Swapped- a divergent fanfiction

Ch7- The aptitude test and a sweet surprise!

As I nervously cling on to Jack for extra support as my legs feel like they want to make me fall to the ground, I stare down the long hall. Rooms with numbers pinned to the door with numbers 1-20 lined the hall. We get told our numbers and I’m in room 7. I separate from Jack when I reach my door, he’s in room 8.

16 people from Abnegation have volunteered to do the tests then two from Erudite and then two from Dauntless. For some odd reason we get 20 rooms last year there was only 10, strange.

“Good luck” I nod at Jack and then Veronica, then Jeremy and push open the door. I look at the boy I find in the room, awestruck.

“DAN?!” I scream, jumping up and down in excitement and shock.

“JOAN!” Dan gasps.

I run in to hug him but be doesn’t hug me just brushes my arms off him.

“Dan why aren’t you hugging me it’s been ages!” I frown.

“Remember I’m in Abnegation now I am not allowed to show love!” Dan informs me making a big, fat, salty tear roll down my face.

“But I’m your sister, I’m family!” I put my hand on my hip and stick my hip out. That’s always what I do when I’m cross.

“Sorry, it’s just the rules” He shrugs. I’m so mad that I forget about my fear of the test.

Shuffling back onto the black, leather recliner chair I shut my eyes and make them as tight as I can shut them. I feel something sticky touch my head, it stays there and its stone cold. Confused, I open my eyes to see Dan sticking an electrode to his own head. He sticks one to my wrist and then to his own wrist. I fidget about in the now comfy chair. I clutch the chair so hard my fists turn as white as a sheet.

“Drink up, sister!” Dan hands me the dreaded liquid. I take it in my sweaty hands. It’s in a small, plastic cup. The liquid is clear and it fizzes. I swallow it whole and splutter as it tickles my throat. It doesn’t taste of much. Dan thumps my back, hard. Dan starts to Fade and the atmosphere around me goes black.......

When my vison becomes clear I sit at the lunch table. The hall is deserted.  Before me I see two hampers, one filled with a bright yellow cheese (which makes my mouth water) and another filled with a long, sharp, pointy knife.

“Chose” a woman’s voice fills the hall, its sounds soft like caramel; I spin around on my heels to see who the woman is. I can’t see anyone, odd. I guess I have to either pick the cheese or the knife.

“Right, ok Joan, get the knife so you can cut the cheese” I think aloud talking to myself.

“You may only have one” The woman’s voice fills my ears again. Despite having the burger the sight of the cheese makes me feel hungry again. I pick up the cheese and as if by magic the knife vanishes in front of my very eyes. I hear a blood curdling growl. Turning around for a second time I go pale. The sight of a huge, evil looking dog takes my breath away. My mouth drops open and I’m surprised it doesn’t hit the floor.

“Hello……. dog,” I try to guess the gnarling dogs name but give up. “Do you want some cheese?” I wave the cheese and break it in half chucking it at the scary dog. The dog catches it in its fanged mouth. The dog scampers up to me and licks my hand, its tail wagging, wildly.

“That’s an improvement from the growling eh?” I stroke the dog. Its turned lovely all of a sudden. It must of really enjoyed the half a hunk of cheese I gave it. I check it’s collar to find out it’s called Mable. It shrinks into a cute puppy.

“Cute, doggy!” a pretty, little girl doddles into the hall, she claps her tiny hands at the dog. She has pleated strawberry blonde hair and wears a light blue summer dress with pink tulips along the top. The dog turns to face the girl, it grows again, ready to pounce.  Startled, the girl screams clearly horrified at the dog she thought was cute. It snaps its sharp teeth at her. I start to panic.

“Here give it this” I toss the rest of the girl the cheese, forgetting my appetite. The now petrified girl hurtles the cheese at the dog and takes a step back, gulping. The dog shrinks into a puppy and licks the girl.  

The room vanishes in front of me and I now sit on a bus. A grumping looking man sits next to me, grunting. He is holding a tattered newspaper.

“Excuse me miss, do you know this man?” The grumpy man taps the newspaper he’s holding, at a picture of a man I recognise. I get the impression that if I say yes something terrible will happen to me. I glance up at him and then glance away; he has a dour face and mean, unkind eyes. He smells like sweat, dust and smoke.  

“I don’t have a clue who he is sir, sorry” I look out the window and see a neat row of cottages with thatched roofs.

“If you know it could save me!” The man pokes my shoulder. I stare at him.

“Sorry but as I said before I don’t know”

“Are you positive?!” He sounds annoyed.

“100 percent positive!” I turn away from him once more as the world around me fades.

This time I am back in the testing rooms. I sit up and swing my legs over the side of the chair. I take in the testing room as I wait for Dan to speak. It has mirrors all around it making Dan try not to look at them. Though as its one of the only days he is allowed to look to tries to make the most of it.

“You got Amity” Dan starts removing the electrodes.

“That’s what I was hoping for” I help Dan pull off the last of the electrodes.

“So you’re not thinking about joining Abnegation?” Dan asks me.

“I don’t think it’s the right place for me” I tell him, truthfully.

“Well bye sister, I hope you make the right choice” Dan then does something that surprises me; he hugs me and kisses my cheek.

“I thought you weren’t-“I start.

“Don’t say a word and tell mum and dad I love them and say hello, actually I’ll write a note” Dan pulls out a pen and a piece of paper, he scribes a note and folds it. He gives it to me and I plant a kiss on his right temple.

“Bye Dan, love you so” I wave goodbye after a final hug.

“Same to you” Dan waves with both hands. He has grown. He has new grey clothes.

That wasn’t so bad. I got to see my brother. I can’t wait to go home and give mum and dad Dan’s note to them I wonder what their reactions will be like.