The Exam That Kills You

The Exam That Kills You

Author: Mr. James Price MD

Chapter 3: The Death Lottery Deepens

There had to be a way to survive. Otherwise, we’d all be dead.

Whoever—or whatever—was running this wanted something from us.

I needed as many people alive as possible.

I needed witnesses. Allies. Test subjects.

I needed people to test things on. Cold, but true.

If we were lab rats, I had to learn the maze before the cheese ran out.

What happened if you did nothing? If you just waited out the clock?

My palms were slick with sweat.

Every tick was a countdown to something awful.

My pencil hovered, then I filled in "A."

My pencil scratched the bubble. I tried to sound sure.

He was already dead, so picking him shouldn’t matter.

I told myself it was rational, not just desperate.

I watched. The others. The clock. The packet.

The room seemed to hold its breath.

Then three students jerked upright, convulsing like they’d been electrocuted.

It was even worse than before. Their skin split open. Blood poured out.

"Oh my God! Why are people dying again?"

A girl screamed, her voice raw. I flinched, heart hammering.

They hadn’t even moved.

A boy shouted, eyes wild. Looking for someone—anyone—to blame.

...

I tried to sound calm. Authoritative. My voice was steadier than I felt.

Hands trembled. Pages flipped. Someone gagged.

While everyone else was distracted, I glanced at my own packet.

Letters crawled onto the page, slow and relentless.

No breaks. No mercy.

She slid a note onto my desk, quick and quiet.

She didn’t look at me. Just kept her eyes glued to her packet.

I unfolded it. The handwriting was neat.

Was she friend or foe? Did it even matter?

I swallowed, mind racing.

She must’ve seen I was testing the rules. Trying to survive.

She was biting her lip, eyes darting from me to the packet.

Smart. Secrets were currency here.

Trust was a luxury.

I weighed my options. The note was still warm.

Just then, some classmates confirmed my earlier guess:

A boy at the front of the room shouted, "That’s right, they didn’t answer!"

Another echoed, "You have to answer within ten minutes, or you’ll die!"

Someone else yelled, "Everyone, look! A new question appeared!"

...

The second question was there, clear as day.

My mind whirled. None of it made sense.

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