The simulation had always seemed scary to any non Erudite member, I suppose since we invented the serum we knew what to expect. Each of the factions gathered outside of the building in order to take their test. Blue for erudite, Red and yellow for amity, White for Candor, Grey for Abnigation and Black for Dauntless, to make sure everyone could be traced to their own factions. Another method of making sure everyone stays separate and yet the same in their own factions, no one really stood out from the next.
Our faction formed a neat line and slowly started to move in to the building. As I joined I noticed one of my friends Sophia standing two rows in front of me so I slid into line in front of two other Erudite members getting glares as I did so. She smiled over to me "nervous" she asked and I just looked round at her "Soph when have you ever known me to be nervous", she chuckled lightly as we continued to move up the line.
Eventually we had reached the waiting room and judging by the order we were gong for I should be up next. "Ilianna Preston". I stood up from my chair, smiled at Sophia and walked into the room. I sat down in the chair observing the plainness of the room and in fact the girl standing beside me dressed in red clearly from abnegation. She handed me the serum to drink which I took without question, slowly I started to drift off.
Upon opening my eyes I appeared to be in a room filled with mirrors, this must be something to do with abnegation and the fact that they are not vain I thought. I looked around but only my reflection starred back at me. Long red/brown hair tied back into a high pony tail with big green eyes and a body clothed in a blue dress. I then noticed a table a few meters in front of me which held a knife and a piece of meat. Suddenly a wolf began to stalk towards me, I realised I had to make a choice, the meat would only delay the inevitable however I could use the knife if I needed to. I picked up the knife and began to circle the wolf, knowing that backing into a corner was not a wise choice. I did not want to kill the animal unless I had to, then something came into mind about wolfs not liking high pitched noises, so I turned to the mirror and began to run the knife up and down the mirror making a horrible high pitched squeal, the wolf began to cower in the corner of the room, I smiled to myself knowing I had figured out this part of the sim.
Everything began to switch in the room and suddenly a little girl appeared by my side along with the same wolf from before, Selflessness I thought. They want to test whither I will sacrifice the girl to save myself. I pulled the little girl to my side and starred at the wolf as it approached. What do I do. This time I had no choice the wolf pounced and I stabbed erratically in its direction, again the room changed, to a bus .
The man sitting on the seat in front of me turned around to reveal his scarred, burnt face and pointed to a picture of another young male. "What" I asked and he proceeded to ask me if I knew the male. I did. If I told him this I would be responsible for anything that happened to the man but if I lie this man will not get the peace of mind that he deserves although I do not know what this man in front of me is capable of, so I replied no.
I woke to the same plain room as before feeling a little light headed and groggy. I looked over to the women beside me "Well?" I asked. "Erudite" she nodded and I nodded back, expecting that result due to my methodical thinking during the sim, I went to stand up but she grabbed my fore arm, I looked back up at her and she had a frown on her face "you are erudite, just" she answered. "Just?" I questioned "You are clever and methodicall but also brave and cunning so you have to choose where you want to be Erudite or Dauntless" . I nodded and stood up, now desperate to leave the room, Dauntless, I am partially Dauntless. I looked around for Sophia but noticed her coming out of a room just beside mine. I quickly walked over to her.
"Erudite" she told me with a smile. I nodded back and we started to walk out of the building and back home. I kept silent but I could feel her stares "what's wrong" she asked, I turned to her unsure of whether I should tell her the truth or lie and in this instance it was definitely best to lie, she was by closest friend but I don't think she would understand this. "Nothing I got Erudite just like I thought" I smiled "great, now we get to chose our jobs, I cant wait for the ceremony". I nodded trying to seem as happy as I could but my insides were churning, I had a choice in this, I never expected to have a choice. My path was laid out for me, erudite, always erudite.
The crossing ceremony had began and my name was called. I was now standing in front of the faction bowls, each with their own symbol of the factions. I looked from the water of erudite to the coals of dauntless. How can I be a bit of both? Water would extinguish the fires in the coals, how would I work in Dauntless. Fine, my life is just fine, then it clicked, that's the problem. I didn't want a fine life, I wanted to be stimulated not just mentally but physically. Things ever changing, being able to ask those questions that no one wants me to ask. Maybe Dauntless would allow me to do that, maybe I would change Dauntless, Maybe Dauntless would change me. "The world as we know it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking" Albert Einstein said those word and I was going to change my thinking in order to make a change to this faction driven world we call home.
I took the knife across my palm and watched as the drops of blood seared against the hot coals of Dauntless.
