Vic (a divergent fanfiction)

4

I wake up sweaty and warm. My bed feels clammy. I sit up and dress. I slip on my black leggings and black shirt. Black is the dauntless dress code colour. Remembering yesterday's bitter chill, I pull on a black leather jacket and a pair of fingerless gloves. I don't feel like facing the public showers right now, so I'll shower after school. My father turns to look at me.

"See ya!" I say, turning to leave. But he grabs my shoulders. Normally, if someone were to do this I'd kick them in the shin, but this is my dad. I know that, but I still have to remind myself that he's not someone else attacking me.

"Vic," he says.

"Yeah dad?"

"Be brave. You have your aptitude test today, so make me proud." He says.

"I'll try. There's no guarantees dad." I say.

"I know Vic. Just..." His voice trails away.

"Just what?"

"Choose what's right for you."

I leave the room with his words echoing in my head. Choose what's right for you. What is right for me? Vic, stop worrying so much. All you gave to do is pick the faction that the test says suits you. I won't be the one to choose, the test will and that's how it should be.

Several energetic children bolt up the stairs. I run with them, enjoying the feeling of freedom and the adrenaline rush that it brings on. Our footsteps clatter on the dirty stone floors, echoing throughout the complex. We're run together, our feet thudding to the same patter, our hearts beating as one. We are a group. We are family. We are a faction. We belong. I love this feeling, this freedom. I enjoy being a dauntless, but will I choose them? Will I be someone new tommorrow? What will my aptitude test tell me? Who is Vic?

I sprint with the other dauntless children, laughing and smiling with them. After the choosing ceremony I won't be a child anymore. I'll be a part of society. I will be considered grown up. I'll be adult. We run up the stairs and fling open the metal door, running onto the roof. We gather on the roof, chattering as we wait for the next train. The fresh air is cool and welcoming calming me for the moment. The usual clatter of tracks informs us of the incoming train. When the fast train speeds toward us I grab the nearest handle and swing myself aboard. The handle felt colder than usual. One of the downs of the coming winter is the cold. Another is the snow. You can't hide in snow if your wearing black.

I poke my head out the open door of the train compartment, enjoying the rush of flowing air and the spectacular view of the city. My city. I've always wondered what's outside the city, past the walls built to protect us, past the amity farms. Is there really only wasteland and wreckage from the Great War? Or could there be more. Could there be other people living, despite the stories of human extinction? We all were told that we are the last humans, we've all heard the story at some time or another. Weather it was at school or at home among our faction, where we heard it first, we all know the story. We all know our history. We all know why no one leaves the protective walls of our city.

The wind and air becomes to bitter cold for me to stand, so I duck back inside, basking in the warmth of the train. Felix stands nearby. I see his usual sneer on his face. His dark silhouette is not invisible to me and he knows it.

"So Vic, what faction are you choosing? Amity? You going to join the fellow pansycakes or what?" He jeers.

"I thought the rule was faction before blood, Felix."

"Yeah, I know the rule, what does that have to do with this?"

"I didn't think that people could insult their faction like that, pansycake."