All the Dauntless-born are more nervous about Phase 2 of initiation than they were about Phase 1. In Phase 1, they knew what to expect. More importantly, they knew that most of the transfers couldn't possibly be a threat. With the exception of a fluke or two like Ward, no transfer could compete with the Dauntless-born who have been training to fight since they could walk. But they have been warned that Phase 2 is different; an emotional test rather than a physical one, and a test that no one, Dauntless-born or transfer, can prepare for.
Since no one wants to share theories of what's coming, everyone finds something else to do. Some start fistfights for the fun of it; others play games of Dare. Bobbi finds a seat next to her friend Mack and rubs her eyes.
"Late night?" he teases her.
"Yeah, I had trouble falling asleep," she lies easily. "Must be the nerves about the test."
Mack shakes his head. "Bobbi, I saw you sneak out of the dorm." He pauses for a moment. "You were meeting with that transfer boy, weren't you?"
"Yeah. So what?" she asks defensively, seeing the disapproval in his eyes. "You jealous?" That's not it, and they both know it.
"I don't think this is a good idea, Bobbi. There's two ways I see this working out: either he breaks your heart, or you break his. Of course, I think the most likely scenario is Option C: All of the above, and both of you are going to walk away from this burned."
"Why?" she challenges. "What's so incompatible about us?"
"He's from Candor. You like lying too much for it to ever work between you and a Candor boy."
"He chose Dauntless for a reason," she retorts.
"He's still got Candor blood running through his veins. You'll lie to him, because you lie to everyone. He'll leave, because Candors can't handle that. The only question is, which one of you is going to fall in love before the relationship implodes?"
She rolls her eyes. "I'm not going to fall in love with him. If he does, that's his problem."
"Bobbi?" One of the initiation leaders is waiting by the door. "It's time to begin."
Mack catches her arm before she goes. "I know you're a good liar, Bobbi," he whispers, "but don't lie to yourself."
Bobbi hears the directions and a few of the words of the leader—sit here, move your hair, injection, simulation, amygdala, hallucination—but her mind is on Mack's words and on Hunter. She feels the needle pierce her neck, and then her mind goes blank.
She's in a field, like the Amity farm she saw on a field trip when she was young. All around her, as far as she can see, there is nothing: no buildings, no people, just unending, waving crops.
She hears a noise behind her, and she spins to greet it. If it's an assailant she has to fight or a physical challenge she has to beat, she's ready. What she's not ready for is what she sees: fire, and it's spreading fast.
She has nothing with which she can put out the fire, so she settles for the next best strategy, which is running. But by the time she's turned her back on the flames, there are more coming from the opposite direction, and from her left, and from her right. Before she knows it, she's surrounded in a ring of flames that has consumed the crops and is creeping inwards, towards her.
There is nowhere to go but into the flames, but she knows she can't stay where she is. Heart pounding, she takes a running leap and tries to jump over the ring of fire. While in midair, she feels the heat and smells the smoke, but she's managed to jump high enough that the flames can't reach her. The instant she hits the ground, however, the agony of the fire burning her legs is almost unbearable. She screams, and begins running, looking for anywhere where the fire isn't burning. Smoke fills her eyes and throat, and she coughs, throwing off her stride and causing her to stumble. As she puts her hands out to break her fall, the flames catch her palms. Righting herself, she clasps her hands together to smother the flames, but the time it took to stand up has already cost her. Her legs hurt more than anything she's ever felt. Coughing and gagging on the thick black smoke, she tries to keep running, but her overtaxed lungs give out, and she collapses to the ground. Flames coat her body, and she can feel her skin melting off. She screams until she can't scream anymore, as her world goes black.
She's back in the room, in the Dauntless compound. She is no longer burning. Her legs are fine. She can breathe. But the feeling of being completely hopeless, of losing her body and her mind, still haunts her. She rubs the palms of her hands to reassure herself that there are no burn marks there, and then puts her hands over her face, sucking in cold, clean air as fast as she can.