She walked into the room eyeing a tall, lean woman with purple hair and a lip ring. She smiled and sat in the chair.
"My name is Brooke, and I'll be administering your aptitude test today."
Sky nodded and stared ahead. The woman, Brooke, took this as nervousness.
"Don't worry," she said comfortingly, "I'm sure you'll get to stay in abnegation. Most people stay in the factions they were born in." She handed Sky a glass vial, "Bottoms up!"
The liquid was disgusting, Sky had to choke it down to avoid spitting it on Brooke.
Sky leaned back into the chair and closed her eyes, breathing in deeply. When she opened her eyes, she was in a room of mirrors alone. When she turned she was staring at her own reflection, or she thought was her reflection. But then it moved towards her and said "Choose."
Why is my reflection telling me to choose?
As if she said it out loud, the reflection repeated, "Just choose."
Sky shook her head and narrowed her eyes.
The reflection just laughed, "Fine. Do what you want." And then it was gone. She was alone.
What was that noise? She turned around and was facing a snarling rabid looking dog. It looked like it would attack at any given moment. Sky stood with her feet shoulder-width apart, balled her fists and yelled at the dog, "Lay down!" Surprisingly it whined and laid down with his tail between his legs. She leaned down and petted the dog's soft fur.
She heard a little girl behind her squeal "Puppy!" The dog's fur bristled and it bared its' teeth. Before she could say anything, the little girl turned and ran; the dog right at her heels. Sky sprinted after the dog and tackled it to the ground.
Sky woke up back in the testing room. She turned and saw Brooke smiling, "Congratulations, your test says you belong in Dauntless." Sky laughed in relief, she knew that's where she belonged. Brooke shook her head laughing, "I've never actually seen an abnegation member test as dauntless. That's impressive Sky."
On her walk home, all Sky could think about was getting to hold her hand over the bowl of coals for Dauntless. She touched her hand to the fire pendant she's worn every day for the last two years. Tobias would be proud. Maybe I'll get to see him again….I'll never tell him what his father did to me though. Never.
She got home and started dinner. As she sat at the table with her parents for the last time, she felt a tinge of sadness mixed with a tidal wave of relief at escaping Marcus' clutches. That night she had the best sleep she has had in two years. She finally woke up rested and energized instead of dreading the day and already feeling drained.
Her family entered the room that held the Choosing Ceremony and sat next to Marcus, who had an evil glint in his eyes. He seriously thinks I'm going to just choose abnegation and be tortured for the rest of my life. She laughed at the thought. It felt like ages before they called her name, but she stood up confidently striding to the table that held the bowls. She grabbed the knife and cut her hand, turned and looked at Marcus, and held her hand over the Dauntless Coals waiting to hear her blood sizzle on them. Everyone in the room gasped, except Dauntless who were cheering her name. While she walked to Dauntless' chairs, she saw the furious and rabid face of Marcus. He looked like he was going to walk right up to her and slit her throat in front of the whole community. She smiled and sat with the rest of Dauntless until the ceremony was over.