“A test?” Elaine cocked her head.

“Yeah”, a girl, behind her this time, chirped. “The contents of it change every season, and we’re never told of its contents beforehand-I had no idea what to study!”

“Oh.” was all Elaine could reply to her.

They were steadily but quickly approaching a room several halls down from the previous one. Many other doors were now starting to open as girls poured out and headed in the same general direction as them.

An officer waited at the door to the testing room and collected all devices and patted down the contestants to make sure they had no cheat sheets.

Inside the room, they were given a brief overview of the rules and it was heavily emphasized that cheating of any sort would not be tolerated. Soon after, papers were handed out and a timer was started.

‘Tick’ ‘Tock’

Elaine peered at the clock located at the head of the room.

2 hours.

‘Tick’ ‘Tock’

She spared a quick glance around the room. Girls were hunched over their tests, many with strained foreheads, seeming to have a difficult time answering the questions.

‘Tick’ ‘Tock’

Elaine picked up her pencil and opened the booklet.

‘Tick’ ‘Tock’

Who founded Orbournth?

She scribbled in the answer.

‘Tick’ ‘Tock’

What was the name of the 100th battle fought between Aharea and Orbournth?

‘Tick’ ‘Tock’

Basic, easy questions. Presumably, even idiots would be able to get these right.

‘Tick’ ‘Tock’

Elaine flipped the page again.

She looked at the page number.

Page 17

‘Tick’ ‘Tock’

What is a possible action that can be taken by the Orbournthian government to reduce poverty in the country?

‘Tick’ ‘Tock’

Elaine once more looked at the clock just as one of the officers announced that there was one hour left.

‘Tick’ ‘Tock’

‘Tick’ ‘Tock’

‘Tick’ ‘Tock’

“Pencil’s down everyone!” The tapping of pencils on desks could be heard simultaneously throughout the room.

The doors were opened once all the tests were collected and Elaine could hear the bustling in the hallways once more. She sighed as she rose from her seat. The lengths she took to get her binoculars back…

“Hey!” someone shouted from behind her as they grabbed her wrist.

Elaine spun around and was face to face with Hannah.

“Hannah was it?”

Hannah laughed. “Yeah. So how was the test?”

“It was okay. You?”

She groaned. “It was soooo tough. It’s probably the hardest test I’ve taken in my life.”

Elaine chuckled. “You’re kidding.”

“No, it sucked.”

“Wow, that bad?”

“Yeah.”

There was an awkward pause between them before a shout came from the hallway.

“Hannah! I’ve been looking for you-come on, you promised to have a sleepover with me remember?”

“Oh, right. Sorry, it was fun talking with you. Maybe we’ll meet again outside?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, bye!” she said as she ran off waving.

“Bye…”

Elaine turned around and started heading back towards the lobby where her mom would have been awaiting her when a man approached her. The same man she had seen before the test. He had greeted her with an apologetic grin then but standing in front of her, there was not a hint of a smile on his face. The expression he now bore was sinister; it was dangerous-

it was that of a killer.

“Um, hi- can I help you?”, Elaine asked, her voice almost a whisper, frightened by this seemingly two faced man.

“Yes, could you follow me for a second please?”

If there was anything Elaine had learned from plays and shows, it was never to follow a stranger, so she did the obvious thing and refused him. “No.”

“I’m afraid that isn’t an option here.”, a female voice said from behind her however, Elaine wasn’t able to see who because a striking force hit her neck and she collapsed.