divergent-excerpt

strikes the wall beneath me and sprays upward. To my
left, the water is calmer, but to my right, it is white, battling
with rock.
“The chasm reminds us that there is a fine line between
bravery and idiocy,” Four shouts. “A daredevil jump off
this ledge will end your life. It has happened before and it
will happen again. You’ve been warned.”
“This is incredible,” says Christina, as we all move
away from the railing.
“Incredible is the word,” I say, nodding.
Four leads the group of initiates across the Pit toward
a gaping hole in the wall. The room beyond is well-lit
enough that I can see where we’re going: a dining hall full
of people and clattering silverware. When we walk in, the
Dauntless inside stand. They applaud. They stamp their
feet. They shout. The noise surrounds me and fills me.
Christina smiles, and a second later, so do I.
We look for empty seats. Christina and I discover
a mostly empty table at the side of the room, and I find
myself sitting between her and Four. In the center of the
table is a platter of food I don’t recognize: circular pieces
of meat wedged between round bread slices. I pinch one
between my fingers, unsure what to make of it.
Four nudges me with his elbow.
“It’s beef,” he says. “Put this on it.” He passes me a
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