eyebrows at him in disbelief. Does he think I'm one of his trained professionals or something?

"Look" he starts, "I know you're just a small fifteen year old girl but were in big trouble." I've never heard his voice so soft and I see a look in his eyes that I've never seen in him before. Fear. " A group of terrorist from our neiboring country have invaded, and they're here. You're our last hope to save the kids they have taken hostage." 'Wait' I think to myself. 'The Heart isn't that merciful; they don't care about us. they would have just let them die. There is no reason they would kill a kid for speaking out but then try to save hostages the same age. Then it hits me. This is not real. It can't be. "Wake up " I tell my self. "Wake up". I finally scream, "Wake up ". "Shut up kid " Commander Kent yells in frustration. He hits the butt of the gun on my jaw. The white-hot pain courses through my jaw. It feels real, it sounds real, and it looks real. Maybe it is. I cry out in pain. Then bang. A gun goes off. I look in horror as I watch Commander Kent fall to the ground. Shot to the chest. Dead.

A group of soldiers are running down the corridor towards me and the dead commander at my feet. I pull out my gun and crouch behind a trashcan and I shoot as many as I can. Then pair of hands grabs me from behind and push me against the wall. I feel the cold circle of a gun barrel pushed against my temple and my body goes ridged. 'This is it' I think. 'I'm done for'. "Any last words?" says and evil male voice followed by a snicker. "I guess not". He pulls the trigger and once again I am engulfed in blackness.

With a gasp I jerk up. I am in the same room once again, except this time the other kids along with the man from the heart are here. I am the first to wake up. My cheeks are wet with tears and my throat is raw. Probably from screaming. All around me are the cries and earsplitting screams of the other students still passed out on their desks? I stand up from my desk with tense limbs and smooth my hair down. I walk over to the man and hand him my cube. He looks surprised and as I look at the clock so am I. for what felt like hours I was only in there for roughly six and a half minutes.

5

He looks as if he doesn't know what to do with me. I clear my throat and he comes out of his confused state. "Uh… what do I do next sir." he looks puzzled for a moment then as if he remembers what I was talking about he replies "two doors then take a right into the next room, there you will receive the next course." 'Great' I think, 'more torture'. I hand him my cube and walk out of the room. I do as instructed and go to the next room. As I walk down the hall I can still hear the moans and cries of the other students. It makes me shiver. I reach the door, take a deep breath, and walk in.

When I go in, I see a man and I have to do a double take. The only difference between my instructor for reflexes and this instructor it that he is shorter. Its almost as if they were brothers. Maybe they are. It gives me chills thinking there could be more than one. The students stare at me and I scowl. They look away. "May I help you?" he asked. "Um… I've come to take my intelligence course…" he looks confused. "Because I finished my reflexes". "Oh! " he exclaimed with a bit of recognition in his voice. "Um… " He looked at the papers on the desk behind him. He had lost the stern look on his face and it was replaced by a worried 'oh no what do I do now' look. He finally got his act together and pulled out a pen. "Name" he snaps, the stern expression returning to his face. "Ellabeth Roberson" I said trying to keep my voice steady. He hands me a paper and a pen. "Go to the empty desk over in the corner."

As I walk over to the desk the students give me wide-eyed looks. Of what? Shock? Then I remember the tears on my face and my tangled hair. I just keep my head straight and continue walking. When I sit down at the desk, I look at the paper in my hand. The test has two parts. The first is what looks like questions regarding what we would do in the different jobs of each cell (not including our own). The first question states, "In what depth of the ocean do you fish cod". 'Great' I think. I've always hated test.

I get to part two and am very puzzled. This part consists of regular school questions. Mostly math. By this time six of the other nine students have come in. One of which is Christiana. Just like me, the other kids faces, including Christiana's, are tear stained. I answer the questions the best I can but lets just say that at some points, all I could think was 'English please!'

By the time I finish the student I was with in the beginning were here.

I walk up front and hand my test to the man. He looks it over and nods in approval.

"Walk down the hall, take aright and the cafeteria will be the first door on the left." I nod and reply "thank you." my mother always says that manners are the best quality you can have. Christiana and I share blank stares before I walk out of the room.

I feel numb as I walk out of the room. I just stare at the floor and walk, contemplating on what has happened in the past hour. 'Bam'. I run straight smack into someone. I tumble to the ground hitting my head on the granite floors. For a second my vision goes black. "IM SO SORRY ARE YOU OK?" my eyes snap open to see a boy a good three inches taller than me and with deep ocean blue-green eyes. They memorize me. He brushes the hair from my eyes, making me blush, and stares into them looking for any pain or sign of hurting. "I think I'm ok, are you?" "Yea, but you're the one that fell down," he says after helping me up. "I'm Andrew Greenwood, and you are?" "Elle, Elle Roberson" "well Ms. Roberson may I say it is my pleaser to meet you." he says with a British accent and a bow. I laugh and reply, " yes you may and it is as well my pleaser Mr. greenwood" I reply with the same accent and with a small curtsy.

" I was just going to get my coat from the other room and then head to the cafeteria, care to join me." "Sure, but I'm going to wait right here" I reply. "Okay, be back in a second" and he walks down the hall and turns at the corner. I can't help but think of his eyes and how intriguing and peculiar they are. Its like someone mixed the bluest sky and greenest ocean together and shoved then it into his head. Before I know it he is back and we are walking back to the cafeteria. As we walk I find out that he is from The Mers and his father makes nets for a living but also fishes for his family from time to time when money is tight.

We enter the cafeteria and are immediately hit by the scent of fresh cookies. A rare treat back at home dew to uptight money. We are the first kids to arrive, and the once tiny stage has filled with brown sacks that I'm guessing have our lunches in them. I look at the clock on the back wall and its only ten thirty-five so there's really no point in eating this early. We sit at a round table in the corner and say nothing for a while then he breaks the silence.

r/r please and this is all i have for now. i know this isnt divergent but is kinda like it but its all made up in my head. just please give it a chance and please tell me any constructive criticism or if i should keep going thanks and depending on if u like it i will update soon.