Today is the Final Stage of training. My final hurdle before I can get into Dauntless. 

We stand in two groups: the Dauntless-born on one side and the Transfers (Me, Sam and Jo) on the other. 

Max mounts a stage. There's a drink in his hand. "Listen up Initiates," he barks, "Today, as you all know, is a very important occasion. And I'm sure you are all excited to begin. But before we start, there's something you all need to know. As you can tell, many initiates are missing, and that's because something happened last night. Three of our best-performing transfers-Dex, Plato and Isaac-decided last night to push their courage to their limits and jump into the Chasm!" 

There's a gasp from the Dauntless-born and I look sideways at Sam and Jo. Max way be a well-trained speaker, but he's no match for those that have been raised in Candor. From birth, we are taught to tell lies from truths, and one look at Sam and Jo, tells me that they aren't convinced. What they do look, however, is puzzled. They were Dex's and Plato's friends and probably can't understand why Dex, let alone Plato, would even jump into the Chasm. 

Max continues, "Lyra and Amy decided that life here at Dauntless wasn't for them and decided to flee," Another gasp, "I am aware that they were in a relationship and probably thought that if one of them got in, the other one wouldn't and so both decided to leave." 

I glance at the Dauntless-born-they are all nodding their heads. Lyra and Amy leaving so they could be together clearly makes sense to them. Sam and Jo, on the other hand, look unsure on whether or not to believe Max. I smile. Max believes Lyra to have fallen into the Chasm. He doesn't realise that he's actually telling the truth. 

"And then there's the matter of Callum," Max says, "Sadly, it appears that he also tried to flee in the night and his body was found by the train tracks this morning." There's another gasp. Max holds up the drink he's holding, "We'll make this quick as there's a lot we need to get on and do today. But: In honour of Callum, Dex, Plato and Isaac! The bravest of the brave!" 

"The bravest of the brave!" The Dauntless chorus, and I force myself to join in. 

"Now!" Max says, after draining his drink, "On with the Final Test. You will be entering the simulation in reverse order of your rankings in the Second-stage! Dauntless-born first! Transfers second!" 

He leads us into a room with three screens. All three are currently blank. Beside the screen is a room where the simulations will take place. 

Max leads us to some chairs and we all sit down in our ranks. With Dex, Plato and Isaac gone, I will be going in last. 

I get myself comfortable and watch as the Dauntless-born file in one-by-one. As each one of their names is called, I try and commit them to memory. After all, I will be working with most of these people-if I make it into Dauntless, that is. Only a few names stick in my mind: Violet, Ollie, Hayley and Makena-there are too many of them to remember. Then it's Sam's turn, then Jo's and then mine. 

I wipe my sweaty hands and get onto my feet as steadily as I can. This is it. The final test. I just have to pass this hurdle and then I will get into Dauntless. 

I remember what Amar told me-I need a fast time, but I need to get out of each simulation the 'Dauntless' way. I smile; it's almost a good thing that Dex isn't here. She would hate having to pretend to be something she's not. 

I take a deep breath and walk into the green room, where Max is waiting. He's holding a needle in his hand-probably the fear serum. I want to glare at him for everything that happened last night. For all the pain he put Dex, Lyra and all of the other Divergents through. But I can't. Because if I do, he'll know that I'm aware of what he's done. 

Instead I just give him a curt nod and close my eyes as he plunges the needle into my neck. 

"Good luck, Initiate," he says, and I hear him walk out the room, shutting the door and leaving me alone with my Fears. 

I open my eyes. There's a flash of light; the simulation has begun.

I'm in my bedroom in Candor, and my heart instantly feels with dread. It's my fear of fire. My entire room is clogged with smoke and I can smell burning. My head feels as foggy as my surroundings, and shake myself, forcing myself to think. I glance towards the window and my bedroom wall-that is how I got out last time. But that was what gave me away as a Divergent to Amar. 

No. Smashing the glass and jumping isn't an option. I have to do this the Dauntless way. I look out of my bedroom to the hallway. I can see the flickering red flames creeping up the stairs. I will have to go through them. It's suicidal and risky, but, in a way, it's also brave, and that's what matters-facing my fear. 

I take a deep breath, instantly regretting it as the smoke burns my lungs, and charge along the corridor and throw myself down the stairs. I attempt to leap over the fire, but some flames catch my ankles. Even though this is a simulation, the pain is incredible. Grimacing, I force myself into my kitchen and out the front door. I force myself to get some distance between me and my burning house before I allow myself to fall to the ground. I land on my hands and knees, breathing heavily. 

I've done it. And fairly quickly too. Green light flashes, showing that I've cleared the first round of the simulation. Onto the next one. 

"Awww, it's little Brookie. I wonder what she's up to?" says a voice-Miriam, my friend from Candor. And she's not alone-with her are Matt, Alvara, Clara and my dad. Ah yes. The ostracism fear-this is the one I messed up on massively the last time. 

"Some big sister you've got there, Clara," Alvara scoffs, "Lying on the floor like that."

"I'm ashamed of you Brooke," my father says, anger clear in his eyes. 

I can't let myself cry. Nor can I get angry and fight back like I did before. I have to do what Amar told me to do-grit my teeth and take it, like a true Dauntless would do-or, at least, would a true Dauntless is supposed to do. I stand up and look at them all face on. 

Matt snorts, "Are you trying to tower over us? Like that would work. You can't disguise your inferiority here in Candor."

"You're no Candor," Miriam smirks. 

I stand there, measuring time which each intake and release of my breath. I try to be calm as their blows fall-both verbal and physical. And, eventually, there's the flash of green light. 

I sigh with relief and try to move my body to release the tension I'm feeling. But I can't. My legs are stuck. Stuck in sinking sand. My fear of suffocation. 

Like the others, I've done this before. I know what to do. But that doesn't make the fact that my body is drowning in sand any easier. I pretend to panic, like I did before, to make sure my time isn't too quick and then I try to pass the fear for real. The sinking sand is almost unbearable. It's all I can do to keep myself calm and hope that it's over soon. And finally, the green light flashes again. 

Another one down. An unknown number of others to go. 

I'm tied to a chair. Tied to a chair and being lowered into a vat of acid. Once again, I curse my vivid imagination-how did my brain even come up with this one when I've avoided all books on things like acid and torture?-Ah-that would explain why. So, I'm afraid of being tortured am I? Makes sense.

Surrounding the vat of acid, are undistinguishable shapes in the darkness and all I can hear is maniacal laughter-presumably the people who have captured and are torturing me. 

As my chair is lowered more and more, getting closer and closer to the bubbling green acid below me, I try and remain as calm as I can. In and out. In and out. I avert my eyes from the acid, hoping that if I focus on something else, I'll be able to lower my heart rate in time...

In and out. The acid is just sizzling away at the legs of the wooden chair, when there's a flash of green light and I'm onto the next one. 

My arms and legs are free, but now I'm in a sea. A stormy sea, where my every gasping breath is controlled by the continuous crashing of the waves. I'm drowning. And in my panic, it's hard to think clearly. But then I remember what Amar taught me-panicking aside, I have to act like one of them. Like a Dauntless. 

I glance up at the sky. It's dark and thunderous with no ray of sunshine in sight. Treading water, I see that although there's a beach nearby, there's no way I will be able to reach it. The cold spray of the water seeps into my clothing and I realise that there's only one way to pass this fear: to swim down. 

I don't bother taking a deep breath. I simply thrust my head into the water and swim for all it's worth. The waves rock my back and forth and my lungs scream for oxygen but all I can focus on is swimming down...down...down...and then there's a flash of green light and suddenly I'm back on land. 

I'm lying in woods. The sky is obscured by the trees. I breathe a sigh. This isn't too bad. At least, it isn't bad until I feel something crawling along the back of my hand. And that's when I look. It's a centipede. Red, with a long body and tiny spidery legs. And there's more than one. Hundreds of centipedes suddenly come scattering out of the forest, climbing onto every bit of my body. Every piercing bite is as excoriating as a wasp sting. 

I want to scream. I do. But if I open my mouth, one might worm its' way inside me. So instead, I force myself to stay calm. I shut my eyes and listen as my heart beat thrums so loudly that I can hear it inside my head. I inhale. Count to ten. And then exhale. Again. And again. 

And then the flash of green light is so bright that I can see it with my eyes shut. Another challenge completed. How many more? 

"Took you long enough," says a voice. A voice so familiar that I recognise it with my eyes shut. 

"Dex," I breathe and open my eyes. We're standing on a clifftop, looking at a sunset and our hands are...entwined? 

I blink. This is my fear? Having a date with Dex? 

"It's beautiful," I smile, glancing from her to the sunset. 

She smiles, but then her expression becomes more dangerous and hate fills her brown eyes. "Yeah. Too bad it's ruined by you."

Suddenly, savagely, she grabs me by my arm and shoves me off the cliff. I scream, expecting to fall, but, glancing up, I see that Dex is still grabbing me by my hand. 

She smirks, "Personally, I'm sorry I had to keep up the act for so long, Brookie." So this is the fear. Betrayal. But my brain has got her completely wrong. Dex would never lie about anything, and definitely not about a relationship. 

But I can't think about that now. I have to get out of the fear. 

"I'm going to drop you," she taunts. 

I look at her steadily, "No. You won't. I will though." I let go of her hand, watching as I'm carried further and further away from her. 

There's a flash of green light. I expect myself to land, but instead I carry on falling. Has there been a mistake with the simulation? Or is this another fear? I never considered myself to be a fear or heights, but, then again, a fear of falling and heights are completely different things. And now, suddenly, a fear of falling seems perfectly logical. 

I take another breath. It doesn't matter if I fall for forever, I tell myself, think of all the ideas I could come up with without any disturbances. 

A flash of green light. That was easy. 

I'm back in the simulation room. The door swings open and Max barges in, followed by several other Dauntless members. 

He grabs my by my arm, "That was pathetic," he snarls, "You don't belong here in Dauntless."

I try to swallow the fear that's choking inside me. What's going on? Have I done something wrong? This feels so unnatural...

Unnatural. That's it. I'm still in the simulation. 

"Get out of Dauntless and never return," Max yells, shoving me towards the train tracks. 

I hold my head high and walk out, ignoring the jeering behind me. 

Another flash of green light. I'm in the simulation room again. I wait for the next fear to come, but nothing happens. I take a deep breath and walk out the room. The Dauntless leaders smile at me. 

"Well done Initiate," Max says, completely different from his simulation counterpart. I see Amar standing in the corner and he winks at me. I smile; I've actually done it. 

Now, I just have to wait for the Rankings to see if I actually made it into Dauntless.