E.A.T.O.N.

Chapter 11

Caleb went up to the bowls, dressed in blue. His blood dripped into the water. A cheer arose.

"Yang, Maja."

Maja strutted up to the bowls. Dauntless. Black coals turned red. Still Dauntless.

"Yapton, Daisy."

Daisy is Candor, dressed in black and white. Her blood falls on to the stones. Abnegation. Candor sigh and Abnegation look delighted as she sits in their designated area. The first faction transfer. The first of many.

Anna rambles on for a lot longer. People keep coming up to the bowls. Candor, Amity, Dauntless, Amity, Erudite, Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Erudite, Abnegation. The blood kept falling. I managed to catch a glimpse of some of those who chose Abnegation, they all looked nice enough. Finally it was my turn.

"Eaton,"

Anna pauses, and emotions fly across her face. Shock. Shock that I'm here. Shock that I'm sixteen. Shock that she left me. Anger. Anger that I'm here. Anger at me. Anger at herself. Sadness. Sadness that I'm so close that she can feel my presence. Sadness that she betrayed me. Sadness that she'll never see me again. But just as quickly as her emotions emerged, they disappeared again. Anna hastily composed herself and continued, almost choking out her words.

"Marcus."

I stepped forward, out of the queue that led to my future. Led to the rest of my life. Slowly and carefully, I climbed the stairs. Closer and closer to her. Even closer. Even more close. Closer and closer until the space between us was a foot long. I breathed in her strong scent, holding back tears. I caught her glance, and her eyes were shimmering with tears. They seemed to cry out to me in a language I couldn't yet understand.

"I'm sorry." they seemed to shout.

For me that completely tipped the scales in my brain. I began to walk over to the bowl filled with blood-stained stones. I was walking, walking, walking, stop. Abruptly, I came to a halt right next to Anna. I had to collect the knife.

Anna placed one hand out in front of her. It contained a single blade. I put my hand over the knife, over her hand. Simultaneously we glanced upwards. Our eyes locked. Her eyes were filled with fear, the fear of a women who was never going to see her family again. I broke away from her, taking the knife with me. Slowly, very slowly, I strolled away. But I made sure to pass her ear. I had one last thing to tell my sister.

"I love you. So so much."

And with that, I walked away. Stabbed the knife into my palm. Squeezed the blood onto the stones. Choice made. Choice done. It was over now.

As I made my way towards the other Abnegation initiates, I flicked my head round to see Anna for the last time. Her eyes were full of tears. We locked eyes again, and I smiled at her. A tear gushed over the edge of the waterfalls that were her eyes. She wiped it away with the heel of her hand before smiling back at me. A small smile, but a powerful one.

I sat down next to the fellow initiates knowing that I had done the right thing.