Architects Of Our Own Demise by Harvey Kennett Man questions God for answers... and God replies... [369 words]
A Staged Disappearance by Ekaterina Alexandrova A Staged Disappearance by Kate Alexander. This story is based on a real person and thei... [2,277 words]
Anticipation by Ekaterina Alexandrova Anticipation by Kate Alexander. ... thoughts about a dead body. [789 words]
The Stair Case by Shelley J Alongi Aviation Story 6A. Several months after Anne and Andrew attend an airshow (which I haven't writ... [2,903 words]
Prelude To Separation by Shelley J Alongi In 1774 Thomas Jefferson penned a pamphlet that after some delay became the philosophical... [1,763 words]
Fear Of Water by E Rocco Caldwell What's is in out drinking water anyways? [637 words]
Calling by Shelley J Alongi Aviation story 16. Romance, roses, and a cool summer morning all give us a glimpse into how Anne and A... [1,580 words]
A Not So Ordinary Day by Shelley J Alongi Aviation story 15. A glimpse into the sometimes frazzled existance of a general aviation... [2,064 words]
For Love Of Lessons by Shelley J Alongi Aviation Story 13. Anne and Andrew Crance have lived in this house for about fifteen years ... [2,295 words]
Little Things by Shelley J Alongi Aviation Story 7A. Anne and Andrew's first year of marriage is a good one. Humor, ritual, and lo... [1,672 words]
Confidence by Shelley J Alongi Aviation Story 12. Andrew helps a passenger become more comfortable with flight. We get to see him ... [1,712 words]
When The Gods Were Walking The Earth- Part 2 by Nik Siromah - [3,605 words]
Waiting For Ethel by AlexandrovaK About a man who realises something when it is too late..... [1,404 words]
Vomiting On Tony by Xoggoth The Mad Messiah (AKA Tony Blair) gets what he thoroughly deserves. [499 words]
Vanishing by AlexandrovaK A madman comes to terms with his madness...... [2,347 words]
Unanswered Letters by Skyler Drevan - [354 words]
They Always Come Back by Paolo Debernardi The ghost story of a dead husband who wants to see again his wife. [541 words]
The Young Tigers And The Sugar Lumps by Nik Siromah - [2,789 words]
The Waiting by Paolo Debernardi The tragic love of a guy who is waiting for his lover but everything turned tragically. [704 words]
The Voice Of Melodi by GutierrezJ - [2,641 words]
The Vampires' Club by HarryPotterAGHp The twist of fate to lead you to the Undead! [904 words]
The Two Bills by Xoggoth William Shakespeare fails to get to grips with Microsoft Word. [777 words]
The Several Voyages Of Fat Tony by Xoggoth Foul deeds on the dead sea coast get their richly deserved comeuppance. [1,377 words]
The Raid On Castle Storm by NeedhamT In an age of blades and magic, mighty forces battle for the command of the world. Thi... [1,676 words]
The More You Wish... by BransonA A short story about a man given a gift people dream about, only to find out it's not nearl... [370 words]
The Literal Day by G David Schwartz The Literal Day is a surreal true story of a day no one would want to live through. [1,926 words]
The Last Decision by J A Little A man has robbed a bank and now he has come outside and the police has surrounded him and he ... [410 words]
The Horrid Tale Of Evil Worm by Xoggoth A rare accident in the vegetable patch transforms a humble earthworm into a satani... [1,158 words]
The Fine Art Of Nitzing by Kathy Lafollett The rights of passage for both child and parent are numerous. This is one view of one ... [970 words]
The Door by Skyler Drevan Another addition to my 'Fable' collection. [287 words]
The Deetahgle by NeedhamT The ultimate vehicle is actually an animal bred with genetic engineering, a mix between a cheetah... [502 words]
The Briefcase by SidS It is about a soldier during the Kargil Conflict, his friendship with a journalist with a twist i... [825 words]
The Blue Insomnia by CalbayR A young man figures out his sad end as nobody's care and memory. [1,916 words]
The Beast Bar by HarryPotterAGHp It's a horror story with a gruesome end. You might find something in cmmon with your true monstro... [616 words]
The 5 Dollar Bill Story by NeedhamT Tells the story of how a 5 dollar bill travel through 3 totally different people. [986 words]
Success by Skyler Drevan Another part of my 'Fable' anthology. [275 words]
Speak Freely by Skyler Drevan This is another addition to my "Fable" anthology I am creating. [258 words]
Soup by Xoggoth A soup manufacturer ends life on Earth. [514 words]
Some Body by Harvey Kennett Two lovers collide.... [220 words]
Sex Life Of The Amoeba by Xoggoth A serious paper on cellular mytosis in a well known eukarytic organism. The dirty little... [1,108 words]
Rons, Socketers And Knots by HaulicaM A young man guides the tourists into the virtual reality (or into the real virtuality... [2,311 words]
Resident Evil: The Iniative by DonnJ - [351 words]
More Beautiful Than You by IngramAE A couple waiting on their daughter at a train station. [740 words]
Mementoes Of Treasured Occasions by Xoggoth A struggling photographer finds a rich new source of business. [496 words]
L'etranger by Nini A short story about living as a human being, realising how we view things from a very subjective poi... [1,057 words]
Let Me Be Your Friend by NilsonB Emily and her family have just moved into their new home, unaware that a psycho has escap... [5,002 words]
Lamb To The Slaughter by LloydT The story concerns a pop star, whose fans show him more appreciation than he bargins for ... [1,574 words]
Kulak by Nik Siromah - [2,613 words]
Jetel Forest by Steven T This is a short story I wrote for science class. I had to use certain words in the story, like wat... [336 words]
I Hate You, I Am Going To Kill You by LeighAN Jen hates something or someone, but she is going to kill it. [230 words]
Hoi, Hoi, Hoi, by Buxton A pitiful attempt at re-creating something that resembles The Clockwork Orange. Oh well here it... [286 words]
Heartburn by CalbayR Love Allergy anyone? Here's a comic take on a love phobic. [1,430 words]
Go Away! by Skyler Drevan She screamed louder than ever before. [254 words]
Exile Of Terror by Robert E Tadlock A galactic bounty hunter chases one of the most evil of demons. Earth will never be the same. [2,179 words]
End Of Season by Amelia R James The challenges and rewards of child rearing after a divorce. [690 words]
Dosvidanya by WigginP A short story about a mutiny aboard a Russian K-159 submarine. [1,134 words]
Disturbing Gift by Skyler Drevan This is a short story that has a taboo subject twist to it. Tell me what ya think. [262 words]
Devoted Husband And Father by Skyler Drevan - [268 words]
Delta Centauri by Paolo Debernardi The alien abduction of a man who will see life different from this experience. [1,593 words]
Blood Sister's by GutierrezJ - [1,473 words]
Awkward Osculation by StrawT The story of a boy, a girl, and a, well, read the bloody title. [762 words]
Arnie by Xoggoth A little labourer has a terminator approach to his work. [646 words]
Amnesty by Xoggoth A gun amnesty in a rough borough of London goes idiotically wrong. [561 words]
A Wrong Turn Somewhere by Xoggoth Somewhere near Birmingham a driver takes a wrong turn and loses everything. [492 words]
A Vampire's Mansion by J A Little Seven teens here about an old legend and they went to see if its true and they get the surp... [2,077 words]
A Stroll Through The Jungle by Lanaia Lee This is my first attempt at writing a short story I usually write poetry. [907 words]
A Good Citizen From Stillwater by Gerald L Bosacker A short story. [1,565 words]
A Capital Fart by Xoggoth The redundant London underground is pressed into service to win a world farting contest. [736 words]
1 Part, When The Gods Were Walking The Earth by Nik Siromah - [3,832 words]
The Pursuit Of Happiness by Shelley J Alongi A hot, humid night in Philadelphia sets the course for the coming centuries as Thomas ... [1,102 words]
The Wild Flee by Rae An ode to imaginary friends. [471 words]
The Way It Is by Daniel Jake Progress is in the eye of the beholder. [436 words]
The Legend Of Pygman by David Clark Long ago in ancient Greece there lived a hero that toppled an empire, freed a nation, and ... [4,545 words]
The Hunter And It's Prey by E Rocco Caldwell - [446 words]
The Hunger by David B Doc Byron An ancient planet/entity/being voices it's opinion. [243 words]
The Game by E Rocco Caldwell A contractor contracted to knock down the last vestment of baseball learns the power of the game. [1,838 words]
The First Cut Was The Last by Harvey Kennett One man's irrational fear following a shocking discovery. [813 words]
The Empty Room by Norman A Rubin Loneliness in a furnished room except for memories. [2,359 words]
Still Unsolved by Richard Koss A successful mystery writer returns to his old home town and recalls an unsolved mystery he neve... [2,136 words]
She Had Her Dog With Her by Wolfa Fiction/vaguely fantasy short story about someone obsessed with a woman. [2,617 words]
Raidon Plains Pt 1 by Michael S Upchurch What's the difference, nobody reviews anything on this website anyway. [3,602 words]
Probing by Skyler Drevan This is a short story I wrote for my psychology class. It's written as a sadistic persona similiar to t... [1,489 words]
Pretty Mary Ellen by Norman A Rubin A missing little girl disappears and found dead after being violated by a sexual maniac. [1,588 words]
Nobody Heard Me by Harvey Kennett If you found this when you returned home, how would you react ? [577 words]
Moonlight Enchantress Part Ii by Martini The second chain of D.Donley's "The Moon Enchantress" [142 words]
Moonlight Enchantress Part 4 by D Donely Here we have it, the 4th installment of this CHAIN STORY. C'mon, you know you want... [330 words]
Hindsight by Johnny Moore "Hindsight" is a science fiction short-story that takes place on planet Pluto. Two astronauts are se... [1,300 words]
Gunning Down Romance by Emma Roberts The story is tragic and has a moral parrallel with the current high- profile topic of teen... [1,425 words]
Devastation by Buxton A one man journal piece, in the events after the end of the world.... [432 words]
Dead Letter Office - A Serial Short Story by David B Doc Byron A drug addled scientist attempts to create the perfect killing machin... [256 words]
Cryosleep by David B Doc Byron An ailen exacts his revenge upon his human oppressors. [386 words]
Codebreaker by E Thomas A historical fiction/science fiction story. This is based on the attempted takeover by Mary, Queen ... [4,363 words]
Child Murder by Skyler Drevan Another story written for my psychology class on a study in child criminalization in the last fift... [7,471 words]
Chicago Cutlery by Kathy Lafollett A glimpse in the life of utensily challenged mom. [1,229 words]
Cassius-The-Leg by Buxton A true story of a young squirrel's fight against repression and a day that would mark the end t... [648 words]
Can You Trust Us Strangers ? by Harvey Kennett Your life is not your own... [304 words]
Biding Its Time by Harvey Kennett Sometimes, you cannot rush Nature... [836 words]
A Trip To The Dentists' by Mulan A man shares his fear of the Dentist... comedy. [959 words]
A Sense Of Timing by E Rocco Caldwell - [564 words]
Ejaculating Jesus by Sean Scully Sinfully delicious. This story was semi inspired by a great novel called "Ten Thousand Sorrow... [1,987 words]
What You Deserve by Hope C Clarke A short story. [2,768 words]
Videotape by Skyler Drevan This is a short story I wrote after reading a particularly interesting book and was far too full of a... [7,472 words]
Two Lives by Theresa I am very family oriented, we have five generations living on both sides of our family-and it is quit... [823 words]
The World Can Be A Dangerous Place by Vyacheslav Yampolsky A weird little story, about nothing, or everything. You decide. [707 words]
The Rescue by Justin B William Justice Sometimes the things that we fear most lead to salvation. [666 words]
The Living Truth by Deborah Coleman - [2,168 words]
The Last Exam
The Invisible Wall! by Penny Groh - [595 words]
The Fight by Skyler Drevan A true story narrarated by me about a horrible marriage and the fight that led to the bitter end. [1,499 words]
The Father by Roxi Bri Love has no limits... [575 words]
The Butterfly's Cocoon! by Penny Groh - [384 words]
Sheela by David B Doc Byron An avid fan of hunting wild game is suddenly faced with the idea of preserving life. [674 words]
Saturday Night by Wolfa A woman living in a post-apocalyptic future in an empty city. I wrote this several months ago, ... [1,484 words]
Paranoia by David B Doc Byron If Michelle liked my story ''MAGIC,'' she'll love this one. [444 words]
Oliver's Secret Love by Sir Oliver An older man falls in love with a very, very young woman and keeps it a secret. [559 words]
Oh Shit (Pt 2) by D Donely Just the ending of the first part. About a night with my "stoner" friend. hehe. Don't ask... [808 words]
Nuclear Fire Turkeys by Benjamin Ian Osborne A story that originally explains how man acctually came into being. [2,525 words]
Nightmare At Brushy Creek by D G Williford While sleeping dreams become reality... [106 words]
Magic by David B Doc Byron A magician meets up with his successor. [263 words]
Life Lessons! by Penny Groh Lessons in life I learned along the way. [620 words]
Instincts by E Rocco Caldwell A young reformed gang member is trying to just survive the night and make it home. [3,398 words]
I'm Coming For You by David B Doc Byron A devout Atheist decides to meet his maker... ....the hard way. [526 words]
Fool Fish: A Parable by Jt Pearce Besides farming, the town of Granville has always been know for its fantastic fishing. So ... [4,233 words]
Father Love by Arthuro Western (classic shootout with a twist) [436 words]
Escape by Randall L Perkins A tortured soul attempts to escape abuse. [664 words]
Dreamfix Part Two by David B Doc Byron A hopeless drug addict descends into junkie hell. [355 words]
Dreamfix Part Three by David B Doc Byron Leo gets introduced to the ''Re-conditioning Center.'' [342 words]
Dreamfix - Part One by David B Doc Byron A junkie's drug induced demons catch up with him. [185 words]
Dreamfix - I'm Closing The Story. by David B Doc Byron Since nobody wanted to read it or review it, I'm closing it. [154 words]
Divine Domain by Harvey Kennett The search for God takes many forms, not least of which is the Internet. A young man stumbles acr... [1,471 words]
Brimstone by David B Doc Byron A telephone conversation between two of the US of A's most ''intelligent'' scientists. [421 words]
Voodoo Moon by David B Doc Byron An infertile couple adopt a baby. [283 words]
The Thing On The Ice by Paula Poland Based on a real teen who visits the Okoboji (Iowa) web site and posts his messages using a... [1,276 words]
The Lake, My Mom, And The Sears Dressing Room by Ariana Linkletter Written out of appreciation for my mom and her patience with her ... [1,363 words]
The Immortality Thief by David B Doc Byron A college professor meets up with his worst nightmare. [480 words]
The Eleventh Commandment by Robert Remington Abbot Anna Winslow was about to become the first and last time traveler on a 25 billion year... [3,050 words]
The Death Of A Gecko by Sean Scully A short story about having gas. [122 words]
The Breakfast Club by Glenn G Deweese Cops, Suicide, Breakfast. [2,254 words]
The Bracken Bloom by Gene O'div - [9,589 words]
My Big Sister And The Fly by Ariana Linkletter A silly story about a fat fly. [639 words]
Miss Lavinia's Portrait by Laura Mae Oldham-Brownell This piece is set in Europe during the late 1800's. Hopefully, it will take the reader ... [479 words]
Miles J. Jax, An Early Day In The Life by Branson Storm This section is an early excerpt from my novel. It will hopefully give ... [4,566 words]
Kaleidoscope Maker by T Bianafka Fictional short story about how bad things can happen to good people when they try to do goo... [2,350 words]
Just When Everything Seemed Fine by Hanan Al Kindi It was going to be the best holiday ever, until... [1,685 words]
Inbred by David B Doc Byron A story based on the mass murderer Ed Gein. [303 words]
Easter by Gene O'div - [7,381 words]
Chemo Pastry Party by Branson Storm Miles walks through a dream induced by the drugs of his chemotherapy. [1,096 words]
Cannibals by David B Doc Byron Two holocaust survivors learn the hard way how to survive. [334 words]
Amelia Has Been Forgotten by Freedom Fries - [2,710 words]
The Cozy Rest Motel by Paula Poland The Cozy Rest Motel: A woman traveling alone on business through rural Missouri is compelle... [2,033 words]
Smash Hit! by Z Miah A short story about three friends. [869 words]
Robertson County by Falconcraft Growing up in Texas, a brief episode with the law in an adjourning county. [1,296 words]
Braided Belt From Hell by D G Williford Frustration of trying to get to work on a rainy day... [393 words]
Go to page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 [32] 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
| |
TITLE (EDIT)
The Last Exam |
DESCRIPTION
A student sits pondering his life during his final school exam.
[1,443 words] |
TITLE KEYWORD
Humor |
AUTHOR
Jack Arnold |
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
29 year old guy.
[July 2003] |
The Last Exam
Jack Arnold
‘Begin!’
I sat staring at the blank piece of paper in front of me. It stared back defiantly. 12 years of formal government sanctioned education and countless acts of Parliament laws, by-laws, sub-laws and in-laws had boiled down to this: my final exam. After today my formal school career would be over and I would be released upon the world as a free man. I would be able to go after all the goals I had set myself as a young man early on in my career.
‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ I roared confidently while standing on the podium of the stage in Oslo, ‘I want to thank you all for this Nobel Prize for peace. It is always an honour to be recognised by such a prestigious organisation as yours. And although this is my 7th award from the Nobel foundation, it is no less important than any of the others. Yes, I was happy to be able to solve the starvation problem in Africa and of course I was happy to play a part in the restoration of the Ozone layer and once again I am proud to have brought peace to the Middle East. Being able to win Wimbledon 3 times in a row is always a wonderful achievement and David Dupont, is everything ok with you – ‘
I looked up as I was whisked back to the designated school desk of Mt Eden High. Mrs Barnet’s eyes narrowed as she repeated her question.
‘Yes,’ I answered as my eyes dropped back down to the blank sheet of paper in front of me. I stared at it. Its corners seemed to curl slightly as it smirked back at me.
Right, I thought. Time to get to work. I wrote my name in the top right corner. Now what was that first question again… Explain the events surrounding the formal peace talks between the Jiang Ling and Chou Fang dynasties in 1203. The Ta Hang province was always warm this time of the year but so beautiful too. The valleys surrounding us seemed to stretch on like the ocean much further than what the human eye could see. And the green of the mountains was of a colour so rich and luminous that it seemed to drown out the blandness of the samurai soldiers around me. But of course I wasn’t here to enjoy the beauty. Jiang Ling gestured me forward as I met the chief negotiator of the Chou Fang dynasty.
‘David Dupont,’ he bowed, ‘it is an honour to meet a living legend. Your stories of bravery and courage carry well across the provinces of my homeland. They are stories told equally around campfires and temples.’
It is always nice to be able to be remembered for the uncovering of the secret spice route through Asia or of course rescuing the charming princess of the Emperor Chang. And of course it was always nice to practice my fluent Cantonese except…well, I didn’t actually speak Cantonese. A noise caught my attention to the right. I looked in the direction from where the noise came. Why would a Samurai soldier be sitting at a desk, scribbling notes…where was his sword. I looked down at my sword but instead of a mighty sword, a Bic pen hovering over an almost blank piece of paper.
Dana McCormack was so beautiful. The most popular girl in school. Straight A student, captain of the debating team as well as the netball team and fearless campaigner for a GE free society. And even crouched over her desk writing away confidently she was still able to grab my hand and scream.
‘What are we going to do??’
‘Dana, don’t panic,’ I answered calmly, ‘just stay close to me and we’ll get out of here.’ I looked around the corner but the four members of the Death Biker gang were closing in, blocking our only exit. They were armed with baseball bats, chains and what looked like a knife.
‘Now,’ I said, looking deeply into Dana’s eyes, ‘I want you to hide behind those garbage cans and whatever happens, stay there.’
‘But David, what about you?’
‘I’ll be ok, I can take –’ my words were cut off by her moist lips pressing against mine. Despite having negotiated peace in China, or winning Wimbledon, it took all my concentration to tear myself away from her. But I did and heading off into the alley. The four gang members stopped their approach obviously caught by surprise. They glared at me momentarily before started what amounted to a gallop in my direction. The leader of the pack didn’t know what hit him as I skilfully deflected his chain and brought up my knee to his stomach. As his partner swung the bat towards my head, he made only contact with the cold concrete which returned the powerful blow with interest causing his hands to shake and his eyes to bulge. Luckily my leap over the remaining two ensured their wild swings made only contact with fresh air. Of course by the time they realised this, it was far too late as a couple of well placed blows ensured they were having a closer inspection of the council’s recent upgrade of the road surface. I ran back towards the alley and grabbed Dana’s hand. Her look was one of both admiration and shock as we sprinted towards the road exit. The bikers had started to come around. Not waiting for the return bout I leapt onto one of their bikes with Dana behind me. I turned the ignition but the bike wouldn’t move. I pumped the gas but it remained stationary such as this pen and paper were all supplied by the school and it was intended that you use them Mr Dupont.
I looked up into Barnet’s steely eyes and realised she was no Death Biker although she would have fitted in well. Somehow my bike had become a desk and Dana had somehow slipped away.
I looked down again at my desk. The piece of paper was still there and my name was still on it. I looked around. Some were scribbling away furiously. Others were deep in thought staring away in some belief that the answers to all questions we have, lay in the top right hand corner of the room. I looked there too but no answers lay before me. Instead I looked through the window and saw the mountains under me, looking so small from this height. It was as if I could put my entire thumb over the mountain ranges as if they were some plaything of mine. The oceans were vast perhaps on Earth but from the emptiness of space they were small and fragile. Being the first person to set foot on Mars was exhilarating but seeing the beauty of Mother Earth was no less so. The mission had been tough especially when we discovered the faulty rocket booster on the XJ Shuttle Adventurer. But luckily the space walk I undertook had been successful in restoring the faulty circuit. It was complicated work especially as no text books existed for that kind of error but luckily experience had taught me to adapt. I didn’t like the term hero they were using back on Earth. For me, I was just doing my job and the fame, women, money all meant nothing to me…Sure I would do the talk show circuit but my satisfaction lay in a job well done. As the shuttle approached Earth I started entering the landing co-ordinates. It was a bit strange that the control panel was made of wood of my desk had scratches and marks created by thousands of other students before me also sitting their final exam.
It’s funny to think that the next phase of my life would begin once this exam is over. It was as if this piece of paper in front of me was not merely a piece of paper. It was far more. It was a portal between now and then. Although blank now, it would soon be filled with words and sentences. And these words and sentences would tell stories of things I would do. Of places I’d go and people I’d meet. These pages would be filled with happiness and sadness. They would contain emotions that I hadn’t even begun to experience. In it would be the keys to unlocking the mystery of the universe. And all of it, all the power, all the glory, all the hope and all the aspirations were in my hands. I looked longingly at the pen in my hand. What secrets have you got for me?
I lowered my pen to the paper and began my final exam.
|
READER'S REVIEWS (4)
DISCLAIMER: STORYMANIA DOES NOT PROVIDE AND IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR REVIEWS. ALL REVIEWS ARE PROVIDED BY NON-ASSOCIATED VISITORS, REGARDLESS OF THE WAY THEY CALL THEMSELVES.
"if you want a review, i'd say delightfully enjoyable. If we were knew each other, i'd say, "yeah, that's about how i feel on final exam day." my favorite part was the resuce scene with your girl Dana. Freakin incredible. If you write another peice, do it on the drudgery of school. I can never run out of people to relate to. Nice." -- Harry Gillen.
"i didn't notice you were 29" -- Harry.
"Thanks for your kind words Harry. Eventhough I have been out of school sometime now I always find it comfortable in the so-called school environment." -- Jack Arnold.
"I liked this a lot, due to the way its written... to say it basically. I especially liked the description- "...ensured they were having a closer inspection of the council?s recent upgrade of the road surface." Good job, I think you ensured that I'll probably find my mind wondering in a similar way with my final exam..." -- Miles Tugman.
TO DELETE UNWANTED REVIEWS CLICK HERE! (SELECT "MANAGE TITLE REVIEWS" ACTION) |
|
Submit Your Review for The Last Exam
Required fields are marked with (*).
Your e-mail address will not be displayed.
|
|
Submit Your Rating for The Last Exam
|
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2003 Jack Arnold |
STORYMANIA PUBLICATION DATE
July 2003 |
NUMBER OF TIMES TITLE VIEWED
2302
|
|
