Dauntless- A fanfic of Divergent

Chapter 22- The Landscape

I'm careful to look at the injection, hoping not to get poisoned again. It's a completely different color altogether, a dark shimmery gray. I'm ready for this, I tell myself. Be Dauntless. I raise the needle, looking at the mirror, which I know Zeke is behind. I picture his smile, and inject myself. The serum feels hot, not cold. My heart starts to pound in anticipation. Four's voice echoes in my head "Be brave." And then I go under, staring at the word 'Dauntless' in graffiti paint on the white wall.

I blink a few times as I stand in the black room. The one with the spiders. I clench my fists and wait. I glance from side to side, and then they start to crawl from all sides. Well that's unfortunate. I was hoping I could sweep them all away with one wave at the start. Then again, that might have been too much hindsight to not be suspicious. I let them crawl onto me, taking deep breaths. But, try as I might, I can't calm my heartbeat completely. The panic sets in, and I keep telling myself it's not real. It's not real. Their hairy bodies tickle my skin and I scream, not able to take it anymore. Water, I need the water. Ocean to my left. It appears, and I run for it, desperately swiping off the bugs from my neck and face. I dive in, loving the feel of the cool water as it washes away the vermin. I come up for air, coughing and gasping, and then the scene changes.

My wrists start to hurt from the handcuffs that chain them to a pole. Metal, behind me. I hang from it, unable to free myself. Why am I here? Why can't I get free?! Then I remember, it's a simulation. I have to think through it, not let the fear take over. I blow out air through my mouth, and swing a bit. The chains don't budge, and I can feel them starting to cut into my wrist. I see a flicker of light in the distance, just a sliver, as if someone opened a door. Then I hear a large crash, and light spills into the room, seeming overly bright to my eyes, which have long since adjusted to the darkness. People shout, and I know, right then, that I have to get out of here. A gunshot fires outside of the door. Shadowy figures dart back and forth in front of the light. I begin to breath hard, and struggle. But that's not going to do me any good. I stop, taking a breath and thinking. I can't get free. But what if... what if these chains were string? I feel the cuffs disappear, and I fall to the ground, the buzzer sounding before I hit the floor.

This time I am standing on a beach. A huge cliff rises up behind me, made of black rock, sharp and jagged. It reminds me of the Pit walls. The walls that I want to be my home. Which is why I have to do this. I glance at the water. It starts to pull back into the ocean, receding slowly. My heart pounds suddenly. I know what that means. My head snaps up, and I see a wall of water heading across the ocean, towards me, alone on this beach. I tense up, spinning on my heel. I need high ground. The cliff towers up behind me, but it's my only choice. I grip onto a handhold, pulling myself up the black rock. Hand by hand, foot by foot. My arms start to shake with exhaustion, but I keep going. I can hear the wave, approaching faster than ever, roaring behind me. I get on about 20 meters off the ground before it crashes into the shore with a huge boom. I am slammed against the rock, cutting my face on an edge. I scream, but refuse to let go. The water pulls back, preparing for another onslaught. I push myself up a few more feet, gasping for air and shaking water off of my face. The wave slams against my back again, and I hit the rock, harder this time. I lose my foothold, and scream again, resisting the pull of the water. I breath heavily as the wave crashes back down into the ocean. I hear the water settle behind me. I take a deep breath, hanging off of a cliff by only my fingertips. I want to let go. But I can't. Be Dauntless. I grit my teeth and swing back onto the cliff, gaining my feet. I let out a relieved and nervous laugh. I did it! I'm not dead.

A buzzer sounds again, and I am back in the maze of alleyways, the tall rock towering toward the sky. I know exactly what to do about this one. Gun in my waistband. I slap my hand to my left hip and pull out the gun, the metal cold in my hands. I turn quickly and fire, hitting the faceless man square in the chest. Another buzzer goes off. I'm only vaguely aware of it by now.

Now I am on an empty plain. The grass stretches out around me, and the horizon is pure, blue sky. It seems almost peaceful. Then the ground starts to shake, rumbling like an awakening giant. There was an earthquake once, when I was little. I remember paintings falling off the walls, and people screaming. I turn and start to run. I'm not sure why, though. An open plain isn't the worst place to be right now. But as I glance back, I see why. A huge, gaping chasm starts to open in the ground, smelling like dirt. I can only see black, and I know if I fall in I will die. I turn back, sprinting forward with all of my strength. My heart pounds. But then I realize what I'll have to do. There is no shelter, no way to escape. I stop running and turn to look at the approaching rift in the ground. I take a deep breath, and leap forward, into the darkness.

I am in the library, books surrounding me, the air smelling of paper and wood. My mother stands before me, just as before. Her hair pulled into a tight bun, her sharp eyes looking at me from behind blue glasses. I tense up, anticipating her words. But it isn't what it was last time. "Cal, you can't leave me here." I blink. What? "You can't fail me. You must lead Erudite, you were born to do it!" Its like I've been punched in the chest. As much as I hate her, and what she's done to me, she is my mother, and it is hard to refuse her outright. I've always wanted to lead, to impress her. To finally make her proud. But then I shake my head slightly. This is only a simulation. My mother doesn't love me! I choose Dauntless. I choose to be brave, not tyrannical. I cross my arms, tilting my head up slightly "I am Dauntless now."

I smell smoke in the next scene. I look to my right, where flames start to lick up the bars of a wooden cage. But I'm not the one in the cage. I frown, confused. Then I hear a female scream, one that echoed off of the chasm walls on a night in Dauntless. Alex. I scream "Alex!?" "Help me!" she screams as the flames engulf the cage. I run to it, getting as close as I dare. I start to panic. She screams again. But I don't know how to save her. "Please!" she yells, her voice raw. I almost start to cry. "I'm trying! I will save you this time!" I says, tears starting to pour down my face. "I will save you." I whisper, as she clutches the bars, looking for a way out. I run my hands through my hair "I can't do anything." I say, desperate. She stops screaming, looking right at me "It's ok. I understand." I shake my head, hyperventilating through the tears. "It's not ok. I couldn't save you. I couldn't save you." I repeat quietly, my voice breaking. "You did more for me than you know." She says, the flames almost upon her. I shake my head, taking in air. She nods, her face looking peaceful "It's ok Cal. I'll miss you." She says. I squeeze my eyes shut. I can't do this. I can't do this. "Shh...." She whispers as the flames crack. I look at her one last time. I whisper "Goodbye." as the flames cover her face.

Then I'm in the dark room, tears still running down my face. No. Not this. Anything but this. I feel almost broken. But that's the point, isn't it? To break us down and see if we're worthy. So I have to push forward. I have to be Dauntless. I glance beside me, where Zeke is tied up, same as I am. He smiles sadly. "You know what you have to do. I won't blame you." I shut my eyes, shaking my head. My heart is ripped in two yet again. But I have to save him. I failed Alex. The least I could do is save Zeke. "Choose." My mother's voice says harshly. Where's Tyson? Then I see him, lurking in the shadows, just watching. It's almost worse, just to have him watching me die. "Choose!" she says again, and I look up at the ceiling. I'm not afraid of her anymore. I'm not afraid of myself. I am not afraid to die. I free one of my hands, and reach down into my waistband, pulling out a gun, and point it at my head. "I am not afraid of anyone." I say, and pul the trigger. The final buzzer sounds.

A/N: Wow long chapter. Only one more after this! Wow this has been so much fun. Thanks for reading, slap dat vote button, and stay Dauntless:)