𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎

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𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲

  Every year, a night before the choosing ceremony, Amity throws a friendly party with food and a lot of dancing. It's not about saying goodbye, no one thinks that someone from here will choose something else other than Amity. It's about welcoming each other again for something completely new. Our initiation.

We were all sitting at a large table. I haven't talked to Johanna all day and i didn't know if i was ready to even discuss how my aptitude test was. She sat in front of me with her plate full and looked at me. "How are you feeling?", another question which i had to pretend a different emotion. The guilt was eating me alive. She's the person i'm most close to and i couldn't even tell her the truth. So how can i look at her in the eyes?.

"I'm fine", i answered and i took a bite from the food in front me. "I know you too well. I understand that something is bothering you", i remained silent, "If it's about your aptitude test, if it showed a different result, you know i just want the best for you", some Amity started to look at me. They probably heard her words and all this attention was nothing i wanted. I got up and left the main room, i needed some privacy and even when i was alone, i felt like i was locked up in a cage. I felt Johanna following me and i stopped to look at her. The music was not so loud here, we were outside and most people were inside enjoying the party.

"I'm just here my whole life, i don't know anything else other than being an Amity and it stresses me out that tomorrow will be the start of a commitment i have to fulfill". She touched the brown necklace with the symbol of Amity on her neck and took it off. She then gave it to me. "I want you to take it", i wore it, "Whatever is your decision, this will always be a part of you".

"Thank you".

• • •

All the factions were gathered into a big room, ready to decide the rest of their lives. Johanna was sitting at my right and i spend most of the time watching all the others. At the center of the room, there were five large metal bowls. One for each faction. Amity had soil, Abnegation had gray stones, Erudite had water, Candor had glass and Dauntless had lit coals.

A man from Abnegation welcomes us for the choosing ceremony. He told us that it is our life and our choice at the end of the day. His speech ends with the phrase faction before blood. I looked at Johanna, i didn't want to disappoint her. The man started calling names, one by one and time was running fast, a new person each time with a knife on their hand and a decision they had to make. They all seemed like they knew themselves, but me on the other hand, i didn't know who i was or where i truly belong.

"David Grant", the first person from Amity stands up, Carla whispers something on his ear and after that he walks confidently at the center. Amity waits for him to come back, their smiles already on their faces, but they quickly disappear when a drop of his blood goes straight to Dauntless, which start to welcome him like he won a war. Someone that transfers from Amity to Dauntless wasn't common, they were the exact opposites. Johanna's face was serious and that made me even more worried about my decision. "Carla Grant", his sister was next and from David's act, no one expected her to stay in Amity and this was exactly what happened.

Amity was shocked to see another one leaving the faction and gasped when she sat with the Dauntless and smiled to her brother. Some more names were called. Transfers from Erudite to Candor, from Dauntless to Erudite and so on. My name was called and they all looked at me. I stood up and Johanna smiled at me. I slowly walked in front of the metal bowls. I looked behind me, all the factions were whispering and the man cleared his throat. I needed to make a fast decision that was not the easiest one. I took the knife in my hand and i made a cut to the other. I watched the blood coming out and my eyes went to Amity with my hand above the soil. My heart was beating fast and i thought that it could be heard by everyone, but that was only inside my head. I squeezed my hand and at the last second i moved it to Dauntless. With the drop of my blood on the coils, Dauntless cheered and stood up for me. I couldn't look at Johanna, maybe i wasn't so brave as i thought i was. Maybe this was the biggest mistake of my life, but there was no turning back now.

I sat between the Dauntless borns. I wanted to leave the room, to see what Dauntless was all about or to escape the guilt that haunted me all this time till the last person was called and we could finally leave. Dauntless was loud, they were shouting and running outside of the building like their life depended on it. I had a soft smile on my face, i felt a different kind of freedom when i had to start running to catch up with them, although i was slow and the dress i was wearing wasn't exactly helpful. We reached the train tracks near the road and the train was coming and never slowing down. The Dauntless borns were already running and some transfers did the same. I took my long dress to my knees and i tied it in a knot, so it wouldn't bother me.

"Come on", a boy from Erudite shouted and i started running with him, but he was faster. He got into the train and gave me his hand, my legs were already hurting from how fast i was hitting them on the ground. Finally i held his hand and he pulled me into the train. I was on my knees and i tried to calm my breathes. "An Amity transfer. That's something we don't see much", he said and i looked at him feeling tired. "I'm Henry", he had brown hair that were somehow messy from running. "Zoe", i stood up and looked at the others.

"Do you know where we're going?", a girl from Candor asked us. I looked outside the open doors, but keeping my body close to the wall, the view from the city was replaced with a rooftop that many started to jump into. "Here. They want us to jump", i said and Henry ran and made an unexpected jump. "Now, it's time", the girl said and i followed her jumping out of the train and onto the solid ground of the rooftop. My hands had some small scratches, but nothing to be worried about. "That was epic. My name is Christina", i smiled. I couldn't believe i just did that, it was dangerous and fun at the same time.

As we stood up, we followed the others. "Listen up!", a man shouts from the other side of the roof. "I'm Eric. One of your leaders. To get into the entrance of the Dauntless compound, you have to jump off", his gaze was cold and as i walked closer, his eyes passed over each of us. His presence demanded attention and for the first time, i felt a small lightning of danger that i didn't know if it was temporary or would continue for the next few hours.

"You want us to jump off again?", Christina asks and Eric gives her a serious look with no answer. It was too obvious. "Is there water at the bottom or something?", David asked, Eric was getting frustrated, the whole process was taking longer than it needed to. "Who knows?", he answered him, "Do you want to see for yourself?". David nodded negatively his head. Everyone was looking at the ground, they didn't want to be picked by him and as he goes to open his mouth again, i break the silence, "I will". All eyes were on me. He looked at me like i was ready to say that i was joking, but i wasn't. I walked straight up to him and looked at his eyes. Blue. They were peaceful in all the chaos. He steps aside and once i was at the edge, i looked down. I had to jump off a whole building, which at the bottom, the only thing i could see was a black hole. I looked at Eric with a worried look. "Today, Amity".

I step onto the ledge and try not to lose my balance by accident. The only thing that could help me jump, was if i made the illusion in my mind that i was just jumping from another tree. Although it's entirely different. I take a big breath and jump off.

No scream could come out of my mouth and my heart felt like it wasn't there anymore. In seconds, my body finally landed and my hands squeezed a net. I was alive. I saw the others from the roof looking down. I gave myself a smile. This was a brave act and i was proud of myself. Maybe Dauntless was not so bad as they made it look like. "Never seen that before", a man said looking at my clothes or the fact that an Amity transfer had the courage to do something like this.

"What's your name?", he helped me get out of the net and when my feet touched the ground i felt my head dizzy a little. "I'm Zoe".

"Make the announcement, Four", said an older man behind him. Four, which i suppose was also a leader, looked over his shoulder and shouted, "First jumper, Zoe". Cheers could be heard all over the place from a crowd and when i cleared my eyes, i could see everyone clapping a few feet away from me.

I recognise Christina's voice or screams getting closer behind me and her body touched the net. She felt relieved. "Welcome to Dauntless", Four told me and i went deep into the shadows where everyone was standing, to see the new place i was going to call home from now on.

𝐙𝐄𝐑𝐎 - 𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫Where stories live. Discover now