The Program [Book Two of The Test]

Chapter Twenty-Three

My eyes were open, so were John's. But he couldn't see what was coming down all around us. 

And he couldn't see what was coming right at us.

I pushed him away but it was no use. By the time we weren't connected anymore, everything was crumbling around us and a large pixelated cube was heading for John's head.

Without thinking, I rolled him over, now protecting his body from harm as it fell on my head and the test became a blur.

And soon that blur became nothing.

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Everything was dark but I could feel someone picking me up.

"It's okay. We shut it down, Lexi." The voice was John's. Ans as I slowly and painfully opened my eyes I saw him.

"We did it." I half cheered as I held my head. "What happened?"

"You saved my life." He grinned. "Not like it would have mattered much in that circumstance anyway, but it's the thought that counts."

I looked around, still clinging to John when I realized, "Um, one more question. Why are you holding me in your arms?"

"Maybe I wanted to kiss you again." He answered straight faced. My jaw hung open as he laughed. "I'm kidding, Lexi. Take a joke." He then put me down. "You just looked hurt and I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Thanks." I smiled. "So, where's the tree?"

"What tree?"

I stared at him. "You know, the tree. The memory wipe tree except it's a different color. Come on, it was here in the last dream we had before we left the test."

"You are the only when that had that dream then. All I did in my dream was crawl out of a hole and the next thing I know i'm in a hospital bed."

"Oh." 

"Don't worry though." He responded. "There's a hole over there we can jump into, I think it's the way out."

"But you just said that last time crawling out of the hole was the way out, not in it." 

He ran his hand through his hair. "Come on, we've got nothing to lose, there's no where else to go." He quirked his head. "Don't you trust me?"

"Yeah, kinda. It's Reid I don't trust. Last time he played a mind mind on me in here. For all we know this is a trick, John." I explained. "Let's try to find another way out."

But he grabbed my hand. Hard. "We're going down the hole."

And then it hit me, "You're not John, are you?"

"Wow, took ya long enough." He snarled. "You know that term, beauty and brains? Yeah, you don't have either."

"You're Reid, you're messing with my mind again."

"Bingo." He paused. "Except for the Reid part, no. I am his boss."

My eyes widened. "Where's John?"

"Laying in a hospital bed. To bad the nurses in the room are trying to get assistance because his heart just stopped beating." 

I was on the verge of tears. "What did you did to him?"

"Oh, that doesn't matter, Lexi. What matters is how to make it stop." He turned toward the hole again. "You're choice." 

"How do I know you're not lying to me?"

"You don't." Then, he walked away, pixels fading as he went.

I had one choice, especially if this John was right and my friend was dying.

With that thought, I jumped.

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Dedicated to @just_magpie for being the amazing reader that you are.

(not proofread fully)

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