Sequel to "You Make Me Brave"!! Please read that book first!!
Elsie and the gang have escaped the Maze! Now what? A city built on talent-and-behavior-fueled segregation and the mystery of it's lore and meeting their expectations is what.
As the gr...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Alright, my name's Tori. I'll be giving you your aptitude test. Sit here."
The room was orange. And there was a large gray chair in the middle of it, next to a monitor that the lady was standing at.
She had dreadlocks in her hair and wore all black. Tattoos blanketed her skin on her arms and she had a few piercings as well.
I sat in the chair, my heart racing. Was this just me? Or would they be 'testing' everyone else too?
"Here. You'll drink this and fall into a simulation. The best way to go about it is to pretend it's not a sim and make decisions based on how you would in real life. Then you'll wake up and I'll give you your faction results."
"Faction?"
"Wow, you're new," She whispered. "They'll explain to you at the Choosing Ceremony."
I took the vial of orange liquid from her and took it like a shot. Then laid back in the chair and sighed deeply. My eyes closed and I was blanketed into a simulation.
Sort of like the visions I had in the Glade but I could move and do things in them. I stood in the middle of a room full of mirrors.
One pedestal had a bowl with a steak in it and the other had a knife.
"Choose," I heard my voice say.
"What?" I looked around and spotted one of my reflections that didn't live with me.
"Choose. Before it's too late," I turned back, deciding to pick the knife. If I've learned anything in my time in the Maze, weapons are always the best choice.
The second I chose the knife, both pedestals disappeared. Then I heard a bark behind me, so I turned around towards it and saw a German shepherd.
A long haired one.
Like Sailor.
I dropped the knife, even when the dog growled at me. I wasn't going to kill this dog, I couldn't.
The dog charged me and I crouched down to the floor in front of it. The dog tackled me over and tried to attack me.
So I grabbed it by it's neck and pinned it to the ground beside me, got up, and hit it in the side of the head with the handle of the knife.
Everything faded to black and I woke up with a heavy gasp. I looked around and took in my surroundings, feeling relieved when I noticed I was back in the room.
The lady waswas silently but frantically typing away on her computer monitor.
"What were my results?"
"Inconclusive," She mumbled and helped me up. "They were inconclusive."
"No, I've- I have to have a result, which one am I gonna pick at the ceremony?"
"Just- pick one a friend is going to. Okay? Tell them it was inconclusive if anyone asks."
"What were my results?" I asked her again.
She sighed and pulled me closer so I could hear her whisper. "All of them. You got all of them. Which means you're a mutation and you'll be hunted down and killed. They call it 'divergent'. You have to keep this secret. You can't tell anyone. Not even your family. Alright? Inconclusive."
With my eyes wide in fear, I nodded. She ushered me out of the back of the room which led out of the building. Surprisingly, I saw Thomas and Frypan and Chuck gathered there.
And Dory. Who looked thoroughly confused, however content to be with Chuck anyway.
I jogged up to Thomas and the other two, happy to see familiar faces in a new place.
"Where are the others?" I asked.
"Still getting tested. They gave you the lady I guess. Which means there was only one guy for all of us shanks," Thomas explained. "What did you get?"
"What did you get?" I nudged him playfully, not sure how to answer his question.
"Something called Dauntless. Apparently they're brave and protect everyone in the city."
"That's funny, I got that same one," I lied. "What about you two?"
Chuck beamed. "We got Amity! They're nice people who bring peace and grow food and live in a really pretty valley!"
I smiled. Seeing those two goofs in their element will be beautiful. I hope we're allowed to visit.
We heard a door open and I spotted Gally, who had an eyebrow raised and looked thoroughly confused.
"That was... weird. What did you shanks get?"
"Dauntless," Thomas and I answered at the same time. "You too?"
I really wouldn't be surprised.
"Candor," Gally said. "Something about valuing order and honesty. I mean, I did help run the Glade so I guess it's not too far off."
After some time, Newt came stumbling out, looking just as confused as Gally did.
"Whatever the bloody hell that was," He scoffed. He came up and hugged me. "You alright? How's your arm?"
"Stopped bleeding a while ago," I told him. "What did you get?"
Starting to really regret picking Dauntless on a whim.
Clint and Jeff came through next and said they received the result of Erudite. Some nerdy know it all's, really. Yet again, I'm not shocked.
Guards came through and escorted us back to the aircraft, which then took us over the city to a tall, hotel-like building.
We each got our own rooms with big comfy beds and bathrooms and showers. There were even new sets of clothes set out on the beds. A set of night clothes and a neutral outfit.
I'm guessing for tomorrow, the Choosing Ceremony.
I decided a hot shower would be nice. To wash off all the grossness from the Maze. I walked into the bathroom and saw a humongous mirror.
For the first time ever... I saw my reflection. And just like everyone said in the maze... I look just like Newt.
I stripped down and finally got a look at my body in the mirror. Scars and bruises littered my skin.
I'd removed the fabric strip from my shoulder and seeing the cut was haunting.
Images of Grievers filled my head but I was washed over by relief when I remembered I wouldn't have to deal with them anymore.
