Star Dazed

Chapter Twenty Nine: The Test

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When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy. When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight. -Khalil Gibran

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Chapter Twenty Nine

The Test

(Maahirah Furqaan)

I stay up all night, not even a wink flies by. I toss and turn around, my mind pulling all the horrendous, creepy thoughts it can muster. At times like this, I wish I could trade my brain out of my head and sleep brainless during tensed night.

Sigh. The story of my life.

Anyways, when my alarm rings, surprisingly, I'm out of the bed, fresh and more.....tensed. Yipee!!

 Within next minutes, I get ready in a zombie like way and so, here, I sit on the blue metal chairs along with Haaziq, Haazim, Iris, Jules and Cameron. There are six of us in total waiting for our turns.

"Good morning, Bloomers," A voice booms through the intercom. Somehow I think that I know this voice. "We will officially start now. Good luck all six of you. There is going to be only single Test Room operating today too," She clears throat."Cameron Davits, please come in through the last door on your right. Thank you. And, others please patiently wait for your turns."

We all look at the door parallel to our sitting positions. Cameron gets up, taking deep breathes. He smiles at us as we all flash him thumbs up sign.

I learn this that test is taken six months before your eighteenth birthday. Therefore, every Bloomers (the one who hasn't passed their Test and are 17!) are six months away from their eighteenth birthdays. The thing is that as this the end of year month, this group is the last group of seventeens. Anyone whose birthday is a month or two or three or four or six or months away from now has to take the Test today.

I let out a big sigh. I’ve been sighing a lot today. When two more Bloomers; Ian and Haaziq, have gone for the Test, there are only three of us left.

Jules has her head pressed against the window, her eyes closed as she tries to relax. Haazim is staring ahead. His brows narrowed together. I'm stuck in being tensed or being calm. And, when you are in between these two, you are probably the worst. 

I mean, one moment you are relax and the other your mind goes viral and you're fired up with worries again.

"Jules Carlson." The intercom calls out.

She jumps up and lets out a yelp. "Yep, that is me. Yodi. Wo-hoo. Guys," Her voice drops."Pray for me."

I don't have the ability to reply so I just nod. Haazim says, “You will do great, Jules."

Haazim is the non-serious twin. The one who jokes about everything. Seeing him this quiet makes me realize that this must be a very important Test. So, I ask.

"What happens if we fail this test?" 

He stays mute for a while, and then he says."You either get send back or maybe you are shot by the Examiners. Thank God, nothing worst like being thrown an aquarium full of sharks."

I gape. "Really?"

"Yep." He nods. "I once heard that there was this girl and she flunked the Test, she was given a choice whether to drown herself in the quicksand, that runs across the Elton on the other side or to get drowned in an aquarium full of sharks."