Selcouth - (OCxEric) ON HOLD

A long Awaited Choice

I smoothed my skirt before sitting down next to my parents. Their eyes were puffy and bloodshot from crying the previous night. Although my telling them that I would be choosing dauntless today did not come as a shock, I suppose it hurt the same. I wish that I had another sibling to ease their pain. Perhaps if they had another child, he or she would have been amity, and chosen amity on their choosing day. Perhaps if they had another child, they wouldn't feel as embarrassed when I had to be given extra doses of the peace serum, or when I got scolded for exploring the land beyond where I was allowed to.

Now don't get me wrong, I was not rebellious, or too outspoken to where I was intentionally rude. I was just not amity. I think I've always been dauntless. For me, seeing the dauntless in their gear patrolling the fence and taking a stand to protect the city, that was bravery. I idolized them. My heart would race for them as they bounded out of the trains and ran into the distance. But more than anything, my heart ached because I was not one of them. I longed to be within dauntless territory instead of sitting by Apple trees, and when my aptitude test administrator told me my I had gotten dauntless as my result, I'd never felt more at peace (irony at it's best I suppose).

Anyways, even though I knew dauntless was where I belonged, it did make me sad to leave my parents behind. "Faction over blood," I mentally repeated to myself. Suddenly I felt my mother's hand being placed on my knee. I looked over to her and her eyes began watering, "it's almost your turn sweetie," she whispered, "just know that we will always love you." I smiled and looked over at my father, who was smiling, nodding his head.

"Alana Blossom," the speaker boomed. I took a deep breath and stood up. When I reached the bowls that represented the five factions, my hands began to shake. I took the knife, and slid it across my palm, for a moment I hesitated and looked to my parents. They both wore slight smiles and nodded, as to give their blessing once more. Slowly, I placed my palm over the bowl of burning coals, and watched as a drop of my blood sunk through the air onto the black ember-lit surface. It felt like the action took years, but once my blood had fully embedded itself into the surface of the coals, I let a sigh of relief. "Dauntless," a voice boomed and a cheer erupted from my new faction, my new family.
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I sat tapping my foot as I waited for the rest of the 16 year olds to choose their factions. My foot tapping was a bad habit that I inherited from my father, I just couldn't help myself though. I was so incredibly anxious to jump onto a train, to feel the rush, and the wind biting my face.

Finally after what seemed like hours, a dauntless born boy who had just finished choosing his faction of origin nudged my arm, "Hey I'm Kostas, you ready to ride some trains?" I nodded my head quickly and followed him as he raced to the tracks. I laughed as Kostas slightly slipped while climbing up the beams to the train tracks. Once we had perfectly timed ourselves, we lunged on to the steel cart. I had seen other dauntless do this many times, but I had never known the exhaustion that was faced once on the train. Kostas and I both sat panting, "Name?" He asked. "Alana," I smiled, fighting back the amity urge to hug him on our introduction. "You got on easier than the rest of the transfers you know," he said, "I definitely think you're dauntless." "I think so too," I beamed. "You smell really good" a small girl with a blonde bob haircut panted, "like apples." I hadn't even noticed the young girl donning a black and white wardrobe next to us, candor I assume. "Um yeah, I spent way too much time in the orchards," I laughed. She laughed too then stuck out her hand, "I'm Caterina by the way." I shook her hand and smiled, "Alana." "I know," she chuckled, " I was eavesdropping on you guys, anyway I was looking at the rest of the female transfers, and the only other two are these bitches from candor Lucy and Marilyn, so I figured you and I should stick together." I smiled at her bluntness, she was intriguing, "sounds like a plan!"

Suddenly Kostas grabbed Caterina and I's arms, "alright ladies time to jump," then he lunged off the train onto the top of a gravel covered neighboring building. Simultaneously Our eyes widened, and we shared looks of horror, no, scratch that, excitement. "Well," I shouted backing up against the wall so I could run off, "it's now or never!" Then Caterina and I hurled our tiny frames off the train onto the sharp gravel, not even feeling the pain due to our adrenaline rush. We sat there deliriously giggling for a few moments before our laughter was interrupted by a booming voice.