The Choosing Ceremony

by ***Smoke*** 30/03/14, 08:30 pm

I look nervously out of the subway train that my mother and I are in. She sits down, next to a Veracity man talking to his daughter and beside a quiet Altruist woman who had tried multiple times to give me her seat. It is odd, as I listen to the buzzing of voices surrounding me in the car and how quiet I am with my mom. She knows what happened the previous day. She knows I'm Divergent. She knows I have to leave.

I had told her only a few moments after I got home, and she had embraced me, giving me a tight hug. She told me to get out of Valiant, that they would figure out who I am. I wasn't safe any more; they eradicated any known Divergents in Valiant. She told me to go to a faction where they would protect me, if needed.

I had thought long and hard between Altruist and Cordial last night. Should I show my selflessness or become kind? In Altruist, I would be protected as they would see it as their duty to keep me alive. But I would not be restricted in Cordial. If I mean peace then they too would protect me. But it is not myself that I wish to protect.

My little sister, Lilith who was staying home for the ceremony, would be in danger. My mother would as well. I could not stand seeing them hurt or even murdered. I would kill myself before I'd let that happen, or I'd even kill a thousand men to keep them safe and sound.

No, no, I wouldn't kill. I can't kill, especially not after today. I am only a boy, so would I even be able to think that?

I close my eyes, my right hand in a loop connected to the ceiling to help me keep my balance while the train is moving. I think about all of the factions, and the different lives I could have. Was that what Divergent meant? To have more than one option? If so, then why would the government kill them- us?

All of the factions are on this train. Not all of the people, but most with kids who are teenagers. Some just go to the Choosing Ceremony to welcome the newcomers. It is the only day all five factions are allowed on the subway. Normally, it is only Astute and Valiant allowed. The Astute are the only ones smart enough to operate it consistently, and Valiant believe it proves bravery in a way. They stand on the top of the trains, most of the time. There is a big enough gap between the ceiling of the underground system and the actual train for one to sit up there, and jump off at their stop. People often broke their legs because of it, but it was believed to be a rush all the same.

Today you were not judged by your Valiant peers to not stand on the top of the train; it is a family day, in a way. For some it goodbyes, for some it is lies. People often do not tell their family they are changing their faction.

I felt my mother's hand shake my left arm, telling me we are there. To back her up, I felt the train begin to slow down and saw a light out of the windows. I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding and my grip loosened on the looped rope.

"Rek, you'll be fine," Mom says. I give her a small smile, the nervous feeling still there.

A woman almost trips as the subway comes to a complete stop. She laughs it off, her yellow and red clothing signifying that she is from Cordial. I might know her name soon, if that is what I choose.

Everyone gets off the subway, most with smiles on their faces, except the Stiffs that come out last as always.

I have never been to a Choosing Ceremony, but it is said to be very intimidating. I just hope that I will be able to leave my faction when the time comes.

________________________________

I sit down, but do not sit back. I am surrounded by black, tattoos and dark red. I sit amongst the Valiant, the faction that I am about to leave. Beside me is my mother, and to my right is my good friend Aric. He sits with his parents as well, and my mother talks with them politely. They do not like each other, though I do not know why.

Aric is tall kind of guy, around 6 foot. All Valiant kids usually are pretty tall, so I'm average height. There are few taller than Valiant, though I did see a girl taller than myself; I believe she was the daughter of the Veracity man who sat beside my mother on the train. She was intimidating, but when you grow up with intimidating, you get used to it.

A man from Veracity begins the speech, listing different quotas from each faction. The whole speech about 'The future belongs to those who know where they belong'. He must truly believe it, because Veracity looks upon their leader proudly, so he must not be lying.

I'd once heard stories when I was little about how Veracity made you tell everything under a truth serum, even your deepest regret. It used to make me feel cold to the bone but now I can easily see it as I look at them now. They are blunt, and inconsiderate.

They are not the only intense faction either. Valiant is reckless, Astute is greedy, Altruist is yielding, and the Cordial are excluded because they are the only 'decent' faction, and most believe they are the ones poisoned.

I shake my head of these thoughts, and try to pay attention to the man. The names go in backwards alphabetical order, so I will be one of the first to choose, to escape, to betray my faction.

"Liam Zealan. Astute."

"Karen Zealan. Altruist."

"Joshua Yuen. Cordial."

Name after name after name. My heart skips at the sight of people choosing other factions. One had already abandoned their own, and I see her brother and parents weeping together. If she is selfless, I do not see how she can let her family do that. The Altruist seem to agree with this, as they force smiles onto their faces as they accept her.

"Derek White." I hear my name called, and my face feels void of color. I am probably a pale mess right now, as I stand up. Aric gives me a comforting smile, though usually it looks bigger than what is now. I wonder why, but do not dwell on it as his parents give me a small glare as I walk past them.

I walk down the stairs, my mother unfortunately choosing seats up toward the top. It takes me a few seconds to speed down the steps, all eyes on me now.

The Veracity leader, Frank Goode, gives me a polite smile, as if he already knows what faction I would choose. Most Valiant stay with their own faction, and it gives my head a slight throb as I think about how I will be proving him wrong.

He hands me the hopefully sanitary knife, and I take it almost shakily. I am Valiant, I can do this.

But you're Astute too, and Veracity, and Cordial, and Altruist. A voice says in the back of my head. I quickly try to quench the feeling, but it does not work. I am driven now. I will not stay with the violent, ignorant, selfish and dishonest Valiant.

But I do not know what I will become as I give my hand a small cut. Which good trait would I gain? Which would I lose?

My hand hesitates over the Valiant bowl, and behind me I hear whispering form my faction. They see my hesitance, and I will be ridiculed if I stay over them. My hand hovers over the Altruist bowl, filled with the gray stones for the faction.

I see out of the corner of my eye a few Altruist smiling. I cannot corrupt them, I cannot hurt them. They are naïve, and it would be selfish of me to bring my problems to them of all people.

As the drop of my blood is about to drop, I move my hand above the Cordial bowl. It is filled with dirt, to represent Earth, and a few specks of it shift as my blood drips into it.

"Cordial." Frank Goode says loudly, a bit of shock in his voice. Of course he wouldn't mask it, he is Veracity. He gives me a napkin, and I quickly place it on my hand.

I turn around and head to my new faction, which are smiling at me gleefully. The hard expression on my face feels like it is melting, as they look kindly at me. I glance over at my mother, to see her reaction.

She is smiling, but she has tears in her eyes. Her hands are over her heart, and it looks like she is proud of me. She is proud of my choice, but she misses me. My mother is a petite but muscular woman, with tattoos on her hand and curly brown hair like mine. People often tell us they are astounded by how alike we are, but when I trade my black clothes for yellow and red, I will look more different from my mother than I ever did. And I will hate it.

by ***Smoke*** 10/05/14, 12:04 am

Er, bump? :D

The Choosing Ceremony

The Choosing Ceremony

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