Hey, I'm so sorry I neglected this story for so long. I finally have to motivation to complete this story :) I am reviewing and ending chapters as I go as I'm not happy with how the chapters flow and where I've switched from third person to first person. I would like to thank everything that's followed the story, added it to their favourites and given it a read :)
"Tobias." Jamison whispered to his brother from across the bare grey simple room. "What?" Tobias whispered back. "Are you okay?" This evening Tobias had faced the wraith of their father and got the belt. "Yeah, I'm fine." He lied; his back was hurting but it meant that Jamison didn't get hit. Jamison leaped out of bed, tiptoed the small distance between the beds, and went into Tobias'. "Can I sleep with you?" Jamison asked, he always struggled to sleep when Marcus lost his temper, fear plaguing him. "Of course." Tobias moved over, hissing in pain when he caught his back on the sheets. "He really hurt you, didn't he?" Jamison asked worried. "It'll be okay, at least he didn't hit you this time." Tobias turned onto his side to face Jamison. "Now try to get some sleep, we have school tomorrow. "Night Tobias." Jamison whispered and shut his eyes. Tobias stayed listening to Jamison's breathing change, good he was asleep he thought. He was the protective older brother and would try and take the punishments that Marcus inflicted so that he wouldn't have to see Jamison hurt. There was nothing worse for him then seeing his brother in pain.
It wasn't always like this, only when they lost their mother. Tobias remembered the day well, comforting Jamison and putting on a brave face for him. They had both lost their world and happiness the day she died; she was the bright light in the darkness that plagued their home. Marcus had mostly taken his anger out on his wife and usually when the children were not there. They had all lived in a state of fear of Marcus' temper, never knowing when he would explode. Tobias was reaching the age where he could choose to transfer out of the faction or stay and he was weighing up his choices. Does he stay and protect Jamison as much as he could until he was ready to move out or leave and fulfil his dream of being in another faction? Jamison would only have a year before he could decide to stay or leave, however he would have to face the wrath of Marcus on his own. He sighed and tried to clear his mind to sleep. He didn't need to decide today; he could wait to see what his aptitude test said.
Shit, Divergent. Tobias thought as Tori had told him. What did this mean for his future? He couldn't see himself living the Abnegation life but worried about Jamison; Marcus had beaten him yesterday because he felt that Jamison was not Abnegation enough. Jamison had cried silent tears that night and Tobias had joined him in bed to comfort his younger brother. Tobias had decided that he had to go and hoped that Jamison would understand. That night when they were in their room Jamison joined him in his bed. "How did the aptitude test really go?" He whispered. Earlier when Marcus asked him Tobias had lied and said Abnegation. Tobias debated telling Jamison the truth however he didn't want him to worry too much. He decided the best thing to do was not tell Jamison the truth, so that Jamison could have his own life and make his own decisions. He worried that Jamison would follow him to the faction he chose, and Tobias didn't want that.
"Abnegation." Tobias sighed. He hated lying to his little brother. "Are you going to stay?" Jamison whispered to Tobias. He didn't want Tobias to stay if he didn't want to but was worried what Marcus would be like when he got home, and Tobias wasn't there. "Yeah, more than likely." He lied. "Night Jamison. "Night."
That morning Jamison made sure to be up early to spend some time with Tobias before he left, something was niggling in him that Tobias was lying but he said to himself that he had to trust him. Marcus was sat at the table eating breakfast talking to Tobias about the different options he could have in Abnegation. Jamison only half listened to their conversation. "Jamison, are you listening?" Marcus glared at him. "No, sorry father." He sunk into himself. "When you get home from school you will cook dinner for Tobias and me, we will celebrate Tobias joining adulthood. "Yes father." Jamison replied. At least Tobias will be there he thought. He'll be an adult and maybe I could live with him. "Tobias, I shall meet you at the hub. "Yes father." Tobias replied in the same tone as Jamison used on him. "Come on I'll walk with you to school as it'll be the last time." Tobias said lightly. He wanted to spend the whatever time he had left with his brother, knowing that he might never see him again.
"Did you know your brother was going to betray me and leave?" Marcus spat at Jamison when he came in from school. "I...I... don't know what you mean father. "He's deflected." Jamison stood in shock. Tobias lied to me. He heard Marcus undo his belt and he winced. "Please father, I didn't know. "Liar." Marcus began beating him with his belt; it was the worst beating he ever had. Marcus then left Jamison lying in a pool of his blood and urine. He was shaking on the floor, his back red raw, his chest, arms where he tried to defend himself and legs. Jamison thought it wouldn't end. After what felt like hours, he managed to crawl up the stairs and sit in the bath, taking off his blood-stained clothes. He cried when he felt the water on his tender skin, staining the water red. How could Tobias do this to me? He thought. He could've warned me, I wasn't prepared. After his bath he cleaned downstairs and crawled into bed. Jamison was half expected Tobias to walk through the door and tell him everything was going to be okay. He never came.
That year went by slowly. The beatings still happened regularly, just not as bad as that night Tobias left, and it usually was when Marcus had a drink or if Jamison did anything wrong. He tried to be the Abnegation his father wanted him to be, but it never felt right. Jamison knew he didn't want to stay, and he swore to himself no matter what the aptitude test showed he was going to leave. In that year anger had begun to consume Jamison on the inside and hate for his father and his older brother. He was lied to and betrayed by someone he thought he could trust. That year Jamison had become cold towards everyone and lost what little friends he had in Abnegation.
Jamison was in bed after cooking dinner again for Marcus and he had just finished his homework. He was nervous about the aptitude test tomorrow. What would it say? Where would he go if it stated Abnegation? I looked down at the scars that Marcus had left from the years of abuse and sighed. Jamison had drifted off to sleep with thoughts of what to expect and the different factions.
"Jamison, wake up now you will be late!" Jamison heard Marcus shout. He quickly got dressed and walked down the stairs, running was prohibited. "We are not like the unruly Dauntless" Marcus would say if he had caught Jamison running and it would usually end with a belt across his calves. Jamison made it downstairs, and his father had prepared the simple breakfast of oats. "Take a seat and have your breakfast, today is an important day." Jamison felt on edge and took a seat opposite. "Thank you for breakfast." Jamison said, while making eye contact with his father. He began to eat, not saying anything in case he got himself in trouble again.
Marcus spoke up, while eating his breakfast. "Today you will go through a simulation and be told which faction you belong to. It is an uncomplicated process. When you get home, we can discuss your place here in Abnegation, whether you will stay here or join the transfers. You will be ranked with everyone else and there will be no favouritism, just because you are my son. Is that clear?" "Yes father." "I expect you to do well and not embarrass me. You could sit in government if you do well." "I understand." That seemed to please Marcus and he left Jamison alone with his thoughts. He tried not to show any emotion as he thought to himself how he wouldn't be here for much longer.
School was location in the centre of Chicago, the Hub, in between Erudite and Candor. The building was tall and quite impressive, glass windows all the way down. The building could have been Erudite or Candor design. Today there would be no classes, just simulations, then tomorrow freedom. Jamison and the other future initiates were waiting outside the ten simulation rooms in their groups. The Abnegation, all in grey and simple looking, sitting in silence; the Candor in their sea of black and white, having loud discussions between themselves; the Erudite, dressed in blue and they looked smart in their outfits, they were discussing the simulation and wondering how it worked; the red and yellow of Amity, they were sat around laughing and joking with each other, always seeming so happy and then the loud Dauntless, with their colourful hair, various piercings, tattoos and lots of black. They were pushing and shoving each other around.
Each group had someone that seemed to oversee each group. Abnegation was a man called Andrew Prior, all Jamison knew about him was that he worked with Marcus in government; Candor was an attractive woman with brown hair tied back in a high ponytail, her features were sharp; Erudite a man with black hair and glasses, he was listening to the conversation around him; Amity a short plump woman with ginger hair, she looked friendly and was laughing with the other members; and then a handsome man with cold grey eyes, brown hair slicked back and tattoos on his arm studying the Dauntless. Jamison was staring at the man in awe. The confidence this man held radiated off him. Jamison must have been staring too long as the grey eyed man, made eye contact with Jamison and smirked. Jamison looked down quickly and blushed.
An Abnegation woman came out with a clipboard and the conversation around us died down. "There are ten rooms for simulations, the people administering your simulation will call your name and you are to follow them into the room. The simulation should take ten minutes. You do not have to stick with your result in the choosing ceremony tomorrow, this is just a guide." With that she read out five names, and it all began. Jamison kept sneaking glances at the Dauntless man. He was in awe and even though he didn't know him Jamison had a crush.
"Jamison Eaton." A Dauntless woman called out. Usually, Abnegation volunteers administered the tests however it was against the rules to have someone of the same faction test you. In that case usually someone from Dauntless and Erudite administered the test. The Dauntless woman had brown dreadlocks and plenty of tattoos. Jamison took a breath and walked into the small room, where there was a chair in the middle of it.
"My name is Tori, and I will be administrating your test. Take a seat." Jamison walked over to the grey chair and sat down; he noticed that the chair was surprisingly comfortable. "In the glass is a blue liquid which is the simulation serum. You will not know you are in a simulation. Follow the instructions given to you once inside." Tory handed me the glass and he drank it.
Jamison woke up inside a dark room, covered in mirrors. "Where am I? What's happened? Tori?" I shouted. I heard Tori's voice. "Choose one, the knife or the meat?" "Why?" he replied. "Choose one." Tori repeated.
Jamison weighed up my options and picked up the knife with his left hand. He never used a weapon before however he thought a knife would be more useful than a piece of meat. Suddenly, a dog came running towards him, growling and barking. Jamison had started to shake, and he gripped the knife tighter. Jamison thought to himself 'It is me or the dog.' Jamison wasn't a fan of dogs since one chased him home from school one day. He tried to stab it however he was too slow, and it bit Jamison's arm. He let out a scream as his arm was bleeding and it felt like his arm was on fire. Jamison gripped the knife tighter and stood still waiting for the dog to attack again. It began running towards him and he moved out of the way, stabbing the dog in the process.
Jamison woke up and saw he was back in the simulation room. Tori had a smile on her face and looked at him. "Well, I've never seen someone from Abnegation score Dauntless in their test." She smiled. Jamison sat there in shock. 'She had to be joking he thought to himself. I couldn't be Dauntless I wasn't that brave. I killed the dog because I wanted it to stop hurting me.' Jamison thought." Are you sure?" He asked, thinking this was a joke. An evil trick that the universe was playing on him. "Yes, you killed the dog and that makes you Dauntless. But don't forget you don't have to follow what the result tells you, it's only advice." She smiled. Jamison stood up to leave. "I hope to see you tomorrow as a Dauntless initiate" she smiled.
Jamison left the room in a daze, he couldn't leave yet until everyone had finished their test, so he took a seat near the back of where the rest of his current faction were. Jamison looked over to the Dauntless members and this time really studied them. Could he be this tattooed, pierced person? Look free and tough like them? He looked over to the grey eyed man again, at least he might be there, Jamison thought to himself. He began to look at the other factions Amity was going to be his choice if Abnegation was his result however now with his Dauntless result Jamison didn't know what to do. He had already ruled out Erudite as he felt like he wasn't smart enough, even though he did well in school, and he didn't like the thought of having no secrets like in Candor. Dauntless was never a faction that he had considered. The last person finished their test which meant they could all go home. Jamison glanced at the grey eyed man one more time and caught the man staring in Jamison's direction and he let out a weak smile and began the walk home.
The walk home was uneventful like always. He helped a lady carry a bag of shopping as she looked like she was struggling. 'Better keep up appearances' he thought to himself. When he got home Jamison had cleaned the kitchen and began to prepare the simple dinner of plain rice with plain chicken. Simple food for a simple faction, Jamison said to himself.
Jamison had set the table and as soon as it was laid, Marcus walked in and took a seat. Jamison plated up both their dinners and took a seat opposite Marcus. "How did it go today?" Marcus inquired. "Very well, I scored Abnegation." He lied while smiling at Marcus. "Very good. We will discuss everything tomorrow after your choosing ceremony. I won't be able to come with you as I am the one that has to do the speech this year." He replied. "Okay dad." They ate their dinner in silence, and Jamison excused himself after washing up to take a shower and go to bed. He led down on it and gave though about joining Dauntless. Could he train to be like them? Could he even get to their standards. There was a rumour that one boy left Abnegation to join Dauntless last year but there was nothing else heard about the boy.
Jamison hardly slept that night and groaned when his alarm went off. He had dressed in his smartest grey trousers and a grey shirt. He was excited to being able to take the cheap, itchy material off soon. By the time Jamison came down, Marcus had gone but had left a bowl of cold oats for him to eat. Jamison smiled at the bowl, picked it up and threw it against the wall, shattering the bowel into pieces and watching as the oats dripped off the wall. No more oats he smiled to himself and a nice mess for Marcus to clear up when he was gone. Jamison still had time before he had to leave and hope he wouldn't regret eating breakfast. However, he was so nervous about the ceremony that he thought if he ate, he'd be hungry.
Jamison walked backed back upstairs and entered Marcus' room carrying a pair of scissors. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest with what he was going to do. Never in a million years I would do this, Jamison thought to himself. He opened Marcus' drawers and cut the remaining belts that were in there, and had cut up his trousers, shirts and the rest of his clothing. Jamison proceeded to urinate on Marcus' bed and went into the bathroom and put Marcus' toothbrush down the toilet. The anger that had been eating Jamison up for the last year was finally being unleashed and revenge never felt so damn good. Jamison just wished he was there to see the look on his father's face. He left the house, leaving the door wide open, hoping some factionless would come in and ran to school, not giving a damn what anyone else said. He was finally going to be free of this faction and of Marcus bloody Eaton.
Jamison arrived at room where the Choosing Ceremony was taking place, with a sweat on him, however he felt good for the run and hoped he could do some more running in his new faction. Jamison took an empty seat with the rest of the Abnegation and looked at the stage. On the stage was Jeanine, leader of Erudite; Marcus, leader of Abnegation; Max, main leader of Dauntless; Johanna, leader of Amity and Jack leader of Candor. Once everyone was in and seated Marcus had approached the stage, and began to speak, silencing the conversations around them. "Factions survive by new members joining them, whether you choose a new faction or stay. Today marks the day that you will no longer be dependents but full-fledged members of our society. Faction before blood."
"Faction before blood." We all replied. Marcus took a seat, and the first name was called out.
On the stage were five bowls representing each faction, one filled with the simple grey stone of Abnegation; another filled with clear water, soon to be tainted red, Erudite; broken glass, showing transparency like the Candor it represents; soil to show the earth loving, peace loving faction Amity and finally black steaming coals that represented Dauntless.
People were going up and selecting their different factions. Jamison had zoned out staring at the bowel of coal until he heard his name. "Jamison Eaton." Marcus had called out and he stood up with shaky legs made his way across the stage. Jamison could feel Marcus' eyes on him and the rest of Abnegation watching the back of his head. So far no one from Abnegation had transferred and there were some from Amity that transferred over. Jamison took the knife while maintaining eye contact with Marcus with a smirk on his face. He could see the anger in Marcus' eyes, just wait until you get home, Jamison smiled to himself. For some reason he felt at peace at this moment. His nerves from walking over to the stage was gone. Finally, this nightmare he could a life would end. Jamison slit the knife over one of his scarred palms, not really feeling anything. While still maintaining eye contact with Marcus Jamison moved his hand over the hot coals and heard the sizzle. He took great glee when Marcus announced "Dauntless." If it was just Marcus and Jamison a room, he was sure he would get a worse beating than when he did after Tobias left. Jamison heard some gasps come from Abnegation but the cheers from the Dauntless soon drowned out their whispers. Jamison walked over to his new faction and a man with red spiked up hair put his arm around him, smiling and said, "Welcome home."
No longer would I need to live in fear of Marcus. No longer would I have to eat that shit we call food. Finally, I can have a life and I will do everything in my power to make it in this faction, Jamison thought to himself.