Amicable ➵ Eric Coulter

Leaving

Aurora's mother held her in her arms. She wept, not knowing what was to come. To Aurora's defense, she didn't quite know either.

Her aptitude test result was Dauntless, she couldn't possibly be Dauntless. She couldn't tell her parents that, they couldn't know. They already had enough stress on them, with their only child making a simple choice that will change their future forever. It would crush them knowing that their daughter would become a soldier, constantly putting her life at risk.

She was too scared of dying to be Dauntless.

The sorting took place in Erudite, Jeanine proudly standing at the center of everyone's attention. One by one she called name after name.

Her name was getting closer and closer. Last names starting with M, then O, then- "Aurora Anne Prescott."

Her leg stopped shaking, she didn't even know it was shaking. She froze in place. Her mother put a hand on her back, pushing her up slightly. "Go on Aurora."

Jeanine gave her a plastic smile as she walked towards the semicircular table where the bowls sat.

The knife where the previous kids had pricked themselves with lay in front of her. She picked it up, wiping it on her shirt. There was blood still on it from the previous boy, who went to Candor.

"How unsanitary..." Aurora whispered to herself.

She pricked her index finger at the tip instead of slashing her palm open like some of the kids did. A small droplet of blood pooled out onto her finger.

She glanced at the bowls, the one with coals glaring back at her. The test couldn't be wrong, but it felt wrong. She couldn't be- "Hurry up!" A waiting girl called, only to be shushed by her parents.

A few giggles spread across the crowd of teens. Aurora glanced up at Jeanine, who simply smiled another fake smile. She turned back to her parents, her father had a vacant expression and her mother silently cried.

She held her finger over the Amity bowl, but something called to her. A coal in the Dauntless bowl fell, causing ashes to fly up. They spread through the air, flitting down lazily, one landing onto her hand. It was a sign.

She dropped the blood into the Dauntless bowl and cheers erupted from the group of misfits. She heard the blood sizzle to nothing. Aurora turned to see her mother sobbing, her father looked angry. Oh no. She heard multiple gasps from members of the Amity faction. It was not common for an Amity to go Dauntless.

She had no time to second guess herself, because she was pulled into a seat by various Dauntless members. She sat there until the ceremony was finished.

When the ceremony was finished the Dauntless initiates and leaders ran out of the hall. Aurora was pulled with them.

Once they were out in the open. They all started climbing the poles that were holding the train tracks up, pushing through the crowds to do so.

"This is ridiculous." A Candor boy sighed, beginning to climb the pole.

Aurora climbed up after him, he helped her up.

"I'm Michael Reeves." He said when they were both up on the ledge. He held out his hand for her to shake.

"Aurora Prescott." She said as she grabbed his hand and shook it lightly.