Anomalous

Chapter 1: Omega's Life

*Writer's POV*

Omega Dianna Crawford's house only has one mirror and it is hidden for all behind a sliding panel. It will be open when she gets a haircut.

She was a member of the Abnegatus, her family values peacefulness above all else and her father is the head of the coalition.

New York City, where Omega lives, is divided into five coalitions, each of which represents one of the following five virtues: selflessness, peacefulness, honesty, intelligence, and bravery.

Today is an important day in Omega's life, the day she will take her aptitude test, to determine which coalitions her mind and personality are most suited for.

*Omega's POV*

My mother says there's no art to losing yourself.

*I was looking at the wall while my mother, Hera Demetria Curtney-Crawford slowly cut my long brown straight hair.

But I haven't figured it out yet.

*My mother styled my hair. Something looks like a ponytail but twisted around.

I'm supposed to never think of myself and to always help others.

*My mother pushed the black buttons behind my walls and showed me the mirror that was hidden behind.

To never look too long in the mirror.

*Looking at the reflection.

"Are you nervous?" my mother utters while looking at me.

I gradually shook my head and sighed deeply.

"No."

"Were you? For your test?" I ask her.

"Mmm-mm. No," she says and shakes her head.

"I was terrified," she utters softly. I smile at her nervously.

"But I didn't have any reason to be and neither do you she gently touched my face, placed back my hair that covers half of my ears, and kissed my forehead.

She sighed and closed the lock behind the wall to hide the mirror.

"That's all you get. Rules are rules," she says.

Today I took the test. I'm scared it'll tell me I'm not Abnegatus, that I have to leave my family. But I'm even more scared that it'll tell me to stay.

For my brother Rho Apollo Crawford, it's easy. He's natural.

"Let me help you with that."Apollo approaches a woman carrying heavy bags.

"Omega, do you wanna get the other bags?" he said.

"Sorry."

"What if she'd been blind or an amputee? Would you have helped her then?"

"I was thinking about helping her."

"It's not that hard."

"For you, maybe."

"Just relax, Omega. Take a deep breath and trust the test."

Trust the test. The test will tell me who I am, and where I belong. Am I smart? Kind? Am I honest? Selfless? Or brave?

Me and my brother Apollo are walking, we are going to our class. Seeing the children with our age lining up to their coalitions.

The ones wearing white lining up to the hall with a symbol of a balancing scale are the Candidus, the ones in black are Domitare lining the hall with a symbol of a burning flame, and the ones wearing blue are Eruditus lining the hall with a symbol of an eye, the Amicus who are wearing orange are in the hall of hearts, and us, Abnegatus wearing gray lining up in the hall of shaking hands.

Every symbol symbolizes our coalitions, our group, and our identity.

Eye for the knowledgeable ones, balancing scales for the just and honest, burning flames for the brave, hearts for the kind and happy, and handshaking for us selfless.

While lining up an Eruditus boy interrupted us.

"Hey. So, all the food that we're not getting, you guys are giving away to the Outcast?" He asked teasingly.

One of our coalition members nods.

"Right?Yeah?"

"Yeah," an Abnegatus boy replied shakingly.

"You're a liar. Why are you lying to me?" he yelled at the Abnegatus boy who was afraid of him.

"Everybody knows you keep it for yourselves. So why don't you just admit it? Huh?"

"I am talking to you. Are you all PAWN, deaf or somethin'?" He shouted. And the boy closes his eyes in fear. "Hey!" he punches the boy in his belly.

I wanted to depend on him and intervene in the scenario but my brother Apollo caught me and warned me.

"Omega...Don't."

I sigh deeply. I was able to punch that boy, he's so annoying and a bully.

I am so disgusted.

*End of Omega's POV*

Though children in New York City are raised in their parents' coalitions, once they turn sixteen they have the option to transfer to a different coalitions or remain where they are. After Choosing Day, the new members go through an initiation process that varies per coalition.

Omega won't be obligated to choose the coalitions the results point to, but the test is supposed to help her make up her mind.

Omega heads to school with her brother, Apollo a not yet a full year older than her, they will be taking the aptitude test and choosing their coalition at the same time.

Apollo appears to be the perfect example of an Abnegatus boy, he even gives up his seat to a Candidus man on the bus without a second thought.

Apollo like Omega is often given a hard time by those from other coalitions, she is shoved by an Eruditus boy in the hallway who calls her a Pawn, the nickname the other coalitions hold for Abnegatus members.

Before going to class, Omega waits at a window and watches the daredevil Domitare kids jump off a moving train as they arrive, something they do every morning.

This time at the class an Eruditus instructor discussed the aptitude testing.

"One hundred years ago, after the war, our founders created a system they believed would prevent future conflict and create lasting peace."

"Today, aptitude testing based on your personality will assign you to one of the coalitions, while we believe that choosing the coalition indicated by your test is the best way to ensure success within the coalition system, it is your right tomorrow at the choosing ceremony to choose any of the five coalitions, regardless of your test results."

"However, once the choice has been made, there will be no change permitted."

After a long, anxious day of waiting, lunch ends and it's finally time to take the aptitude test. The administrators call ten names at a time, and Omega waits with her brother and their neighbor, Gaia.

It's mostly Abnegatus administering the tests, but since no one can be tested by someone from their coalitions, either a Domitare or an Eruditus will test Omega.

Apollo is called before her, and when he returns he's pale as a ghost, his fingers shaking. She's worried, but she can't ask him about his results, and he can't tell her.

Author's Note:

All of the events and scenarios are fictitious and it is the fruit of the author's imagination, any resemblance to other works or books is coincidental and may be the author's inspiration.