Divergent To An Extreme

Chapter 1: Beatrice

I enter the building and go sit with my fellow Amity peers. As a woman comes in, I recognize her as one of my instructors from, Faction History maybe? She puts her hands up, palms out, and Amity, Abnegation, and Erudite fall silent. It takes Candor and Dauntless a few more seconds. “As you all know, tonight is your Choosing Day. Where you can either stay with your born faction, or transfer into Amity, Erudite, Candor, Abnegation, or Dauntless.”

A few cheers come from the Dauntless-born but the woman ignores them. “You will be getting an Aptitude Test to determine which faction is right for you. Of course, you don’t have to share this information with anybody else besides you, but even if you get a certain faction, you don’t have to choose that faction.

These aptitude tests will take place today, so you can choose tonight. Last name beginning with A through J may enter through those doors. Last names starting with K through T through those doors, and starting with U through Z through those doors.” My last name begins with P, so I walk through the middle set of doors. There is a waiting room so I sit and wait.

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I see Dauntless, Erudite, Abnegation, and Candor students filter in and go out of the white padded room. Finally, they call my name. “Beatrice Prior?”

The room goes silent. Whispers travel around the room at the speed of light. However, I am used to this. I enter the room and they shut the door around me.

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There is a chair and the administrator gestures for me to sit down. “This is going to be your Aptitude Test to determine which faction you would fit best in. I shall be administering your test, through someone else will be telling you your results.”

It is a man, with a tattoo crawling up his neck. He places tiny electudes on my head as he says firmly, “I am Four. And you are…” I wait, confused for a few seconds before I realize he is waiting for me to answer. “Oh.” I murmur, blushing. “Beatrice Prior.” He drops whatever glass he was holding and swears under his breath. “I’m sorry. Please wait a minute while I go get a new glass.” I nod. “Of course.”

I studie the room. It is bright-lit and it’s walls have reflections. Mirrors. I hear the thump of the door closing as Four returns with a new glass.

His hand reached down and fumbled with some cords, and I got a clear view of his tattoo. It was the Dauntless sign. As he comes back up, he hands me a shot glass of a clear liquid with a blue tint to it. “What do I do with it?” I ask uncertain. “Drink it.” I do, and the world blanks.

 

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“Choose.” A voice clear as day rings through the room. “What? Choose what?” “Either the knife, or the cheese.” Choose. “Why?” “You must choose now, before it is too late.” “Too late for what?” “I cannot tell you. Just choose.” “Just tell me why.” A growl attached to a bark echos. I turn slowly and see a massive dog standing before me, foam forming at his mouth. I look back at where the knife and cheese was and there is nothing. “I told you to choose before it was too late.” The woman disappears and I am alone with the dog.

I think, although, we usually don’t have to do much thinking in Amity, but I always did well under pressure. I kneel and close my eyes and bend my head. Submitting myself. I look up and the dog is laying on my lap. “Is that a puppy?” I smile and look up at a young girl, close to about seven of nine years of age. “Yes. Don’t be scared.” I-I’m not.” “I think that you’re lying.” I murmur before another growl rips from the dog. “Wait. No!” I panic and make a poorly thought decision. I throw myself at the dog, protecting the girl from the now vicious dog. Then, I am at a different scene.

I am on a bus with an older man approaching me. “Do you know this man?” I have a feeling that I do, but this is going to end up badly. “I-I.” I stammer, not yet knowing what to do. “Well, do you?” “I’m not sure.” “If you tell me, you can help me.”

I can’t possibly tell this man. Even if I don’t kill this man with my own hands, if I tell this stranger, I will be guilty of the man’s death. “What did this man do to wrong you?” The man narrowed his eyes. “Do you know him, then?” “I-I don’t want to fight. Be peaceful. I’m sure he regrets it.” “Peace, he wronged me more times than right!” “We can solve this without fighting.” The old man walks up to me.

“I was planning on killing to get revenge today, and if I can’t have him, I’ll just take you instead!” He lunges, and everything is dark.

 

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“Get up.” A girl is fumbling with cords with one hand and helping me out of the chair with the other. “What? Why?” I get up but look at her expectantly. “I’ll tell you when we get outside, now go out that door.” I look at the door she is gesturing towards. “The emergency exit?” “Yes, I disabled it.” I go outside and the girl follows.

“My name is Tori, and your name is Beatrice Prior, and your result was Abnegation.” “Abnegation?” I repeat. “Ho-” I am cut off. “And Amity, and Candor, and Erudite and Dauntless.” I am confused. “But how? That’s all of the factions.” “Yes. They call it Divergent. But you, you are absolutely the strongest Divergent in the history of Divergence. The strongest Divergent before you had three factions, but you have all five. You are by far, the most dangerous Divergence ever.”

She gestures for me to go back and go to the choosing ceremony. “Choose? This test was supposed to tell me what to choose.” She smirks. “Well, you got Erudite as one of them. You’re smart. You’ll know what to do.”

 

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“The five factions. Erudite the curious and smart. Candor the truthful. Abnegation the selfless. Amity the kind and peaceful. And Dauntless the brave and daring. You. Coming of the wonderful age of sixteen. You get to choose which one of these five factions you will choose to go through initiation and hopefully become a part of. Let’s get started.”

My hands are sweating as they call the first girl up. “Emily Abbate.” She transfers from Erudite to Candor. Candor. I could never do Candor. I would have to spill all my deepest secrets. I never knew my parents. My mother abandoned me. I am Divergent. When I pay attention again, we are up to “Christopher Dabe” Who transfers from Candor to Amity.

Amity is nice, but I could never return. I mean, I would go crazy if they kept having to give me extra doses of Peace Serum. Next is “Chariti Hollings.” She stays in Erudite.

I don’t think I would make it throughout the entire Erudite initiation without someone noticing that I am Divergent. “Taylor Koss” Stays in Abnegation. I-I could never be an Abnegation. I am too selfish for it. “Beatrice Prior. What little murmuring there was stops. I get up from my seat and approach the table, my heart pounding. Someone hands me a knife. I know what comes next. I will cut my hand and pour my blood into whatever faction I choose. I run the blade through my hand, and let the blood pool in my hand, as I run through my eliminations. There is only one faction left. Dauntless