Fatal Attraction (Eric/Divergent)

VIII.

''Water''

It all came down on me. Suddenly I was floating in the middle of the ocean.

''In our fear landscape we're always in flux. Shifting with our moods and changing with the little whispers of our nightmares'' Amar said.

I can't swim. Waves three time my height pounds down onto me. I cannot breathe and water fills my lungs.

''Adapt!'' Amar commands. ''Adapt faster, adapt better, adapt to things that no man should have to''

I emerged from the simulation with a jolt. I failed.

As I was sitting back up, Four mouthed the words, "Are you okay?" from across the room. I nodded but I didn't notice someone frowning at the small friendly gesture.

I glanced at Eric and noticed that there was something different about him. His hair was longer, his facial hair was starting to grow a little and a couple of piercings turned into countless piercings.

His cold eyes met mine, burying their way into my skull. He gave me a wicked smile but this time he looked more menacing. He rubbed his scabbed-over knuckles, making me turn my attention to the creeping tattoos on his neck and arms.

''Alright! Stage two of initiation is emotional. You will be 'trained' in a simulation similar to the one used for the aptitude test but, more advanced. You will face your fears in the simulation and must learn to control your emotions in the midst of frightening situations. This is also training for the simulation that you must face in Stage Three in order to pass initiation''

''That's easy, right? I'll just have to beat their times, don't I? I need to try and overcome my fears and learn to control them; work on my strategies in advance'' I thought.

''Before entering the fear landscape, you will be injected with a serum that will bring your fears to the surface of your brains. During the simulation, I will be taking count of how many you have. For each fear, your heartbeat is measured and the landscape will not change until your heartbeat slows to a normal pace. Or you can always choose to face your fear''

My list of fears keeps growing. Most people have about 10-15 fears but I have been cursed with a wide range of fears and when you get to enter your fear landscape you're on your own.

''Let's try again, shall we?'' Amar asked. I nodded. I put my hair away, exposing my neck so that he can inject me with the serum. I brought a hand to the side of my neck where the injection had been shot as I slowly drift off.

In this dreamscape, I walked into an empty room. Everything was so white and bright, but so dull at the same time. There was a huge round sunken bathtub in the middle of the room. The wind blows outside the open windows, billowing the white curtains, pushing them inside. I approached the tub and noticed that it was filled halfway with water. Swallowing hard I moved towards the tub and extended my hand when suddenly I was dragged underwater by a cold clamp of what felt like a hand.

''Okay, you need to concentrate'' It sounded like my conscience was talking to me but we don't talk a lot these days. It was Amar.

I need to gain control. Fear was washing all over my body, and desperation filled my veins as I tried doing everything I could to calm myself down. My lungs were starting to burn and black was starting to appear around the corners of my eyes.

''Allison''

A faint whisper.

Both of my hands were gripped at each side of the tub trying to pull myself up to no avail. I screamed, but it was muted by the water.

''Allison! Concentrate''

It took me too long to realize that this wasn't real and I needed to act fast. I needed to stop resisting.

I released my hands and relaxed, allowing myself to sink into the water. 

The next time I woke up I found myself in the dormitory. I looked to my side and saw Shauna. I tried to wake her up but I saw a roach crawls up her neck. My eyes widened in horror and suddenly I started feeling something crawling on me. I lifted the sheet and found myself covered by roaches too. A strangled scream escaped my throat as I forced myself to step out of bed but I find that my feet has been shackled to the bed. The floor and ceiling were covered with roaches and I couldn't take it anymore. I cannot slow my breathing; I cannot move to the next fear.

''Adapt!'' Amar commands.

"It . . . it's all horrible," I choked out. Outside the simulation my body shakes, shivers, and my breaths are fast and uneven. I keep tensing up and my heart rate, recorded on the monitor, rises.

''Adapt!''

At this point I was crying but I managed to let them climb over me. I breathed in and out slowly trying to keep the fear within.

I sucked out a breath and opened my eyes. I found myself again, this time sweating and shaking. I was tied to a chair. My hands were bound behind my back, and then my feet were tied individually to the chair legs.

Finally, I could make out one set of footsteps coming in my direction. A clap slowly emerged from the back where it's dark, and the only light that came from a small dim light bulb revealed Zeke who proceed walking towards the light.

''Zeke!'' He responded with a single shake of his head. He stared back at me, carefully scrutinizing.

"I hope you burn in hell''

''What?''

He started dousing me with a lighter fluid.

''Zeke! What are you doing?!''

''I hope you burn in hell'' He repeated again before lighting me up.

''Zeke!'' I screamed out loud. The fire began to climb up my tights and sent some more towards my midsection. I wriggled as my wrists started to painfully to burn against the ropes.

''Who is in control Allison?''

I bared my teeth and brace myself for the fall. I pushed myself off the ground with my feet and completely fell back; the chair breaking behind me.

The fire disappeared and I groaned and stood up shaking the ropes off before emerging back from the simulation.

''Next!'' I had to leave, so I did.

'''What a wimp, crying and all that'' I heard Eric said as I pushed past him hitting his shoulder.

''Allison! I expect an effective performance tomorrow'' Amar said.

Drowning

Roaches

Being burned alive...

Those were my three worst fears and I knew it wasn't over. I was still missing more.