DIVERGENT: Tobias (Watty Award Winner 2013)

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I gasp as I wake myself up from the dream. Or rather, the nightmare. A light sheen of sweat covers my entire body and I can feel my hands shaking. I drop my head into my hands. Trying to slow my heart, I breathe deeply and focus only on the simple actions. In. Out. In. Out. The nightmare vanishes from my mind, but I know it's not truly gone. It'll appear again tonight, like it always does... Every night.

I don't try to go back to sleep, afraid of what might happen if I close my eyes and give myself over to my mind. Instead, I shower, hoping that the hot water will clear my mind. It usually does and today, I find, is no exception. Drying myself off quickly, I pull on a black t-shirt and pants; standard Dauntless clothing. For a second, my mind flashes to a different time. A time from before... from when I wasn't Dauntless.

Today, exactly two years ago, I took my aptitude test. The memory is clear as crystal, even after all this time. I remember the anxiety, the indecision. I didn't know what to do. I chose Dauntless.

So many others will be asked, forced, to make the decision tomorrow. The decision that will essentially decide the rest of their lives. Our society is comprised of five factions, which arose out of the impurities of a preexisting system. Each faction believes differently about what caused the destruction of that system.

The Erudite blame ignorance for said destruction and therefore, they value intelligence. I wouldn't describe them all as smart, though they'd like to believe they are. They crave knowledge, always eager for more information. They wear blue. Electric blue business clothes. Sometimes, they even wear glasses, but I'd bet that the majority doesn’t need them. Stupid as it may seem, I think they believe the glasses make them look smarter. Yeah… right.

The Candor blame dishonesty and therefore, they value honesty and truth. But really, they're just a bunch of assholes. They pride themselves in the fact that they don't have a filter. They say everything and anything on their minds regardless of the extent of their insincerity. Candor wear only black and white, symbolizing the straightforward black and white of words on a page. They don't shut up and I make a point to avoid them when I can.

The Amity, well, they blame hostility and cruelty and therefore, they value kindness. They live outside of the fence and manage the farms that provide the rest of the factions with food. They wear red and yellow. I haven't had much experience with them over the years. The only way to keep the peace between my faction and theirs is with minimal contact.

Which brings me to Dauntless. My faction.

The Dauntless blame cowardice as the reason for the failure of the previous system. Therefore, we value bravery. We wear black. We have tattoos and piercings and, to be honest, we probably act like idiots. But I believe there's a beauty in our recklessness. A reason behind it. Or, at least, there used to be. Dauntless is turning into something else, something that goes against the true Dauntless virtues. The leaders are turning Dauntless into something cruel…it’s probably why we don’t get along well with Amity.

And then there's Abnegation. The Abnegation blame selfishness and therefore, they value selflessness. They work to attract the least amount of attention as possible. They wear gray, baggy clothing that covers most of their skin. They put others before themselves and dedicate their lives to the aid of others.

A pang shoots through my chest as I think about Abnegation. My mouth becomes dry and I feel a lump in my throat, preventing me from swallowing. I shut my eyes and shake my head, forcing the thoughts away. My head needs to be clear. Today, I am meeting with Lauren to go over the training schedule. For the next few weeks, I forfeit my job in the control room for the task of training initiates.