By Daniel Pekker
Derick was confused. His parents acted weird and uptight all
day. He expected them to be excited since his sixth birthday was coming up and
he just graduated from kindergarten, but no. He was too frightened to ask why.
If he got them annoyed, he might not get what he wants.
For his birthday party his mother said she planned to have a
Slip-and-Slide and other games in their large backyard, but so far he saw no
signs of them. Maybe it’s a surprise, he thought.
The day before his birthday, his parents called a family
meeting, which they had only for very important reasons.
Derick’s father sighed and said to Derrick, “You may have
noticed that we didn’t get anything for your party yet.” He hesitated. “We
won’t be having a party.”
Derick’s eyes widened, and then filled with tears.
His mother hastily said, “We will have it another day. You
see, the government is trying to control the population. So they need to only
have the smartest people here. They have all six-year-olds take a test. You
will take yours tomorrow.”
“What happens to those who don’t pass?” Derick quietly
asked.
His parents exchanged looks. His mother looked away. “They
go to a special place. But don’t worry; we are sure you’ll pass. It’s just a
test, after all,” said his mother positively.
The ride to the place was moderately short. It was in a
large business like building.
An employee led them to an office and told them to wait.
Then, a voice rang out of nowhere, “Mr. and Mrs. Darew,
please leave the room.”
Derick’s mom sobbed as she hugged Darren. His father shook
his hand gravely.
When they left the voice said, “These questions aren’t based
on school questions, they are based on life, logic, and psychological
questions. Answer to the best of your ability. Good luck. Complete this
pattern: red, red, green…”
After one hour, and employee walked up to Derick’s parents
with a dismal face. “The test is over. Would you like to burn the body, or
would you like to bury it?”
June 2009
