Black and Blue

Chapter 1

Jamie POV

As I look around my room, I realize, this could be the last full day I spend in Erudite. I hate it, and I'm getting out of here... hopefully. I may hate it, but everything we've been taught is still in there, especially the concept of "trusting the test". If the test tells me to stay in Erudite, I guess I'll stay. I love my family, and I love learning new things every day, but I can't stand Jeanine. She's basically torturing the Abnegation until she finds a way to take them over. Apparently, I'm the only Erudite to feel that way though. Everyone else, even my family, absolutely worships her. I have to get out of here.

"Jamie, Alex, are you guys coming? It's about time to go."

"Coming!", my brother and I say at the same time. I guess the twin brain connection never breaks off, even after sixteen years.

On our way to take the aptitude test, I just keep thinking of all the factions, trying to figure out where to go. I'm willing to take a stand for the Abnegation, but I'm not so sure I'd fit in there. I'm not exactly the most humble person in the world. You know, Candor wouldn't be too bad, and I've been known to be too honest at times. I've also heard that sarcasm fits in very well there. The more I think about it, the more Candor sounds like the best choice for me. Telling the truth all the time seems like it would be pretty hard, but I think I could do it. Yeah... yeah I think that's the one.

"You ready?", my brother says, shaking me from my thoughts.

"Huh?"
"I said, are you ready?", he says as he points to the building.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"Yep."

Once they are done explaining what the test does and what it's for, they start to call us back for the test. When about two thirds of the people are finished with their test, I hear them call for Alex. He'll get Erudite, easily. If he got anything else, I would honestly have them check for system errors.

"Jamie Sanders."

I get up, and walk towards the door. The woman leading me back to the testing room is in Candor clothing. Tomorrow evening, I'll be sitting in the Candor compound, in the same colors.

She opens the third door in the hallway, and I go in. The room is very plain, with mirrored walls and a white floor. The only thing in it are a table with a computer on it, a white chair that looks a bit like one you would see in the dentist's office, and a Dauntless woman at the computer, holding a cup of blue liquid. As I sit down, I can feel my hands shaking. I shouldn't be nervous, but I am.

"My name is Tori, I will be administering your test today. Once you drink this, you will go into a simulation, your reactions to the events in the simulation will determine what faction would fit you best."

I just nod, and cringe when I swallow the liquid. It's disgusting. I open my eyes and look around to see that I'm still in the testing room, but Tori and the desk are gone. I look and see my reflection in a mirror, and it speaks. Okay, this is definitely a simulation, reflections don't speak.

"Choose." is all it says, and it points to a plate with two things on it: a knife and a piece of meat. I turn back around to the reflection.

"Why? What do I need these for?"

I hear a loud bark, and turn around to see that the knife and the meat are gone, and that the bark came from a very large dog, wolf more like, at the other end of the room. So that's what I needed those for. That would've been nice to know. If I had been smart, I would've grabbed them both just in case. I look the dog dead in the eyes as it starts to run towards me. I was raised in Erudite, I know how simulations work. They feel real, I will feel the pain, but when I wake up, it won't be there. I can take this.