Chapter three: The Choosing Ceremony!
Chapter three!
After a lot of struggling I managed to fall asleep. My eyes were closed when....
"Christina, honey wake up!" My mothers voice called to me. I moaned, and turned my body to the other side when I felt my mother touch my hair. I caught her wrist with my hand.
"Don't touch me!" I say on my first instinct. My eyes fluttered open. I pulled my mother into a hug. I need to spend every last second with my family. Rose walked into my room. I released my mother, and hugged Rose. I smiled.
"Good morning!" I told them with excitement.
"I laid out a nice pair of clothes on your chair. Go take a nice shower." My mother ordered. I did as she said. I walked to the bathroom, and stripped naked. I got into the shower, and turned the water on, and shifted the handle until the water temperature was perfect. I dried my body when I was done. I returned to my room. On my chair was the fanciest white, and black, checkered shirt I've seen. Right beneath it was a pair of black jeans. On the floor in front of it was a fancy brand new pair of black sneakers. I dress quickly, and put on the familiar coat of eye-liner. I put on some chap-stick. I look in the mirror. I straighten my hair.I walk downstairs.
"You look beautiful!" My father says with a crack in his voice.
"We did such a great raising you. Now the rest is up to you!" My mother says with the exact same voice. I am going to miss them a lot. They will have the option to visit me on visiting day, but they wont no faction transfer parents do. My father looks at his watch.
"We have to go, if we want to make it on time." My Father says bellowing us out the door. We walked to the bus station. The bus arrived shortly, and we climbed on. There was no room left so I stood up. An Abnegation women stands up and beckons me to sit in her seat.
"No thank you!" I say.
"I insist." She says in a small Abnegation whisper. I thank her, and smile, as I take her seat.
"I always loved the Abnegation life style." I tell the women. She smiled at me, then nodded her head. It's true though the Abnegation life style is beautiful when you look at it. Though I will never be able to be in it I love myself to much.
We arrive shortly at the choosing ceremony I hug my parents one last time before I go ,and stand next to Sophie. I greet her with a hand shake. We lock our arms together.
"Are you going to stay in Candor?" I whisper to her. Sophie has been acting strange lately.
"No, I'm going to transfer to Abnegation" She whispers calmly.
"I always did peg you for an Abnegation." I tell her. "I'm also going to transfer to-"
"Dauntless." Sophie finishes my sentence. I look at her flabbergasted. "Oh, don't look so surprised I'm your best friend, of course, I knew that you would choose Dauntless from the beginning." Sophie explained. I smiled at her. So it's official this is the last time I will see Sophie until further notice. I look around the room. I see Rose, and I smile at her. She waves at me.
The room fills in. Not every one comes to the ceremony, but enough do that the crowd look huge. Every year it's a different factions turn to run the ceremony, and this year is the Abnegation's turn. I recognize Marcous Eaton Abnegation's sole representative. The crowd hushes down.
Marcous stands at the podium between the Erudite and the Dauntless and clears his throat into the microphone.
"Welcome," He says. "Welcome to the Choosing Ceremony. Welcome to the day we honor our democratic philosophy of our ancestors, which tells us that every man has the right to choose his own way in this world."
I look at Sophie, and she looks at me. We interlock the fingers of our free hands. I lean my head on her shoulder.
"Our dependents are now sixteen. They stand on the precipice of adulthood, and it is now up to them to decide what kind of people they will be." Marcus's voice is solemn and gives equal weight to each word."Decades ago our ancestors realized that it is not political ideology, religious belief, race, or nationalism that is to blame for a warring world. Rather, they determined that it was the fault of human personality-of humankind's inclination toward evil, in whatever form that is. They divided into factions that sought to eradicate those qualities they believed responsible for the world's disarray."
I lifted my head, and caught sight of the Erudite boy who I bumped into the other day. He caught me looking, and looked into my eyes. The corners of his lips turned up into a smile. I smiled back at him. We stayed like that for a moment.
"Those who blamed aggression formed Amity." I shifted my eyes toward the Amity. They exchanged smiles. They are dressed comfortably, in red or yellow. They all seem kind, loving, free. Every time I see them I, pretty much, just want to punch them in their faces.
"Those who blamed ignorance became the Erudite." My eyes shifted back to the Erudite boy. He looks a bit sweaty, but in a cute way. I wonder what he's thinking about! I thought. I never liked the Erudite.
"Those who blamed duplicity created Candor." I look at the familiar faces of the Candor. I do blame duplicity, but just because I do blame it dose not change the fact that I can't be honest. Maybe I can change that. I know that I can't change.
"Those who blamed selfishness made Abnegation." I always liked the Abnegation, but never thought of living like them. I wouldn't last a day. Sophie squeezed my hand.
"And those who blamed cowardice were the Dauntless" I blame cowardice I do. I let out a big breath. I squeezed Sophie's hand, tightly.
"Working together, these five factions have lived in peace for many years, each contributing to a different sector of society. Abnegation has fulfilled our need for selfless leaders in government; Candor has provided us with trustworthy and sound leaders in law; Erudite has supplied us with intelligent teachers and researchers; Amity has given us understanding counselors and caretakers; and Dauntless provides us with protection from threats both within and with out. But the reach of each faction is not limited to these areas. We give one another far more than can be adequately summarized. In our factions, we find meaning, we find purpose, we find life."
I look at the five bowls in the center. I look at the gray stones which represent Abnegation, then I look at the water which represents Erudite, followed by the earth for Amity then I look at the lit coals for Dauntless, and last but not least the glass for Candor. The lit coals are on my left, and the glass is on my right. I sigh.
"Apart from them, we will not survive." The silence that follows his word are even heavier than other silences. It is heavy with our worst fear, greater than even the fear of deaths: to be factionless.
Marcous continues. "Therefore this day marks a happy-occasion- the day on which we receive our new initiates, who will work with us toward a better society and a better world."
A round of applause. It sounds muffled. I squeeze Sophie tighter. I look at my parents, then at Rose. Marcous reads the first names. I see the first girl walk to Marcous. He hands her the knife, and she chooses Amity the same faction on which shes from.
The room is constantly moving, a new name and a new person choosing, a new knife and a new choice. So far there have been no faction transfers.
"James Tucker." Marcous calls out.
James Tucker of the Dauntless is the first one of us to stumble on his way to the stage. He catches his balance, and blushes. Marcous hands him a knife. He accepts it. He looks from the Candor glass to the Dauntless coils. I know exactly how you feel! Is exactly what I want to tell him. He takes a deep breath, his chess rises, and he cuts himself and holds his arm over the Candor glass. I watch his blood as it drips onto the glass. A mutter rises from the Dauntless. The first faction transfer. He trains his eyes his eyes on the floor. As he stands behind the Candor. From now on the Dauntless will see him as a traitor.
"Sophie Timberlake." Marcous calls.
Sophie squeezes my hand one last time, before walking to the stage. She accepts the knife from Marcous. Without hesitation she cuts herself, and lifts her hand over the Abnegation gray stones, and her blood drips onto the stones. I see a tear in her eye. She turns to look at me, and nods her head, I nod my head back at her. She walks to the Abnegation, and stands behind them. I train my eyes on the Erudite boy.
"Will Tatum." Marcous calls out.
The Erudite boy rises from his seat. So that's his name; Will. I like it! I thought to myself. I watch him as he walks to the bowls. He accepts the knife from Marcous. I watch as he drops his blood over lit coals. I watch as he stands behind the other Dauntless. The ceremony continues. So far no other faction transfers.
"Caleb Prior." Marcous calls. I watch a Abnegation boy walk to the middle, and accept the knife he cuts himself, and pours his blood on to the Erudite bowl, turning the water into a deeper shade of red. I hear a few whispers from Abnegation. I then see all the Erudite wearing smug smiles.
"Beatrice prior." Marcous calls.
She is also from Abnegation. You can tell that she's shaking. I watch her as she except the knife from Marcous. She walks to the left side where the Abnegation stones are, and the Dauntless coals are. I see her blood drop in right in-between of the bowls. I hear a gasp from the crowd. She then pours her blood onto the Dauntless Coals. I watch as she stands behind the Dauntless.
"Christina Johnson." Marcous calls.
I take a deep breath. The sooner, the better. I tell myself. I walk to the center stage. I look at my parents then at Sophie. She nods as if agreeing to what I am about to do. I accept the knife, and pour my blood on the lit coals. I see my parents jaws dropping. I look at them. I stand behind the other Dauntless. I wait patiently until Marcous calls the last girl. An Amity she chooses Amity. Then the ceremony is over. I watch all the Dauntless rush up the stairs. I rush with them not wanting to be behind. Once were on flat ground I see everyone start running so I do the same.
"What the hell is going on?" I hear a transfer boy shout. I ignore him and continue running I enjoy the breeze the wind gives me as I run. I follow the Dauntless down the street and around the corner. I hear a familiar sound: the train horn.
"Oh no," I hear someone mutter.
"Yes." I hear another girl say breathlessly. This is what I've been waiting for. This is what I've hoped to every morning as I watched the Dauntless do it. I ran across the tracks and jumped in. I smiled proudly. I just passed the first Dauntless test. I look out the train and see an Abnegation girl struggle to catch up. She jumps on but catches only the handle. I grab her and pull her in.
"Thank you." The girl says in an Abnegation whisper. I hear a shout and look and look over the Abnegation girls shoulder. A short Erudite boy with red hair pumps his arms as he tries to catch up with the train. An Erudite girl by the door reaches out to grab the boy, but it's to late. The boy has just failed Dauntless initiation, and now he will remain factionless.
"You all right?" I ask the Abnegation girl. She nods to answer me. Out of habit I hold out my hand.
"I'm Christina!" I introduce myself. Uncertain she holds out her hand, and we shake hands twice.
"Beatrice."She says. I feel a big breeze of wind. The Abnegation girl has blond hair, and brown eyes, she has a few freckles. She is wearing a gray overall on top of a gray shirt. With gray slacks.
"Do you know where were going?" I shout over the wind. The train starts picking up speed. Which brings more wind. She sits down. I raise my eyebrows at her, questioningly.
"A fast train means wind." She says. "Wind means falling out. Get down." She orders. I sit down next to her. "I guess were going to Dauntless headquarters." She replies. "but I don't know where that is."
"Does anyone?" I shake my head, grinning."It's like they just popped out of a whole in the ground or something." Then the wind rushes through the car, and the other faction transfers, hit with bursts of air, fall on top of one another. I start to laugh, but doubt that anyone will hear me. Beatrice smiles at me. I rest my head on my knees and think of home. I will miss them a lot. I wish Sophie was here. We do everything together. I look around the train, and see the other transfers. I see Peter and his crew Molly and Drew transferred. Just great! I thought. I put my head back on my knees and stay like that for a while.
"They're jumping off!"
I lift my head at the sound. Only then I realize the pain that's in my back from sitting like that for at least half an hour. The train has slowed down a bit in the past few minutes. I sit forward and watch as the Dauntless from the cars ahead of us are jumping out of the train onto a roof. I stand up and watch as the Abnegation girl stands up and stumbles to the opposite side of the car.
"We have to jump off to." I hear Molly shout.
"Great," I hear Peter reply, "because that makes perfect sense, Molly. Leap off a train onto a roof."
"This the kind that we signed up for, Peter." Molly points out.
"Well I'm not doing it." Says an Amity boy. I look at him with worried eyes.
"You've got to." I say. "Or you'll fail. Come on it'll be all right." I reassure him.
"No it won't! I'd rather be factionless than dead!" The Amity boy shakes his head at me. I disagree I'd rather be dead than factionless. The Amity boy stares at the roof top.
"You can't force him." Beatrice says. I look at the roof. I press my lips together so hard that it hurts. I am prepared to jump, but I can't do it alone. I hold out my hand to Beatrice.
"Here," I say to her. She raises her eyebrows at my hand. I can tell that she's about to turn away my offer so I add. "I just...can't do it unless someone drags me." I explain. She takes my hand, and together we stand at the edge of the car.
"One...two...three!" Beatrice counts down. On three we launch. As were in the air I feel this one weightless moment, and that moment tells me that I made the right decision, by picking Dauntless. As we land Beatrice let's go of my hand. I laugh with joy.
"That was fun." I say. I feel like I will fit in great with the other Dauntless. I start to walk away. When I hear a sob. I don't even want to know. I peruse my lips and walk away. Shortly Beatrice catches up to my. She pulls her sleeves up.
"Ooh. Scandalous! A stiff's flashing some skin!" I hear Peter say. I ignore him and continue moving forward.
"Listen up! my name is Max! I am one of the leaders of your new faction!" Shouts a man at the other end of the roof. He is older than the others., with deep creases in his dark skin and gray hair at his temples, and he stands on the ledge like it's a sidewalk. "Several stories below us is the members' entrance to our compound. If you can't muster the will to jump off, you don't belong here. Our initiates have the privilege of going first."
"You want us to jump off a ledge?" asks an Erudite girl. She is about an inch taller than I am. With brown mousy hair and big lips. Her moth hangs open.
"Yes," Max says. He looks amused.
"Is there water at the bottom or something?"
"Who knows?" He raises his eyebrows. Immediately I can tell hes lying. From growing up in Candor they teach stuff like how to tell when someone is lying, and he is. There has to be something down there. I am about to go to the ledge and jump off when Beatrice is already there she takes off her overall reveling her under shirt, and throws it at Peter. I laugh. Then she bends her knees and jumps. I immediately stand up at the ledge without hesitation I jump off, of course screaming the whole way down. I land in some sort of net. I blush as I hear laughter. Then I smile proudly as I hear a bit of cheering. A women offers her hands to me, and I take them. She pulls me up. I guess I was right about the whole ''Dauntless live in a hole underground' thing! I thought.
"Whats your name she asks?" The women asks. I see that she has dark hair with three silver rings through her right eyebrow.
"Christina... Christina Johnson." I answer.
"Welcome to Dauntless!" She greets me.