The Death Notice Arrived Before 7:55

Mom offered to go back for Molly, but Molly waved her off, saying it was only a two-minute walk and she’d be back in no time.I watched my sister hurry toward the house, feeling strangely uneasy.Just then, Mom, who was sitting in the passenger seat, turned to look at me.“Kelly, double-check your things too. You don’t want to get to the testing center and realize you’ve forgotten something.”I looked away and checked my exam essentials once more.My admission ticket, ID card, calculator...Five minutes passed.Dad tapped his fingers rhythmically against the steering wheel.Mom lowered the window and peered toward the house.Ten minutes passed.It only took two minutes to walk home from where we had parked.Molly still hadn’t returned.Mom could no longer sit still and pushed the passenger door open.“I’m going home to check. Maybe Molly couldn’t find her admission ticket.”I glanced at the time on the dashboard.6:41 a.m.A sentence suddenly flashed through my mind.“Tomorrow at 6:30

The first one read: [Tomorrow at 6:30 a.m.. Leaving for the testing center. Your sister disappears.]Because I hadn’t taken the message seriously and left for the testing center at 6:30, Molly really did disappear.The second message read: [Traffic jam. You're in the car. Your father isn't. Dead.]Dad was fine, and so was I, because I had gotten out of the car.I hadn’t followed the message’s , so the prediction hadn’t come true.The thought made my whole body relax.That was what I told myself.As long as I didn’t follow the messages’ , everything would be fine.A short while later, the car pulled up outside the school. It was already past eight.Mom paid the fare and turned to look at me.“We’re here. Let’s get out.”At the exact moment I opened the car door, I failed to notice the phone in my pocket vibrate.A new message lay quietly in my inbox.7:30 a.m.I stood outside the testing center and glanced down at my phone.There was a new message.It was from the same unfamiliar number

I turned around to find Mom standing behind me. She was the one who called my name.She was holding my document envelope. The sudden chain of events had happened so quickly that I hadn’t even realized I’d dropped it.“You’re heading into battle without your weapon. You’re always forgetting things.”Mom scolded me as she usually did, but something felt off.Though she kept complaining, she avoided my gaze the entire time.Even her expression seemed stiff and strangely complicated.It wasn’t simple worry or anxiety. There was something else in her eyes—something I couldn’t understand.She handed me the pencil case, her voice more hurried than usual.“I checked everything for you. Hurry up and go take your test.”I took it and looked inside.My admission ticket, ID card, calculator...Everything was there.But my admission ticket and ID card had clearly been in my possession the entire time.“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Just do your best. I believe in you.”She said it all in

At 9:50, the bell signaling the end of the test rang.I only had one thought in my mind.My SAT score had to be mine.The proctor came over and nodded at me.“It’s been taken care of. I’ve had a new admission ticket issued for you. Just use it to enter this afternoon.”I nodded my thanks.I tucked my newly issued admission ticket into the innermost compartment of my backpack, then placed Molly’s admission ticket and ID into my document envelope.The bell signaling the end of the final test rang. I left the testing room, and retrieved my phone from the locker.I turned it on.There were no new messages.When I walked out of the testing room, the gates were already surrounded by people.Mom and Dad were already waiting there. And Molly was there, too.The moment Mom saw me, she hurried over.“Kelly, how did it go?”The smile on her face made me feel cold inside.But I still forced a faint smile.“It was okay.”She looked guilty and lowered her head to avoid my gaze.I didn’t expose her.