Examination Day

The examination hall looms over you as a nightmare looms over a child's dreams. To an intelligent mind, its walls may appear almost inviting, however to the mind of the unprepared, it appears as a guillotine, awaiting its next beheading.

All around you, groups of adolescents are scattered across the grounds, faces hidden behind overflowing study books. Chatter takes over, escaping the mouths of the many nervous students gathered here on this important day. A boy stands, singled out from the rest of the others. His face seems calm, composed, unlike that of a girl next to him, eyes scurrying across her scribbled writing.

The sound of heels on the ground takes you by surprise. "Click, clack, click, clack, click, clack." Out of the corner of your eye, the invigilator emerges from the hall. She wears all black, except for her grey heels. Her hair is tied tightly in a perfect bun, exposing a smooth forehead. Thin eyebrows are firmly knit together in a solemn expression.

At the sight of her, the words that had once flowed freely from the mouths of anxious students now stayed locked behind the barrier of fear from this woman. Silence. You are finally, ushered by her boney hands to set foot in the hall of dread.

As you enter, a pang of cold air engulfs your entire body, visibly coming from the various A.Cs suspended high up on the walls. You pick up the scent of freshly printed examination papers, laying neatly on a single desk, unaware of the terror that they are about to dispatch.

Beside you, a student's eyes glass over, showing the slightest hint of tears. He seems scared, agitated, not prepared to take this test. Ahead of you, a labyrinth of tables awaits. Precisely positioned, each desk equidistant from the other. True perfection. They are clearly labelled with the names of the numerous students, now herding the hall, eager to sit in a chair, in which they cannot get caught, committing a sinful act... CHEATING!

You take your seat towards the back, beside you, a girl shakes. Her legs bounce up and down rapidly, causing a hushed sound of bone against wood. She bites her nails uncontrollably, shavings dispersing over her desk. Her eyes are puffy and bloodshot, indicating the lack of sleep during the night before. Across from you, another girl sits, her hands intertwining with one another. She appears tense, knowing she hadn't studied enough to pass. The invigilator gathers the stack of exams off of the lone desk, and stalks down the hall, handing out the papers of doom.

At the placement of the exams on the students' desks, you see the immediate shiver, shaking every person's nerves. You pick up the faint, "tik-tok" of the clock, drifting across the whole room, floating into every students' ears, reminding them of the limited time they have. The small hand is yet to strike ten, signalling the beginning of the test. Two minutes remain. The invigilator makes her way back to the top of the hall and awaits in her stoic position. You take one last glance around you, and your eyes land back on the clock, hanging limply from the bare wall.

Five seconds left. As the red hand finally passes the big twelve, the invigilator announces one, simple word, "Begin."

The hall becomes filled with the rustling of the first pages of the exam... when will this hell end?