Edit I 29/04: Spaced out paragraphs that were pasted badly from wordpad.
Chapter One
Rain bore down on the windows of the Exeter University's main lecture hall, as Professor Mandrake Moreau acknowledged his students departing in an orderly fashion. The lecture had been like any other. Professor. Moreau's field was Ancient Archaeology. Moreau was a man of high distinction in his field, and his students would always thank him after lectures. As the last of them left, Mandrake started to sift through his papers and tidy his stand. This lecture had covered most of his curriculum to date, it was something of a summary. Summer was approaching fast, and he would soon take his leave. For Mandrake, that meant long evenings in his house alone. He had lived that way for several years, probably over a decade now.
Moreau stopped his tidying, and bowed his head for a moment. The realisation of another long summer alone hit him, in one moment. Days and nights spent in solemn silence. He couldn't turn on the television, it still reminded him of her. The radio only played the new songs now, and the old songs reminded him of her too. Instead, he would read voraciously to pass the time. His whole life would be put on hold as he ventured into adventure, intrigue and horror novels. Often he'd cite these in his lectures as a means of getting points across. His A. Conan Doyle quips were always met with warm reception, especially, from his more educated students. Besides, it was nice to get away from the drear of talking about ancient civilisation sometimes.
Yet, despite the benefits of reading, what Moreau craved the most was human contact. To the untrained eye, Moreau was a vivacious, lively man who loved the spotlight, who revelled in being a font of knowledge. A man who considered his experience and intellect were a gift to those around him. However, he was a shell of a man. Outside of his lectures, and the daily, and in his mind banal banter of the staff room, he had no life to speak of. Another summer alone was his own idea of a personal Hell.
Head still hung, Moreau heard the creak of the wooden door to the lecture hall, and quickly put a hand over his chin, giving the impression his posture represented thought rather than despair. He tried to look oblivious, and deep in thought, as he heard two light feet cross the shiny wooden floor, and a quaint little cough by his side. He held one finger in the air, pretending to finish a sentence on a page before him, or a chain of thought in his head, and then straightened himself up, looking towards the source of the sound.
Before him stood a tall, attractive woman. It was Alessa Marie. Alessa was a mature student, about 27. She often came by and asked him questions after lectures, or stayed behind to thank him at length for explaining that one niggle in Ancient Egyptian Religion that had troubled her the same week. Behind her long black hair, Alessa hid a beautiful smile, and a pair of deep, teal eyes. The kind of eyes that could get a man into trouble. The kind that could break a man's heart. Yet, before Professor Moreau, she almost seemed to conceal them, peering through strands of her long dark hair and looking quite inferior, as if at any moment she would bow her head and courtsy to the Professor. It had been so long since he had experienced any contact with a woman, though, that the Professor was pretty much oblivious to this.
"Ms. Marie. It's good to see you. What brings you here?" Moreau furrowed his brow as he looked up towards the attractive young lady, looking over his glasses at her in a look purely plutonic.
"Mandrake, sorry- Professor Moreau-" Alessa stumbled hopelessly, not finding her words. Moreau frowned, this level of communication difficulty being quite unusual from the outgoing young lady.
"What is it Ms. Marie? Is everything okay? Would you like me to go over any of the points from today's lecture?"
"No, no sir...I mean Professor, it's just I..Well. No, no, this is wrong. I'm sorry, I'm wasting your time Professor. I'm very sorry."
The Professor frowned again, his student's words seeming uncommon and perplexing. He stacked his papers and set them inside a large red ringbinder, and walked from the podium, putting a hand on Alessa's shoulder and leading her towards a set of benches in the ovular lecture hall. The girl almost yelped as his hand touched her shoulder, but stifled herself. Moreau was oncemore oblivious. Alessa sat down first, her legs crossed and her position upright and stiff, as if she were a child sat behaving herself on her mothers orders to 'be polite at your friends house'. Moreau sat a couple of spaces to her left, and turned himself to face the woman. Oncemore, Alessa did her best to hide behind her hair and avoid eye contact with the Professor.
Moreau took his glasses from his face, and folded them up neatly, tucking them into the pocket of his plaid white shirt and raising his eyebrows at the woman before him.
"Now, Miss Marie, this is quite unlike you. What seems to be troubling you?"
"Well Professor, I was wondering..Haha.." Alessa started to laugh, then stopped herself. She started to play with her long hair, folding it behind her ear to one side, revealing her face to the Professor, quite inadvertantly, and started to twist and brush the other side with her hand nervously. Moreau caught her gaze in one instant, and her eyes locked with his momentarily, before she snapped her head forwards and looked at the parallel wall apologetically. The Professor felt an odd feeling inside him in that moment, something he hadn't felt in a long time. He couldn't put his finger on what it was, but it made him feel good, with a tinge of foreboding accompanying the sensation. His heart beat faster. He let out a small cough, covering his mouth with the outside of the fore and index fingers of his right hand. He spoke again, and Alessa's gaze snapped to the floor as his words came out.
"Ms. Marie, I'm quite sure I don't know the joke."
"I'm sorry, Professor." She started to fidget and look at her hands, like a child.
"But I've not done this before. I'm a little apprehensive."
"Ms. Marie, there is no need for apprehension around me. I'm quite lathargic. I'm sure you couldn't offend me with whatever it is that's on your mind. Have my lectures been too comprehensive as of late?"
"No!" Alessa looked quite shocked with the suggestion.
"Your lectures are always perfect, Professor Moreau."
Moreau composed himself, and tried not to let his head swell.
"Thank you, Ms. Marie."
"Please Professor, call me Alessa."
"Very well. Well, if we are being informal, you may call me Mandrake. Now, what is it that you needed me for?"
Mandrake deliberately left the business end of his sentence at the end, giving the impression he had to be somewhere. The woman was making him nervous, whatever she was making him feel, he didn't like it. Alessa looked at his left knee, unable to meet his gaze, as she responded softly, lowering her voice and sounding almost sexual, another fact which was lost on the Professor, who was hopelessly out of touch after all these years.
"I was wondering...If you would like to join me for a drink in the summer?"
The professor started and almost fell off his chair. He'd been expecting an in depth analysis of the Egyptian Sun Cult, or another of those half baked 'alternative theories' thrown his way. But instead this...He didn't know what to say. In an instant, the tables were turned. He became the stuttering, nervous wreck, and she became the voice of reason in the empty lecture hall.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked, it's not decent. You must have a wife, a family, I should have thought...I'm sorry Professor Moreau. I'm very sorry. I'll leave-I'm very sorry for interrupting you."
Maybe not. Alessa was still a wreck, just an apologetic one. Moreau stuttered, but managed to get his words out.
"Ms. Marie, that is an interesting proposal..And I will consider it. I presume you still have the contact number I gave out for those needing help with revision?"
"I do."
"Well, that is my home phone number. If you call me in the holidays, I will try and organise something."
"Brilliant! I will speak to you soon then...Mandrake." Alessa let his name linger on her tongue, managing to catch his eye as she got to her feet and walked slowly towards the door. Both parties felt the same feeling in this moment, a feeling of foreboding, yet a pleasurable one. Alessa turned to wave, as she left the room. Mandrake watched her, and almost called out 'Goodbye Ms. Marie' in her wake, but stopped himself as the door closed. As it clicked shut on its hinges, he looked around in disbelief, and realised he needed to exhale. His heart was beating fast now, as if it had waited until it was safe to reveal itself. Mandrake was alone again, now, alone with his thoughts and the sound of rain beating against the windows around the lecture hall. He looked to one of them, and outside it to the vibrantly green willow trees, dripping with rainwater but never losing their colour... This image would stay with him for a long time to come.
