Koffi 1

Afi Koffi
Creative Writing
A. Giknis
27 January 2017
In a Perfect World
Etalia and Michele Lewis wake up in their two-story home in Mississippi. They get dressed and
drink their tea silently. This is the day that everyone in the town had dreaded since The Test
began in 2050. On the way to The Central, they quizzed each other. Michele began quizzing her
younger sister, Whats the capital of France?
Paris, Etalia said, insulting by the simplicity of the question. Chele, you have to ask
me harder questions Im not a kid anymore, Im twelve and I have to take the real test this time.
Yeah, I know but Im just nervous for you, Michele responded concerningly. Every
city had an annual test that all the residents had to take from kindergarten to senior year of high
school. This was a standardized test used to determine knowledge and thus usefulness. If one
was to fail The Test, they would be taken to a room and never seen again. No one knows what
happens to them, but it cant be good. So the Lewises practice diligently every day so that they
can stay together. This year was Etalias first time taking the real test since she had just started
middle school. Before then, she had been taking the practice test. Both the sisters were confident
in their knowledge but were deathly afraid because The Test change every year and theres no
way to be one hundred percent sure of what was to come. A lesson their brothers, Jacob and
Anthony learned far too late.
Yeah, and Im worried about you too, Chele. As an eighteen year old, this is your last
year to take The Test, Im sure its pretty stressful.

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Define stress, Michele ordered.

This isnt about vocabulary. Im worried about you.
Etalia Lewis!
Stress is defined as pressure or tension exerted on a material object or a state of mental
or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. But, in
your case, Im sure it's the latter.
Look, I need you to stop worrying about me. Ive already taken the quiz a bunch of
times. I got this, she told her sister. The truth was that she was shaking in her boots. Every year,
The Test got longer and harder and she hadnt completely mastered trigonometry yet. Now,
what is the square root of three hundred and sixty-one?
Nineteen
Name an animal that is an amphibian
Frogs, salamanders, newts
I said an animal, meaning one. Youve got to follow directions, El!
Spell Mississippi
M i s s i s s i p p i, Etalia answered. They continued this until they reached the gates of
The Central. After that point, studying was illegal and considered cheating.The two girls
approached The Central, the building where The Test was taken. The security there was insane.
They checked everyone to make sure they couldnt cheat or slide in for someone else. If they
called role and someone didnt show up, they would go directly to the room never to be heard
from again. After feeling intimidated by a security officer, Etalia inquires, Why is that man
staring at me like that?

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Just ignore him and stay calm okay, El? Thisll be over soon enough, Michele respond
in an attempt to assure her younger sibling. Michele was doing all she could to keep her sister
with her. She had to, she promised her mother that she would. Their mother, Eleanor, drove
herself insane after her two sons, Jacob and Anthony, failed The Test. After the events, she
stopped talking, stopped eating, stopped sleeping. The one thing she couldnt stop doing was
drinking. No one knows how the authorities found out, but when they did, Eleanor was taken
away. The US was trying to become the smartest nation in the word. They didnt let people who
were incompetent in any way live within the community. Eleanor, the mother of Michele and
Etalia, has not been seen since last year. Some say she died, some say she ran away, but no one
really knows. Now, the girls live with their Aunt Rose, who is on the team of people who came
up with the idea of The Test. The Test was created because the United States was slipping in
terms of power and influence. To restore the countrys rank, The Test was created. Since it was
created in 2050, only the smartest people were allowed to live in the US. This test came with a
bunch of other things. In fact, every year, the government got rid of everyone who was
incomplete. This means, people who failed The Test, people with disabilities, people with
illnesses or addictions, and everyone over 65 because they couldnt add onto the value of the
Nation. Michele absolutely resented her Aunt Rose. She resisted the urge to strangle her in her
sleep every night. The way she saw it, Rose killed her brothers and her mother. What kind of a
human being is she? How can she sleep at night? Michele often thought. Micheles goal was
simple, to pass this one last test and move out with her little sister and never see her Aunt again.
Etalia interrupted her sisters deep thinking, asking, What if I fail this test?
You wont

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But its possible

Yes, but I know youve got this, Michele assures her. What happened? You were
prepared to take on the world this morning
I miss Jake and Ant, Etalia said.
Yeah, me too, El. You know what they did before every test?
No, what?
Theyd tell jokes that revealed to answer to questions people ask them. Even, the guards
would laugh sometimes. They never caught on, Michele said laughing. They both laughed and
laughed until their names were called.
One of the officers asked both girls Names?
Etalia Claire Lewis
Michele Nicole Lewis
He, then, asked, Ages?
Twelve
Eighteen
First and last years, huh? Best of luck to both of you. E Lewis to the left. M Lewis to the
right, he ordered. The girls had to say goodbye. They looked at each other for what seemed like
a century, almost afraid of uttering the word goodbye.
Knock them dead, Michele finally said, Ill see you in a few hours
Okay, I love you
Michele replied, Forever and always! The two girls then went their separate ways, realizing
that they could never see each other again.

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