Daring // An Eric Coulter Fanfiction

Chapter 1: Choosing Ceremony

I wake to the smell of lime and honeysuckle, scents that I relate to home.  Today is possibly one of the biggest days of my life.  Today is the day of the choosing ceremony to decide which faction I will live in for the rest of my life. If I pass initiation that is. 

I walk downstairs to be greeted by my older brother, Jace, and my sister who is the same age as me, Kya.  We have been inseparable since the day we were born.  Our parents live in the house beside us, because they couldn't deal with us siblings fighting all the time. They thought if we had to live for ourselves it would help some. I guess it kind of did. 

After we got ready we went to my parents house for breakfast, we each had an egg and a few sausage links, along with a fruit.  Once we were finished breakfast we left for the ceremony.  Everyone in my family knew which faction I was going to choose, however none of them approved, or at least none of them showed it. To my father they were all just a bunch of delinquents running around trying to get themselves killed, he never denied to tell me so.  My mother simply wanted all of her children to stay with her. Kya and Jace thought that it was too dangerous and didn't want me to get hurt.

We all gathered in to a circular room, Marcus, one of the Abnegation, made a speech and then all the sixteen years olds started to be called up, one by one, to pick their new faction.  There were about ten teens called before me, then my name was called. I stood up and said quick goodbyes to my family.  I walked to the center of the room, took the knife from Marcus. I knew what I was going to do, I knew where I belonged.  I cut a slit in my hand and made a fist over the Dauntless bowl, a drop of my blood landed on the burning coals.

The Dauntless section of the room erupted into clapping and whoops of joy.  I made my way over to some of the dauntless born initiates and intertwined with the crowd.  I got a few slaps on the back and a few congratulations.  Then Kya got called up, I hadn't known what faction she was planning on picking.  I guessed either Amity or Abnegation considering she was always the kinder of the two of us.  Not to my surprise she picked Amity.  The all took her in with kind smiles on their faces.

I zoned out for the rest of the ceremony. I made a friend who was a dauntless born initiate, her name was Raven, she was slightly taller than I was, and had dark brown hair and hazel eyes. I however was a mere 5'7" with strawberry blonde hair and dark brown eyes.  She said she would introduce me to some of her other friends later, but for now we had to run.  We had to catch the train. We took off in a dead sprint across the road toward the train tracks.  I had seen the other dauntless do this many times, person after person disappeared into the train cars, without the train ever stopping.  I sprinted along side the train until I grabbed the handle and pulled myself into the train car.

So far being dauntless was exhilarating. On the train Raven introduced me to another girl, also tall, who had blonde hair and green eyes, her name was Lydia.  And the a tall boy who was thin but muscular, he had short black hair and piercing green eyes, his name was Ian.  "Hi, I'm Ashley." I introduced myself and shook both of their hands.

After about a twenty minute train ride one of the leaders started to give us instruction.  He was tall, definitely over six feet, he had short blond hair and small gauges in his ears, he had tattoos poking out from under his shirt and running up the sides of his neck, his right brow was pierced twice. He spoke in a way that sounded mean and frightening, like he was trying to scare us all. He has icy blue eyes, that look so cold the sometimes look even gray.

"You want us to jump out of the train?!?" I hear a transfer initiate yell.  I was too busy focusing on the leader than listening to what he was saying.

"How else are you going to get into the compound?" He says with a placid face.

As people start jumping out I see that there is a rooftop about five feet away from the train, if I get a running start I can make it.  I run and jump. When I land I land hard, so hard that I stumble into the person who jumped off before me.

"Watch it initiate!" He bellows at me. It was the same leader who talked on the train. "Okay everyone, over here. Now my name is Eric, below us is the entrance to the Dauntless headquarters.  The only way in is to jump off this roof. Initiates first, any volunteers?" He says slyly smiling like he gets some kind of sick pleasure out of scaring us all. "No one? Fine I'll pick. Ginger how about you?" He says obviously referring to me.

I step forward and turn towards him, he doesn't scare me at all. "It's not like you are going to kill us on the first day." I said stepping onto the ledge.

"The day isn't over yet sweetheart." He said gritting his teeth.  Just before I jumped I turned around and winked at Eric, just to make his blood boil.  I landed safely on a net, I rolled to the side of the net and was helped off by another dauntless.

"What's your name?" He asked me. I think its time for a bit of a name change Ashley just sounds so normal and plain.

"Ash. My name is Ash." I told him, he smiled and continued to yell up that I was the first jumper.  Soon after Raven, Lydia, and Ian followed.

After all the initiates had jumped, the leaders split us into two groups. Dauntless born went with a lady to their dorms, and transfers went with Eric, and the guy who helped me off the net, Four.

I walked towards the middle of the group. "First we are going to show you the Pit, it's where you can hang out, get tattoos, shop, and many other things in your spare time.  Next is the chasm, many people have jumped off this to their deaths, please don't be so stupid as to do so yourself." Four stated.

"Next, and last for the night your dormitories, guys and girls will sleep in the same room, don't be pervs. Be up for training by seven in the morning, no exceptions. I suggest that you get to sleep now. Tomorrow is going to be a hard day. Everyone one pick a bed, Ginger hallway now." Eric finished up.

I walked through the door to the hallway, Eric's angry eyes beamed at me as I walked through the doorway. "What the hell did I do?" I asked.

Right after I spoke I was pushed against the wall, Eric's face inches from my own. "You think your tough? You think that you have the right to just come here and decide to disrespect your leaders?" He asked, his voice angry.

I looked down slightly, was this about the wink? If so I guess it worked. "No, sir."

"That's what I thought. Because of your smartass comment today you get to train all night. No sleep for you I guess." He says.

"Who am I training with?" I asked.

"Me, and you are going to learn to hold your tongue, you are not a candor anymore you can't say the first thing that comes to mind." He yells in my face. I can handle someone being mad, but do not get in my face.

"Okay, well let me change and I'll meet you in the training center." I said slipping under his arm on the right side of my body. I turned back to look at him just as I was about to shut the door. "Or do I have to have a baby sitter to make sure I do what I'm told?"

I quickly change not wanting to make this training worse for myself. I change into a black sports bra and black leggings.  I lace up some black tennis shoes and pull my hair into a high pony tail.  I walk back out the door and Eric is waiting for me with the same placid look he had before.

"Ready to go Mr. Big Bad Wolf?" I asked sweetly. Just seeing that I can get to him makes me slightly happy.

"By the time you are done you are not going to be able to talk." He says, that makes me a little nervous.  Maybe I should back off a little with the sarcasm. I'm not actually trying to get hi to go through with the whole killing us on the first day thing.