(Note: the story is not part of the puzzle)
BUZZ BUZZ! BUZZ BUZZ!
From the depths of the blankets rose a hand that slammed haphazardly into the top of the alarm clock. And like the swatting of a stubborn mosquito, it took many hits to finally make the buzzing stop.
“Oh no...”
Jared stared up at the ceiling. Day had broken and beams of scanty sunlight were shining on the metal blades of the ceiling fan at just the right angle to catch his eye. Summoned from his hibernation, he immediately moved to reach for his phone, his trusty digital companion, his ever-reliable... wait, where had it gone?
“Oh noooo...”
Spurred by the search-and-rescue mission, Jared leapt out of bed to hunt down his phone. Table? No. Dresser? Bare. Drawer? Empty. Under the bed? Clear. Bin? Don’t be ridiculous.
“Oh nooooooo...”
As he paused to compose himself and think critically about where he might have misplaced his phone, Jared heard a glimmer of muffled conversation.
“...so this Anki deck changed my life, it changed my study, and now it can change your study too...”
There! Under the pillow! A small corner of his mobile device had exposed itself in his mad inquisition and off Jared went to fetch it.
“...simply study this link — sorry, visit this link — download the deck and it will *revolutionise* the way you approach your study!”
OH NO, Jared thought. Has it seriously been playing all night? Jared checked the battery. It was at 6%. Yep.
Not on a uni day as well! Now what was he supposed to do in class, actually listen? And, to add insult to injury, the algorithmic powers that be have clearly worked him out to be a struggling medical student if they were recommending him this sort of content.
“Your work should revolve around study. Study. Study. Your life — study. Study."
And there go the final bits of charge that my phone was holding onto, Jared thought. He glanced at the top-right corner of his screen. 5%. Wait, 5%!?
“Study. Study. Study. Study. Study.” repeated the TikToker in her mesmerising loop.
“Huh, now THAT is strange...”
(To be continued...)
