Breaking the Test

Chapter Two

        I wake up in a cold sweat. Today is the day, I think. I get out of my bed and get ready for school. My mom is up early today for today is test day. I give her a hug good bye and she tears up a bit. Neither of us knew if we would see each other again.

        I walk to school. We are to report to the testing room so we can take the test. Kids are distraught and fearful. I see a few kids crying. I know all of my friends are in this large room. I sit down in my assigned seat about 10 seats away from Lucy, she gives me a scared smiled and goes back to what she was doing. One of the thousands of people who work for the company of the test is at the front of the class.

        "Welcome all to your sixth annual test of which has been thoughtfully named TTTNine. For ninth grade! To go over the rules, no looking at other peoples' tests, no bringing in anything from the out side of the testing room other than you, answer ALL questions even if you have to guess, don't help others and you have 4 hours max. We will give you your test tablet and you will all start on my mark," The worker says.

        "Christmas Tree!" yells a bullied, suicidal  kid. Every one knows what that means. She will just put random answers hoping to fail and be killed.

There were so many questions I had no idea what to do. If I got a C average and below you will be taken, to heaven knows where. A kid a few rows in front of me fainted, but some one woke her up so she wouldn't waste her time. 

        I look to my right about an hour in to look for Jemma but I cant see her. I look down a row and see her crying, I could barely make out the number but she appeared to be 80/150 questions. The suicidal kid's tablet has already been sucked into the desk and their grade has been submitted. I'm only on 75 after an hour, only 3 hours to go. 

        I finish 10 minutes before the end time. I look to all my friends I can see, they are curled up and I can some of their eyes, which are red.

        "Every one test time is over! We will have 30 minutes until all your tests are graded. But right now we shall honor the people who were, taken, in the last few years. And remember, all grades are final," the worker says in an eerie tone.

        The next 25 minutes are just a slide show displaying all the people who we're taken by the TTT. One of which is Alex Somma, Belle's little brother who was taken 1 year ago, he was only in fourth grade.

        With the slide show finished we had 5 minutes to grades. A boy passes out to be waken up by some one next to him. I gaze down at Henry, he remains huddled up without moving, and what I assume is a dead stare forward.

        "I have the results," He says "I will read them off. The people who are to be taken are Lexi Abernath-" He is cut off by the screaming of Lexi as she yells 'no'. She is grabbed by two workers on each of her arms. She cries in fear and is dragged from the middle of the row to the outer rim. She kicks and screams for people, who just give her a pitiful look. In a desperate attempt to flee she is able to kick a guard in the shins, he yelps but the other guard still has her. He decides she is too crazy and inject her with a powerful drug that makes her sleep, she is dragged out effortlessly by the guards. No one has a fazed look on their face except me and Lucy.

        "Well," the worker says, "That was an out break now let's continue!" Says the worker.

        Waiting for them to get to the 'L' last names was torture, fortunately they skipped me and Lucy, who's last name is right before mine. They also skipped over Henry and Grant thankfully. I'm pretty sure all my friends will pass. They never called Jemma or me. Thank God. I don't know what would've happened if one of us was called.

        "Mckenzie Shrowder," he says. Mckenzie stands up and walk out the isle right into the guards hands, i recognize her as the kid who yelled Christmas tree.  She didn't put up any fight.

        Phew, we're all safe.

        "Belle Somma!"

        "Wait no, this must be a mistake!" None of my friends are near her, she cries in desperation. "Henry! Amber! Please help me! Don't just stand there please! Please!" Only one guard has taken her and she kicks him in the gut and the shins. He doubled over in pain and Belle runs away. Another guard comes in with a net gun and shoots it. It curls through the air with icy clarity and strikes her, the weights wrap around her ankle and trip her. She tumbles over and squirms around. The guard that shot the next grabs her and injects the same type of drug that made the first girl fall asleep. Then she is dragged away like a bag of trash.

        I rush after her, I yell her name and rush past many guards. I look down the hall she was dragged down and I could still see her being dragged down the hall asleep in a net. I run into the hall to free her but the guards are too fast and two of them grab my arms. I am pulled back to my seat yelling and screaming for Belle.