Uriah's eyes snapped open as the sharp pain in his neck faded. Zeke had told him no one could prepare for stage two, and that was as far as he'd said. Uriah was sure that the other Initiates with older siblings in Dauntless already had some understanding of what was coming. Zeke, however, relished keeping Uriah in the dark. Uriah scanned his surroundings, confused and befuddled. He was on a stone floor in a darkened room. There was no door. He tried to stand, and he realized that there were heavy, iron manacles encircling his wrists and ankles, keeping his arms suspended just above head height. He tried to step forwards, and found it impossible. Even if he could escape the chains, his feet were stuck fast to the ground, like they refused to do his will. Uriah tried to take deep breaths, impossibly deep, but he could feel his heart starting to pound, forcing it's way out of his ribcage and into his throat. The chains were heavy, impossible, dragging at his limbs, making him want to sink to the ground in the dark cell. He had the fleeting, terrified impression that he would not leave this cell. Ever. He would age and die here, grow old with nothing but the cold stone and heavy iron and the thoughts in his own head for company. He would be trapped forever, chained to the solid wall for eternity. No one would ever even bother to find his body. Slowly, his thoughts stopped boiling. Could this be real right now? Could it? How could it, then? The last thing he remembered, Four had jabbed him in the neck with a needle after explaining the simulation serum… Wait just a moment. A simulation. Uriah could've laughed out loud. Suddenly, the manacles around his wrists felt no longer solid and unbreakable, but both pliable and brittle at the same time. Starting to grin, Uriah concentrated on the chains, clenching his muscles. He felt them burst with a flash of heat and a bang. The one on his ankles broke as well, and his vision faded, the scene disappearing, the dungeon and the remnants of his chains shattered on the floor behind him. And Uriah opened his eyes. He was indeed lying in a hard metal chair in a half reclined position. Four sat in the chair across from him, his eyes scary and piercing. Not like Eric, who looked at you like he wanted to eat you, but through you, as if he could see even your worst secrets. "Uriah" He stated, his voice almost threatening. It didn't bother him. Uriah had only met Four a few times, and that had been with Zeke and other members of Dauntless. He was somewhat of a legend. A mysterious legend of four fears. He speaks again "Uriah, this is very important." He glances towards a corner of the room at a camera. Frowning, he taps a button on the keyboard of the computer. The camera droops and dies with an odd electronic noise. "What were your aptitude test results?" Uriah resisted the urge to jump, sit straiter or even leap out of the room and leave. He knew perfectly well what his own aptitude results were. But he was not prepared to share them. Uriah just bobbed his head. "My result was Dauntless." He said, fiegning a comfortable tone. He didn't honestly trust Four. He was nothing that Uriah had ever known. He was used to loud voices and laughter and raucous yells. Fours silence made him uncomfortable. Four narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure? Because what you just did in that simulation suggests otherwise." Uriah resisted the urge to suck in a breath as if he had been sucker-punched in the gut. He remembered one time when Lynn had socked him in the stomach for no good reason, it had felt a little like this. Four nodded grimly and checked the camera again. It hadn't changed. "I figured as much. I'll delete your simulation from the system, but you will need to learn how to hide this during the simulations. Keep to the middle of the pack." Uriah nodded. He remembered the end of his aptitude test when he woke up in the same type of chair he was sitting in now, the Abnegation member in loose grey robes with very black hair in a tight bun searched his face with her rather severe looking eyes. "Uriah, is it?" She asked gently. Uriah had nodded. "You're aptitude results were inconclusive." She had said in the same soft voice. Uriah had gone into the aptitude tests confused and terrified of what they might tell him. That he wasn't Dauntless, that he wouldn't fit with his home, with his friends. That he'd end up choosing some bogus faction full of pansy cakes just because of what the test told him. In reality, what the test had told him was much worse. "Divergence is not something you wear on your forehead." The soft-spoken Abnegation woman told him. "It is best kept very secret. No one but yourself should know this about you." As she left, Uriah remembered asking her "Which factions did I get?" The woman looked over her shoulder. "Dauntless" She said "And Candor." Uriah had just nodded. It made sense. Uriah never lied, and he was one of the worst liars you could ever find. The truth was powerful, it was worth more than lies, and he had seen it in action. But he never considered Candor that seriously. Was he as equally suited to Candor as he was to Dauntless? was that possible? Somehow, he didn't think so. It might be because he was biased, growing up Dauntless, but he didn't think so.
The night of the Choosing Ceremony, Uriah had stood in the semi circle of bowls, the Dauntless fire and Candor glass separated by the Abnegation bowl of plain grey stones. Abnegation was never an option. He would do well in Candor, the aptitude test proved that. But would choosing Candor over Dauntless be honest, or cowardly? Would choosing Dauntless be brave, or dishonest to himself. Uriah let the knife slide over his skin, the razor-sharp edge leaving a red, gaping wound, pooling blood into his pale palm. It would be dishonest to choose Candor. Dishonest and cowardly, but choosing Dauntless was brave. Brave and honest, because he was being true to himself, not deluding himself into thinking something else. He let his blood drip onto the coals and watched it sizzle as the Dauntless cheer, feeling proud of the future spreading before him. "And if you're wondering, the Divergent who choose Dauntless" Says Four, bringing Uriah out of his reverie "often tend to die. I'd be wary, if I were you." And without further ado, Four tapped a button on the keyboard and stood up, stretching. The camera in the corner came back on, beeping and twisting, wondering what had just happened. Uriah took his cue to leave and headed out of the back door, wondering what the heck had just happened.
Authors note:
alright, who's excited for Alleigiants release! I'm posting this one day before oct 22, and I can't wait. Sorry for a lot of OOC, this was a quick fic and I only took about ten minutes.