Sweat begins to form on Felipe’s head from the warm studio lights as the show moves into round two. So far, he hasn’t been living up to his expectations and he already knows that he won’t be able to live with himself for spending all that time studying just to come back empty handed. After a brief commercial break, Alex began to announce the new categories and Felipe knew that his luck was about to change. Between the Disney Film Scores and “C” States categories, he eyes it, his saving grace, Books of the Bible. His stomach begins to churn and his hunger grows as he plots out his plan of attack.

 

Felipe was currently in second place, so he didn’t get the option of choosing the category. He wasn’t even sure if he would go directly for it, he wanted to have at least some tact about it, so when he answered the $1200 question in another category he didn’t even flinch before finishing the rest of the category. With the board in his hands and a decent lead secured, Felipe decided to go for it and stated plainly, “Books of the Bible for 400 Alex.”

 

“Answer,” replied the host. “Daily Double!”

 

Felipe was stunned, how could he be so lucky? He tried to keep his cool, but it was pretty clear that he was super stoked about this. Thinking quickly about where he was in relation to his competitors, Felipe realized what he had to do. “A true Daily Double, Alex.” The crowd goes wild.

 

“Heh, big money,” Trebek commented. “Okay, here’s the clue. Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night.”

 

“Are you serious?” Felipe thought. “This is almost too easy.” Without hesitation, he answered correctly to another round of uproarious applause. Feeling confident in himself, he immediately moved on to the next question with a simple, “Bible 800.”

 

“Okay, here’s the answer. The two books of the bible that reference a position or title.” 

 

Slamming his thumb on the buzzer, Brandon beats Felipe to the punch and answers correctly, gaining control of the board. Less of a bibliophile, Brandon veers off into another category, throwing Felipe off his game. It takes him another two categories to move the other players back to books of the bible, but his confidence is all but shot. He answers the $1200 question shakily and moves on to $1600 fearing the worst.

 

“This is what you’ve been working toward,” he reminds himself. “This is what it all boils down to.” With blood pumping through his veins, he attempts to slow time with his mind in order to find the exact millisecond to buzz in. Completely missing the question, Felipe buzzes in seconds after the end of the answer and only then realizes he didn’t hear a word. Stumbling, Felipe throws out a guess of “Deuteronomy?” only to soon comprehend his mistake.

 

Jackie ends up swooping in on the question and before he realizes it, she’s taken the $2000 question and the rest of the board with her. Move into final Jeopardy! Felipe feels secure in his lead, but his blood is now beginning to boil.

 

Just as the music is about to start, everything goes black. Next thing he knows, Felipe finds himself in a hospital bed surrounded by friends and family. “Did I win?” he asks to a sea of smiling faces, hoping he will retrieve the memory soon.

 

“Sure you did, bud. Sure you did,” states his uncle reassuringly, before turning back to the doctor and asking, “Is there nothing more that can be done?”

 

It is at this moment that Felipe looks up to the corner of the room where a television is mounted on the wall. Jeopardy! is on, his favorite show, and Alex is just about to read the final Jeopardy! question. “Oh no,” he thinks. “Oh. No.”

 

 

 

 

 

This was written by Nathan Ellwood, who you may not be able to tell loves Jeopardy! All best wishes to Alex Trebek and his family. Follow him (Nathan, not Alex ya dingus) on Twitter @NPEllwood.