September 4, 2015, I’m taking this 60 question long test in less than 45 minutes. That’s less than a minute for each question, approximately three fourths of a minute for one question. Of course the level of difficulty is important, the faster I do the easier questions the longer time I have for the harder questions. So it’s doable seeing how the majority of the questions are very simple. However, what I didn’t account for was an external distraction- specifically an escapee on the loose. The screams were shrill and not at all restrained. The clashing of bodies into one another other, clamoring to get away, were distinct even through the barrier of the wall that separated me from them.

And briefly I wondered, “Could they be any more considerate?”

They were quite noisy, and eventually the teacher had to block the door in an attempt to lessen our burden. Taking a test here, very important stuff.

Now this may sound very heartless of me, but I had been on a roll. First fifteen minutes were through and I was almost halfway done, and if I got tripped up, I easily recovered after a few seconds of silence. I needed the silence, I needed to be concentrated solely on that test. But then the screams and shuffling and bustling- seriously?

Initially my mind raced with stories of could-bes. Did someone sit on a pencil and stab themselves again? Or trip while holding scissors? Were we under attack? But no, the loss of my concentration was due to a mouse. Some mouse had been found in the class adjacent to mine and students and teacher alike were in a frenzy with confusion of whether it was still taking residence or had already departed. My curiosity sated, there went eight minutes of my test. I was left slightly disgruntled.

Later when, I reflected on my thoughts and the past actions that occurred during the test, I was left slightly disturbed by myself. I sure had my priorities straight. What if something truly bad had been happening. I wasn’t the only one that hadn’t flinched at the sounds of distress. No one, not the students nor the teacher had gone to investigate. I only knew what had happened because the distressed had been screaming “mouse”.

This leaves me with so many questions. What if she hadn’t been screaming the reason of her distress, would we still have not gone to investigate? Right now the escapee had been a mouse, what if next time it’s taller than something one can step on to get rid of, what if it can easily get rid of you- What would you do?