A/N: Hello, Divergent fans! This is my first whack at a Divergent story, so I hope that you all enjoy it! If you have any suggestions for plot twists or characters for the story, feel free to comment and I might just add them in! Enjoy! :)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own or am affiliated in any way with the Insurgent series or Veronica Roth.
Sunlight peeks through the branches of the apple tree, shining a bright light on my face and causing me to squint as I examine the ripe red apples hanging from it's limbs. I climbed up here this morning to calm my nerves, as I have done before, but today is different. Today, the beginning of the rest of my life will start. Today is the day of the Aptitude Test.
"Clarissa!"
I drop down to the ground as I hear my sister call my name. Before me is the apple orchard, one of the signature features of the Amity compound. My sister Natalie runs toward me. She wears a bright yellow sundress that compliments her olive skin and dark brown hair.
She sighs with relief. "There you are."
"Yes, here I am." I say.
"You're going to be late to school."
I nod and follow her to the dirt road on which the truck awaits. My red dress sways as I walk on the windless summer day. Before I load onto the truck that will carry me to school along with fruits and vegetables, I turn to my sister.
"It's going to be fine." she says as she strokes my long brown hair, "I will be here waiting for you when you return."
I look into her eyes and find a reassuring look in them. I'm not quite sure if I believe it, though. "Okay."
We embrace for a quick moment, and I hop onto the truck, wondering what fate will await me when I arrive.
The cafeteria is almost silent, except for a few murmurs. We are all numb with our impending fates as names are called. Finally, I hear mine.
"Clarissa Gold!"
I walk towards the woman who called my name. She is quite tall, fairly slim, and has her blond hair pulled back in a severe bun behind her thin glasses. The woman looks vaguely familiar to me, but I can't place where I've seen her before. She leads me to a circular hallway with many doors that spread before me. We enter the one to the far left.
"Hello." she says, "My name is Jeanine Matthews, and I will be running your test for you today."
The name rings a bell and then I realize- "You're the Erudite leader."
"Yes."
"Why are you testing me?"
"That is information that is unimportant to you."
She guides me to a grey dentists chair in the middle of the room with a machine hooked up to it. I sit down as she begins attaching wires to my forehead, and then to her own. She does this silently, but it feels as if the room is as loud as a thunderstorm. Finally, she gives me a vile of clear liquid that looks almost like water.
"Drink this." she instructs.
I follow her instructions and the world dissolves around me.
I am standing in the school cafeteria, but there are no tables except for two small ones in front that hold a knife one one, and cheese on the other.
"Choose."
It is the voice of Jeanine, the woman who is testing me. I look at both items carefully and pick up the cheese. After all, why would I want to carry a knife? Just then, a big dog enters the room. It's fur is shaggy, and its pointed teeth are bared. It looks like it's ready to attack. In fear of my own life, I drop the cheese and launch myself at the dog, putting my bare hands around it's neck and squeezing as hard as I can until the dog drops to the ground.
The scene dissolves and now I am sitting on a bus. I see a man holding a newspaper with a headline describing a murderer on the loose. He lowers the paper, revealing his long face. He leans over to me.
"Do you know this man?" he asks, pointing to the picture below the headline.
I study the picture. The man's face looks familiar, but I'm not sure where I know him from. I decide to answer truthfully, afraid of the consequences if I don't.
"Yes, I think so." I reply.
"Thank you for your honesty." he says.
I open my eyes to find myself back inside the testing room. I look down only to see the barrel of a gun pressed against my heart.