Transition - a fanfiction (Divergent)

Chapter 5 - Aptitude

I’m next up.

Tanya Opie just went into one of the rooms where the test is held. She is before me in the alphabetical list of names. It is alphabetical by our surnames this year.

I can literally feel my heart beating in all areas of my body – my head, my fingertips, everywhere…

Stay calm. Remember what Mom said, it’s always much better than you may think.

After slowing my heartbeat down by taking some deep breaths, I think about Tobias to keep my heartbeat down (the thought of him calms me). I wonder what faction he’ll–

“Octavia Pemberton, please enter Room 6.”

I stand up and walk to Room 6, which is to my right. I turn the handle on the door and enter the room. I see that the person who’s going to be administrating me is from Dauntless, the faction who blames cowardice for society’s problems.

“Hello, I’m Tori and today I will be administrating your test. Please sit down.” The woman from Dauntless gestures to the seat beside her, and I go and sit down. She has tanned skin, dark hair, and a few tattoos on various areas of her body.

“You will now go through a series of simulations, and the way you react to them will determine the faction you belong to. Drink.” Tori hands me a small glass container with blue liquid inside. I tip it into my mouth and swallow it fast. Gross.

“So, when does it start?” I ask. Tori doesn’t reply. “When does it start?” I repeat. No answer.

I look around – still sitting in the seat – and find that I’m now in a room with mirrors everywhere. No Tori in sight.

So, it’s already began.

I get up out of the seat and wander around the mysterious mirror room. As I walk past one mirror, I find that my reflection is also everywhere. For a second, I admire myself in one of the mirrors and stare at my dress.

As I turn around, I see other figures turning as well. Me turning. I look behind me, and I’m facing myself. I turn back around, and there are two tables: one table has cheese on, the other has a big knife.

“Choose,” I hear someone say. That voice… that voice was mine.

“Why?” I reply to myself.

“Choose.”

I pick up the knife, because you never know what’s coming. It could be anything, from a psycho to a–

A dog appears in front of me, growling ferociously at me. It acts vicious, barking continuously, ready to charge…

I drop the knife. This is only a simulation, the dog can’t hurt me.

Closing my eyes, I let the dog charge at me, and when I hear the growling stop, I open my eyes and see a puppy sitting in front of me.

“Hey there,” I whisper to the puppy. I don’t see puppies all too often: they aren’t awfully popular in Candor.

“Puppy!” A young girl wearing clothes from Erudite shouts.

I smile.

Suddenly, the ‘puppy’ turns into the vicious dog it was before, and charges at her.

Even though I know it’s a simulation, I sprint after the dog. When I’ve caught up with it, I jump on top of the dog, and the next thing I know, I’m in a completely different room. A smaller room, completely grey.

I look in front of me and see a man reading a newspaper sitting on a bench.

Since when were benches indoors?

As he is behind the newspaper, I cannot see his face.

“Do you recognise the man on the newspaper?” he asks.

I look at the newspaper and see the face of a man… the face of… Tobias?

“They are the reason my face is burned.” The man lowers the newspaper slightly, and I get a clear view of the burns on his forehead.

What should I say? I like Tobias…

“You could save me if you know him. Well, do you recognise him?”

I stay silent.

“Do you?!” He begins to raise his voice.

“No,” I reply quickly, before he begins to shout.

“Liar! You lie!”

“Well, I don’t recognise him, so how can I say yes?”

Then I open my eyes and find that I’m back in Room 6.