Chapter 1
Maria's heart fluttered into an unknown giddiness she had never yet felt. Glaring down, she beholded a beautifly detailed white dress to match her weightless feeling hanging lossley across her body. Purple tulips enveloped the curvature of her, seemingly stretching their stems to steal glimpses of this new stranger in their meadow. The thought amused Maria, and felt more relaxed in this sun bleached clearing then she ever had in the place that was her home, the ever changing Dauntless faction. With a flash of a smile to the nosy flowers, she rose to greet the sky dripping with clouds. She never allowed herself many luxuries, but she let herself think silently how this place was so much better than the Dauntless culture that included a vast variety of piercings, vulgure tattoos, and leisure violence. Here, she could let herself be free from expectations of her trainers and peers and be who she was; Maria, the different one, Maria, the one who did not belong, Maria, the outcast of her homeland. She started twirling, her dress making a fabric ring around her, knowing no restrictions tied her down.
She was a fool to celebrate so quickly.
The clearing she had had faith in to stay perfect, was spewing sparks from the edge of its rim. Fire quickly raged into Maria's most pleasant dream she could wish for, and tore anything in its path to ash. Destruction of her peaceful hide-a - way was well under way by the time she had noticed its stench. The burning, sooty smell buzzed in her nostrils and shattered her happieness. With quick reflexes she was trained to use, she scurried off into safety of a lake nearby. Tears rolled down her puffy cheeks as she watched her freedom burn before her eyes. Yes, she had been trained deliberately in the event of disaster, but can you really train someone for the devastation of total loss of hope?
Her eyes snapped open from her fearlandscape, showing tears she had shed while unconscious. White, sterol walls greeted her rudely; the blast of so much white was more of a slap in the face than a des assuming sign of telling back into reality. A cluster hovered at a respectful distance around her, intently yet silently gazing at her. She wanted to shrink itno herself then because being looked at as a freakish experiment was not how she wanted her life to be lived. There seemed to be a film blurring the faces looking down on her (as always after she experienced such terror from her landscape), but she could decipher one face from the rest. "Lyn, are you there?" Maria hopefully whispered. In reply, her Best Friend from childhood grabbed at her hand, ignoring the cold from the metal chair Maria was seated in. Lyn's fair hair and dark complexition made her a shock of color against the sickly paleness of the walls. Her features were beautiful, but a beautiful in a sense that her endlessly deep blue eyes, perfect dark hair, and sidelong smile were a rare find. in the midst of Lyn's rambling, Micheal cordorily interrupted her.
Micheal, Dauntless's well- respected leader, had lived through the landscape as she herself had lived through it, and starred in perplextion at Maria. His voice resonated through the room with a rich tone, "This faction has not witnessed a person at all, let alone a woman, to have only one fear. I am truely amazed at your lack of distress in times where distress should be the centerpiece of thought. You have brought honor to your family and your faction on this day. Congratulations, Maria Vendas." Through his speech, the hand gripping hers with pride never let hers go. Lyn's reassurance was always the most calming to Maria, and she would need it surely tomorrow.
All the years until tomorrow were only preparation for the next day. That day, she would decide how to spend the remainder of her life; Would she live in excruciating honesty among the Candor? Would she choose the selfless Abnegation, where she would forever put her own needs last every waking minute? Could the right choice be a curiosity driven, knowledge bound spot in the Erudite faction? Would constant smiles and mindless peace appeal to her in Amity? Or is Dauntless, the place her family had brought her up, the place she had played in, the place she had built a name for herself, the place her heart belongs? Her thoughts were a tornado of 'what if's', but she somehow found a way to shove her thoughts down into a locked cage. She must be strong today. The wind from the caged tornado seeped from its cell, and she soon heard a voice in her head whisper 'but how many times have you been strong? Why have you always had to keep so strong, as if nothing hurts you? You feel pain, but you lock it in a drawer and ignore its existence. Strength is knowing weakness and accepting it. Not keeping it at bay.'
By the time its voice finally silenced, Maria was downstairs and waltzing into the dingy, but quaint living room of their family's house. On to the kitchen, she had met her mother, who greeted her with a serious yet forlorn expression from the stove. She could smell the sweet aroma of honey, and knew momma had baked her favorite- honey biscuits. "Ooh. Did you bake my favorite for the big occasion?" She said with a smile, hoping to ease the tension. Her mother looked angry, of all things. With a kindled and fueled fire behind her eyes and a brutally quick head snap from where she had been glaring, her passionate eyes held her daughter's. "Maria Vendas, I haven't the slightest clue what your aptitude test will reveal, and you know Nicholas left us to join the Abnegation faction, with a piece of my heart mind you. I want you to be happy, honey, but I am a selfish woman," tears had started to overflow onto her mother's rosy cheeks, "If both of my children abondon me, I will be left with no purpose in life. Besides, I know of your talent and fearlessness that you always show. Our leader has nothing but high regards of you, and he admires no one. You don't deserve to be told this now darling, but I love you no matter the choice you choose. Faction before blood..." Streaks of wet tears rolled down her face, painting her normally young appearance into a more puffy version of herself. All of what her mother had said was important, really. The mention of her brother, though, sent his name echoing in her ears. Nicholas. He had been more of a stranger to Maria than a blood brother; he had been a shy boy with a constant look of nervousness draped across his face. Plenty of times as a child she would call to her brother through the door pleading with him to come out so the two could play or to get to know her own brother more. Since Nicholas had transfered factions, Maria guiltily had barely noticed he was gone at all. A mother's love knows no bounds even still. Her mother loved both her children no matter their mistakes. "You, yourself, have taught me to follow the path the heart sets, remember? 'Destino è guidato dal cuore?, 'destiny is lead by heart?' I never forgot the Italian song you would sing to me when nightmares overtook my blissful sleep, mother. I believe you to be the reason for my rare fearlessness. And for that, I am grateful beyond compare. I hear that song when I am scared and after, I am not anymore. I love you mom." At that she had leaned around the table to hug her, possibly the last hug she could give Maria Vendas before she chose a faction.
As always, she walked to her school, same time as always, her feet becoming more and more reluctant to hold her weight. Appearantly, they could feel the dread of helplessness to fate just as she herself could. Mud spolshed and gurgled under her, and metal playgrounds for the younger children rested, unused. All was deserted on testing day; not even the government did it's usual job. Maria saw other students just her age with pale, sickly skin and and a shuddering terror. The tension was nearly unbearable.
When she had finally trudged into the building doors of her school, Lyn was awaiting her with a smile to offer. "Every one is so... so.. Panicked. I can tell. That kid over that way," she pointed to a lanky Erudite boy wearing a plain blue T-shirt, obviously near exhaustion, " has been studying all night for a test he has no control over. Pitiful if I do say so myself." Despite herself, she giggled. If there were anyone on the planet that could've made her laugh at such a dire moment, it was definitely Lyn.
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Chapter 2.
The buzz of suffocating pressure made her wish for a simpler life, and she longed for the way the white dress fit her curved body in an embrace of fabric; she longed for the lilac flowers so effortlessly swaying in a spring breeze. She longed for a place of refuge, a heaven to escape to. Smiles werenta show a weakness there, there were encouraged.
Following the usual routine, she shoved the thoughts that hissed and raged violently into its usual cage, key swallowed once again. Dauntless members can't be feeling overwhelming emotions like this, especially Dauntless who made a name like Maria Vendez into a household item. Conceal whatever the heck this is, and move on. It's only for the best. And so was done, and she jerked into the dingy, hopeless hallways with Lyn.
As with the journey to school, her feet still barked stern orders to retreat and cowor right back home... but no. Dauntless never cowar. They must be fierce. Unfeeling. Masters of controlling unwanted emotion.
The sharp contrast of The usual Amity schoolgirls and low mumur of a social crowd was much more piercing than a bloodcurdling scream. Today was more of a deadly silence: impending and threatening. Walking in the wake of 16- year- olds who might or might not have been robotized made Maria wonder what her heart would say if it could speak; she soon concluded it would mumble the harshest curse words it knew. She subconsciously drew her eyebrows together, the red flag Lyn always argued was her special 'tell' that gave away she was thinking, and thinking hard. "When did I become such a hot mess?" Her lips mouthed softly, yet it was enough for Lyn's "supernatural psychic best friend powers" to pique. Maria was mentally punishing herself for the inability to keep her mouth closed. 'Little- Miss-1- Fear-, we are messes together. You know that so stop." Abruptly, she changed the subject with accompanied veering heavily to the other side of the hall. They had their class schedules down after so many walks to class side by side. She off to her least favorite class- Faction Culture.
Naturally, Maria knew she would be turning then and waved a scurrying goodbye. School classes as usual were vastly impossible and also needless in the sense no one could focus. Beads on nervous sweats poured from the brows of others, feeling the heat of their next steps. Hands shook when raised, and wobbled as if trying to vibrate of the owner's arm. In less than an hour or so, everyone precious to them could soon be ripped apart and it was all on their own shoulders. Of course no pressure right?
Her class ended by dismissal of Mr. Yang, a Erudite scholar. A flurry of students charged to the lunch room to await their name to be called for testing. Maria took her time, soaking in all the details she never cared for but would miss soon enough. Too soon. This school might have been a dump, but this was the dump that had seen her grow as she came to find herself. This was it. The dump would be gone soon. Too soon.
The hallways reeked with the pungent scent of agony; it screeched at Maria's cute, button nose. Right now was the climax was suspense of anxiety... Everyone knew during this time in lunch, tests we're be held, lives altered or even destroyed by the results, and goodbyes to be said. Her new-found appreciation for the hallways were going to have to be put on hold due to her entry into the lunch room. This room was the most spacious, and it had to be to hold the rainbow of traditional faction clothing they wore here. Flags of all the representations for all 5 factions dripped from the ceiling, and Maria thought maybe, just maybe, the hands clasped together, for abnegation, could help for now. Nothing could save her now even in spite of her silent pleas.
The rich black hair she only quickly styled had become a cascade of shine, loosely hanging around her shoulders. She thanked her hair for braking it's usual habit of flying in all directions in a heap of frizz so the test giver wouldn't write her off as a homeless factionsless. Superficial aspects aside, she was ready. After being slave to worry, she was ready to be free of its death grip. She was strong- as strengthened as she could muster in herself at a time like this- and sought a seat away from the general populous. Names were called one by one alphabetically making Maria 'Vendez' one of the last. Now her control started to quiver and crumble, but she kept her outside composure clean and sophisticated. It was her turn to sweat frantically across her brow and hands to shake like made. Fear doesn't shut you down, Maria. It wakes you up. Remeber that and you'll be just fine. Go in there like you already know exactly what the test will reveal.
