The halls are silent. Empty.

Then comes the explosion of mental power,

crashing against the chalked walls of rocky breakwaters.

frantic whispers from saturated minds. electricity buzzing in the air

come too close and you get burnt.

atoms are neutral. potassium is k. xylem is dead.

wrapping minds around questions

tying sleek knots.

the voltage in the air is increasing

the spp was formed in 1947. the pap was formed in 1945. 194 candidates.

the dead past. the dead history

come alive under the scratch of sweating hands clutching refillable pens.

save the earth. future generations. coal. gas. oil.

silence.

the air is lightning.

crackling silently.

grades earned. grades lost. credits found. not enough.

you have five minutes left. please check that your name is written on every sheet of

the breakwater is receding. an old man's hairline.

crashes get lighter, indistinct blurs.

and the scurrying of feet and

swish of jackets is heard

as the chalk wall slumps in relief.

--By Yue Lin.

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