"Mom," Tris exhaled. It looked like time was frozen, her mother was wearing her Abnegation clothes. Her hair was matted and out of its neat usual bun. Bullet holes and dried dotted throughout her robes, but no fresh blood leaked out. Her smile was sad but her eyes were kind. Tris's hands flew to her mouth, she was here. Mom,
Her mother held out her hand, and Tris took it. Tris's eyes were brimming with tears, and her voice shook, "Am I dying?"
Her mother nodded and wrapped her into an embrace. "Hold on dear," and led her into the blinding light at the other end of the weapons room.
- o -
She knew death greeted her with light and a loved one, so when her mother wrapped her arms around her neck and walked into the light she knew, she was dead. She felt light, and then she was flying, flying, flying. Yet guilt tugged at her heart and tethered her to the ground. Can I be forgiven for all that I've done here? Then she was truly free.
- o -
But Tris also fell. Straps wrapped around her body, tethering her to the ground—again. Like a wounded bird, Tris struggled and struggled, but the straps did not let up. She knew from the solemn Sunday services that she would be judged by God, and—based on her actions—would probably go to Hell. But she didn't expect Hell to have a dark black chair.
A tall woman with long, tangled hair approached Tris, and her face didn't show any signs of good news. The woman looked familiar, but Tris couldn't put a finger on where she saw that face before. Maybe on the bus?
The women shirt scooped lower for a second and Tris gasped. A tattoo of a hawk flying was inked on to the back of the woman. Then the name came back to her. Tori. "To—Tori?" Tris's voice shook. "Bu—but. . . you're supposed to be dead." Tears pricked at her eyes, and the unsaid rest of the sentence hung in the air, and you died for me.
Then all the memories came rushing back to her. FourTobiasChristinaCalebPeterEvelynDavid Mom—. Tris's voice caught in her throat. The world slowed down, and all she could hear was the thump, thump, thump of her heart. Tears formed rivers on her face, and Tris began to sob.
"Listen Tris, that was a simulation." Tori said, her voice barely managing to mask her fear and hope underneath. Tris's heart stopped. That entire sequence of events was the Simulation?
"So what did I test for?" Tris took a long time to form the words, afraid of the answer.
"Abnegation," Tori said, then her voice dropped to a whisper, "and Erudite. And Dauntless."
"But I thought—" Tris started, she was so confused. How could someone test for more than one Faction? Her mind raced to make sense of this situation.
"It's a rare occurrence," Tori replied in a hushed whisper, "you must not tell anyone, anyone, you hear me?" Tris nodded.
"I'm putting down Abnegation for your Testing aptitude," Tori continued. She made a gesture to the door. Tris understood immediately, but one question was still bugging her.
"Wait," Tris's voice was urgent, but she was curious, "what's this rare occurrence called?"
Tori's voice was so low that Tris had to lean in, "They call it divergent."