Phrenology: E-Lunar (3) Route A (MANUSCRIPT)

Chapter 1: Turn 2

    "I... failed the permit driver's test!" Tanaka slammed his foot against a tree one afternoon.

    "That's what's been eating away at you? I thought I was taking you out into this storm for something more deeply troubling than that." the titillating voice of Marian Theodora sighed one afternoon as her and her male friend were walking around one of the local parks that sat in Little Japan. Swings. Slides. Climbable bars. Holes. 

    "I just- I studied. I studied a lot. I was so determined, but I m- missed it by one question." 

    Marian curled her lips, eyebrows creasing. "Tanaka, I don't know if you know this or not, but the examination allows people to take it more than once for a reason. You're not the only person in the entire world who's failed their driver's test the first time around." 

    "I know but-"

    "Hell, my dad flunked it twice. You know, failure is just a way of saying you need to change up your study regimen, that's all." 

    "Y- Yeah. Yeah! But... something else bothers me. Marian, some of the questions on the test were questions I'd never ran into when I was studying. At the time, it felt like some sort of stark majority of the test was just out to get me. And it didn't help that the place I was in smelled like... old blood and beer. I wonder if that establishment ever realizes that their environment is perhaps a distracting one? I mean, seriously. In school, everybody is forced to be quiet during exams and one peep out of anyone is considered a major distraction as well as an explosion. The explosion part because it's considered cheating, but... you already knew that. Anyways. Marian, it was just so... strange. A strange environment with strange questions. For a second, I thought I had accidentally booted up the wrong exam. They really leave you to your own volition on that computer, you know? But, yeah. Some of those questions were really out of this world, and I studied from quite a bit of resources." Tanaka crossed his arms, shaking his bangs around. 

    "The driver's tests are getting trickier as life goes on, huh?" Marian stuck her hand out and let the hard rain beat against her pale skin. 

    "Yeah. But then... why? Why are they making driving a harder responsibility to achieve? This doesn't look good. Society getting in the way of its own progress and the independence of its own people." 

    "Well, it could have something to do with Hinge Corporate." 

    "The company that manufactures cars? What?! Also- whoa, Marian- didn't you say that Marissa was... there a while back?" 

    "That's right. It's about time I tell you what happened with that." The red-head stood up against a tree that was rooted right across from Tanaka. 

    "Is- Is she going to be okay? Why haven't I heard from her? Whenever I think about it, it just makes me worried sick." 

    Marian placed two arms around Tanaka's hand. "Well, don't worry then. Don't think about it. She's fine. I promise."  

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