Lies

Lies (There is nothing wrong).

When Mr. Divel announced there was going to be a test, the entire school erupted in berserk and frantic studying. These tests were to come in brief amounts of time, and were exceedingly difficult and punishing. With Mr. Divel, it was that, and just that. Nothing more, nothing less.

Mark on the other hand, had never studied for a single test, and had got by like that for quite some time. He would stare at the snow falling outside, hoping for a snow day as it was that time of year. But since Mark had just switched to Mr. Divel’s class, he had never experienced the difficulty of these test manners. And so when he found he had a week before the test, he would exclaim:

“Plenty of time till the test!”

“Mark this is different, you were transferred to the advanced class for a reason. Mr. Divel’s tests aren’t like Mrs. Moore’s tests. You have to study!” Mark’s friend James told him.

Mark chose to ignore him. The test was next Friday, so he had the whole weekend, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to study for it. Plenty of time.

Saturday:

Mark had completely forgot about his science test by Saturday, and instead was focused on the task at hand. He got a text from his friend, saying:

Wanna come over and study? 

Nah

Dude         

        What?

You’re gonna have to at some

point!

I’m busy rn

Ok, don’t come crying to me

when you fail

Mark got back to his work. Currently, he was trying to build up an insane amount of pressure in his water bottle.

Sunday:

The 8th grade at Middle School was sort of different. For starters, you weren’t allowed to take notes and you weren’t allowed to take any pictures. People followed these rules strictly, as those who didn’t got expelled on the spot. Secondly, everyone in the school lived in the same neighborhood. Though odd, everyone was fine with it. No one ever questioned it, because who cared.

        666-392-0529

Hey bud

    What?

Heard you had a science test

on Friday, are you going to 

study?

    Yeah, of course I will

Ok, you better

Mark went to bed that night. He was worried for his science test the next morning- next morning. He had not studied. 

Monday:

Today was a teacher-work day, so luckily for Mark there was no school. He wanted to bike to the pool, since it was not snowing, which was odd as it was Winter. The pool would not be open anyway, but Mark did not seem to care for some odd reason. Oh yeah, and that’s the last rule. You’re not allowed to have any sort of vehicles except cars. Mark however thought that was a stupid rule and chose to bike anyway.

Mark

        No

On the way to the pool, or well- not to the pool, he noticed many people staring at him. There were no bikes allowed in his town of course, so everyone noticed him on his bike.

That’s when he saw it.

Tuesday:

Mark had acquired what he needed. All that was left was to-

“Mark,” yelled his French teacher.

“Shut up,” he yelled back. With good reason.

He threw something at his teacher. Hopefully it would work. The room shuddered as his contraption hit the ground, but before anything could go on, Mr. Divel walked into the room.

This was not good.

Wednesday:

After the incident in French class marked Marks existence utterly useless. He did not wish to live any longer. His pathetic life would drag on until nothing was left except the remnants of his pitiful ashes. Today, he hung around his doing nothing but feeling sorrowful and miserable.

The explanation was this:

Thursday:

Mark woke up and checked his alarm clock. 7:41, like every Thursday. He looked around. His mom would walk in in 3, 2, 1-

Nothing.

Mark paused. Something was not right. He got up from his bed.

Number 52.

He looked around. Everything was the same. Tattered comics and painting hanging from his yellow damp wall. The blare of the ongoing traffic outside. The repeat titter-tat of his sorry air conditioner.

But it was all different.

He looked out the window. A lady in a velvet jacket walked by. She was late for her meeting. Mark knew that of course. The very first week, he had been very confused. His mom had come to wake him up in the same nightgown. He had eaten the same dejected breakfast. It was the exact same day.

But today was different. Had he finally done it?

He opened his door to find no one in the house. He quickly checked the date on his watch. Still Janurary 15th. Mark decided to text his friend James.

Hello?

No response.

Mark had a dreadful feeling. He was not sure if he had done it, but something was definitely wrong.

Get to school

Mark jumped.

The sound of the phone dinging had scared him.

         Why what’s happening?

Get to school now.

Mark got on his bike,

No, he thought. For the first time, he did not want to get in trouble.

He started running towards the school. Each step gave him another terrible feeling. There was no one out. Absolutely no one

Then he remembered the girl in the velvet jacket.

Mark was not alone.

He turned into the school 30 minutes early. He looked around to see not 1 person there. Mark didn’t know if that was normal or not because he was always late.

He slowed as he got to the main doors. His terrible feeling kept getting stronger and stronger. When he opened the door, he saw Mr. Divel staring at him.

“Well," he said, "Look who’s here.”

“Why are you doing this to me. Let me out!” Mark pleaded.

“No. You will never be out. It will now be way worse after the stunt you pulled on Tuesday.” Mr. Divel grinned.

“Please, why did you choose me, what did I do!?”

“You might find out.”

Then Mr. Divel snapped.

Friday:

Mark woke up to his mundane existence. It was ten years since what happened that Tuesday. Today marked 11 years of the same week.

Over.

And.

Over.

Today Mark would receive news about the test.

Again.