Faction Games

I. The Reaping

Every year one boy and one girl gets picked out of each faction to compete in the faction games. A battle that changes every year. Sometimes its a battle to the death, or a test of your knowledge, to remain peaceful no mater what happens, to be able to tell the truth in the hardest situations, to be totally selfless. Now I know you're thinking that each year a different faction wins due to what they do but each year is a combination of two of these skills.

Dauntless are fearless and therefore prepared to fight. Erudite seek knowledge and plan for anything. Amity believe in peace, they try to get people to cooperate and work in teams. Candor always tell the truth, they can easily pick up if you're lying to them, they form strong alliances. Finally Abnegation, they are completely selfless and give their lives to save others, to this day there has not been a champion from Abnegation.

***

Today is the reaping. Everyone gets nervous today because if you get reaped and fail you become factionless. Which is basically the equivalent of being invisible. Yes the Abnegation feed you but you get treated like trash most of the time. I think of my younger brother Tommy, he is twelve. Today is his first reaping and he is worried sick. The older kids at school scare him and his friends with fake stories about the games- its not like they've ever been in one. I walk down the stairs and my mother gestures me over and I sit next to Tommy to reassure him.

Everyone gets the morning off work today to attend the reaping. We all leave and start walking towards the great hall where the abnegation reaping is held. As we walk I count the cracks in the road, an old habit I got from my dad before he died. Sometimes I still get nightmares from it.

My father was out helping the faction less one day when the man he was helping noticed that my father wasn't giving him all the food he had so that others would get some he got very angry. He started punching my father and screaming "he is a selfish pig! This man is keeping food for himself! He does not deserve to be in Abnegation and we sure as hell don't want him!" He managed to gain everyone's attention and soon enough everyone was beating my father. The other abnegation men were trying to stop them but they were getting beat to.

My father died soon after whist recovering.

"Hailey, honey we're here," said mum gently, disturbing my thoughts, "take your brother and show him what to do."

I grabbed Tommy's hand and walked him over to the line.

"It's gonna be fine," I told him, "your name is in there once, they won't pick you and if they do we are in Abnegation so someone will volunteer for you." I couldn't tell him that no one volunteer's in Abnegation because it is seen as wrong because you will hurt your own family and if we were allowed it would be an endless list.

"You promise?" Tommy said, his eyes big with fear.

"I promise," I said as I made sure he was standing next to his friend in his age group, "See you soon big guy."

I walked over to my age group and stood next to Anne who was my only friend, if you could call it that. We exchanged quick "good luck's" before the dauntless man got our attention.

"Lady's and gentlemen, welcome to the fifteenth annual faction games!" he shouted with so much fake enthusiasm. "Okay ladies first," he slowly walked over to the giant bowl that holds all the female's names between twelve and seventeen years old in it. When he got back to the microphone he announced with a grim expression on his face, "Hailey Sportfeen," Everybody's eyes find me. I am temporarily frozen. Its me. I'm going in the games. This is horrible, now who's going look after mum and Tommy? I feel Anne's hand gently push me forward with a sympathetic smile. Slowly I walk onto the stage and shake the dauntless mans hand.

"Now for the boys," he said, "Tommy Sportfeen." What? No! This cannot be happening! I frantically search for mum in the crowd. Tears are poring down her face. No one volunteers and Tommy is looking absolutely terrified. He to makes his way up to the stage.

"Alright shake hands," the dauntless man said. Tommy and I shake hands like we are supposed to.

"May the odds be ever in you favor," the dauntless man said.

My head is spinning, I can't think straight. Mum will be fine, we're in Abnegation for God's sake! People will help her. But what if they don't? Shut-up Haley! I shout in my head as I pass out.