Chapter One
I stare wistfully as the mirror closes.
"That's all you're allowed, sweetie."
I turn at the sweet voice and see my caring mother, so worn down, that it almost makes me want to hug her. That's what I should have done, what an abnegation would do.
I slide off the stool and take a deep breath. It is my choosing day, the day everyone waits for. Do I want to be the kind Amity, the selfless Abnegation or the always honest Candor? Do I want to be the daring Dauntless or the intelligent Erudite?
I think back, sifting through memories until I come to one.
Walk. Keep Walking. Keep Going. Nearly there.
I open the foreboding metal door. A plain, whitewash room with a mirror one side greets me. My eyes find themselves drifting towards the mirror. No! Abnegation, abnegation, abnegation! I look away almost immediately. The woman, she has a tattoo on her. So… dauntless of her. NO! Abnegation, abnegation, abnegation! Look away, fool!
I stare down at the floor. Just as an Abnegation would. Abnegation, abnegation, abnegation. I shall not be anything else.
"What's the matter, Stiff?" I hear.
My face reddens. Panicking, I wonder what to do. Answer!
"Um… nothing, ma'am," I reply.
She just lifts an eyebrow. Abnegation, abnegation, abnegation! I'm panicking. She can see it!
"Sit down. I'm Tori, I'll be taking your test."
I walk over to the reclining chair and perch on the edge.
She just snorts in amusement," Come on, Stiff! I haven't got all day!"
My face must look like a tomato. I lie down, unconsciously smoothing my skirt out.
Abnegation, abnegation, abnegation.
She pulls out a vial, and I'm surprised at the colour of the liquid inside, a soft mint green. It looks nice, maybe the taste won't be bad? No, looks can deceive.
Bringing the vial that she hands me to my lips, I gather my courage. Or, should I say, what's left of it.
I swallow.
Abnegation, abnegation, abne...
I wake up. Must have dozed off. But no one is in here. Surely Tori would have woken me up?
Oh. The vial of liquid. The test.
"Choose."
A knife, obsidian handle and glinting silver blade. A block of cheese, the holey type.
"Choose."
"Why?" I ask.
"Choose," the voice seems annoyed all of a sudden.
"But why do I need to choose?" I insist.
I squint around the room, trying to find the mysterious voice. All I can see is the outline of the room, with a woman – Tori – typing furiously into a computer. How can I see that?
"Choose!"
"No!" I shout.
Immediately, the knife and cheese disappear. Instead, I hear a low growling noise. What is it? Dreading the result, I turn around.
A huge black dog stands there, growling at me while saliva hung from its gnashing jaws. I analyse it before I realize what I'm doing. Analyse? Where did that come from?
Shaking like a leaf, I lay down slowly on my stomach, praying and praying. Soon, I hear a whine from above me. Sitting up, I see a puppy in the place of the dog.
Oh, well that makes perfect sense, doesn't it?
"Puppy!" a little girl cries.
A little girl who looks exactly like me.
"No!" I cry out, leaping at the now fully grown, snarling dog – I fall though the ground.
"Have you seen this man?" A ragged man holds out a newspaper. Now that he says it, he does look kind of familiar.
"No." I say.
Snarling at me, the man reaches out – my hand springs up, catching the side of his jaw. It creates a cracking sound.
"I. Have. Not. SEEN. THIS. MAN!" I start to yell.
Three.
Two.
One.
"Beatrice! Beatrice! Calm down!" Tori yells.
My heartbeat is racing, pounding like Dauntless' feet when running.
"Beatrice. This is not good…" she mumbles.
"What did I get? I ask, dreading the words.
"You got Abnegation. And Dauntless. And Erudite."