1 001

Where have all my emotions gone? My dreams that keep me sane from collapsing in this world, where are they?

A twirl of my pen. Another wrinkly old tentacle spawned from the doodle on the corner of my notebook. Long inky tentacles and antenna sought to reach the blue, generic sun rays slashing across the paper. But only the corals and sponge doodles were tall enough to look like they weren't even submerged in the drawn water. The tentacles remained confined to the shadows, just like my thoughts, heavy and blotchy where the ink had been thick and runny. Smudges making it look more like muddy waters than the blue things I had tried to archieve.

"Nice drawing," a voice pulled me out of my stupor. I looked up from my sketchbook. Bright rays slipped through the wide library windows, momentarily blinding my vision. Towering over my puny seated figure, the man leaned closer. Before I could make out his features, I drowned in his musky and sharp scent. My stomach stirred and my heart started with desires thought best belonged to teenagers and not almost 30-years-old college professors.

"Did I scare you?" he asked with a gleaming, bright smile spreading across his chiseled, handsome face.

I suddenly became quite aware of my dorky glasses and pushed them up a bit tad, even though they were sitting properly on the rim of my nose.

"Not really," I swiftly flipped my notebook and moved to stand up, "You're a new face here, aren't you? What do you teach?" The man perked a brow peering at me with an intrusive green gaze. Had I done something wrong? "Oh, where are my manners?" I blurted out and extended a hand to the tall bloke, " Professor Bill Faux, I teach Philosophy majors."

His hand was rough and big. I wanted to appear composed and strong, like a proper faculty member. Instead, his fingers squeezed mine and a thin layer of cold sweat

cloaked my palm. He must have found me gross and weak. In many ways, that was how I saw myself so I smirked amused by my own childish insecurities and meaningless thoughts.

"And you are?" I indulged in studying his face a little longer than appropriate. His odd silence helped since I could pretend to be puzzled when really I was just enjoying the

view. "William Pierce. A pleasure to meet you, " he eventually answered and gestured for me to sit, before he occupied the chair opposite mine, across the spacious mahogany table.

William. A Greek God. Well, kinda like a British kinda royalty name of sorts but still sex on legs god. The medium-cut dark hair contrasted beautifully with his fair skin. Even his edges and undercut was nicely done. His straight nose and full stern lips had my undivided attention, despite my best efforts to look away. It wasn't just that he was good-looking, but there was also something familiar about him. Dangerous. Even the name rang a distant bell from the past. Maybe he's a William from those overly boring documentaries I watch .The chair I had been occupying for over an hour, now

seemed uncomfortable and foreign. Was my heart beating too loudly?

"And what do you teach, Mr. Pierce?" I tried to seem polite and uninterested, which was a silly and impossible combination to achieve. He smirked at me and something dangerous gleamed in his gaze. Was he about to mock me or was I so obvious in my inclinations and fancies that he'd read my interest in him? And where had I seen him before?

"I'm not here as a teacher, Mr. Faux."

As he said my name, that voice got deeper and harsher and huskier? I think.

In that small instant, ideas of terrorists, begrudging college students and odd news reports of shootings filled my head. He felt dangerous, but I had no actual reason to suspect him of ill-intent. I looked at my wrist watch and let out a sigh that only the busy and highly solicited release in frustration, "l'm sorry.I have to go now."

"Stay a while. Your lecture doesn't start for another twenty minutes" Jack said, proving an odd familiarity with my schedule.

That stopped me from standing up.

"How do you..? Are you even allowed to be here?"| whisper-yelled staring at the guy.

He seemed too old to be a student and too well dressed to be, frankly, even a teacher. His suit was impeccable and tailored to fit perfectly.

"Just who are you?" the hushed words left my lips without my permission.

He glanced around the place as if appraising it. "Mr. Ace sends his greetings" ... Mr Ace? I knew that name. Generic gangster movie scenes veiled my eyes. Will perfectly fit the role of an enforcer. He grinned observing my flustered demeanor. One of his canines protruded sharp and dangerous reminding me of a sly animal.

"There's some business Mr. Ace thinks should concern you, Mr.Faux"... I swallowed my dread and recovered what little pride l had left. "I can guess why you're here. So how much is it now?" My voice quivered at the end in sudden exhaustion.

"55"

My stupid brother had gambled everything away and it seemed he would never stop.

The last time I had seen Sean, he was getting a beating for money owed to that Mr. Ace. I promised to pay for him, and there went my 18 thousand in savings.

The way Sean told it, you'd think he couldn't have passed on the opportunity of stuffing a gangster's pockets. A once in a lifetime thing. The 'Ace Cards Casino' was exclusive and only big whales played. He'd figured it would be easy money. But the house always wins, brother... ALWAYS!

After that, Sean had said that he wouldn't gamble anymore, that he was sorry, that he'd pay me back. Typical Sean always said a lot of things.

'So l'm supposed to come up with 55 hundred?" I sighed the words and rubbed my temples thinking it could have been worse.

"55 thousand..."

My eyes fixed on Will's amused face. Maybe I heard wrong. Maybe he's just messing with me. Maybe l'm not even here and everything is a neat dream. What would Freud say about such a dream?

"The interest is growing as we speak."

"Woah, wait a minute. I paid for Sean the last time, but that was all of my savings. I don't have that kind of money." It was pointless, but still, I couldn't help it. I sounded like a loan shark's victim. Broken legs - a certainty in my future.

"Sean said you were good for it" Fucking brat!

"I barely make that in a year. Why would you believe a gambler?" Sometimes I wondered whether Sean was truly the older brother. Maybe we had switched places at some point.

"I'm Just here to deliver the message, Mr.Faux" Will said standing up, an eerie grin still on his Dionysus face.

"No, no. Wait," I sprang to my feet and posted myself inches away from his wide shoulders.

My head tilted way back so I could look him in the eyes -

fucking tall bustard!

"Don't hurt Sean. I'l figure something out. Like, er, a payment plan, right? That can work"

Will's laughter filled the large library and turned a few heads in our direction. It was forced and menacing, but perhaps only to me, because I could see that his eyes weren't laughing

"You people drug-deal?right"

The laughter ended abruptly and he stared at me perplexed. Good. "You came here because Sean did not gamble but rather steal something from you. Oh, wait.. You're absolutely a brute, muscle for hire, nothing more than an idiot... doing dirty work for the bosses and in the end all the shit is on you. No value to the industry?"

I was going too far with it. I tried to stop myself from blurting those things out, but it was too late.

His momentary bemused expression spurred me on and I wasn't thinking, I was only speaking. "I'm telling you, I can't pay all at once. Now go tell this Mr. Ace that if he wants his money he'll have to wait."

All the while, my flimsy, index finger had been poking repeatedly at his massive, hard chest. Such a stupid, useless gesture. His rough hand trapped mine and clenched, squishing my fingers together without mercy.

Pain and helplessness washed over me, heart racing against the tide of nausea that quickly set in. But it was anger fueling me now.

"You think I'll scream?" I scoffed and sneered to make a point. "l'm not afraid of you, Will"

His grin returned, strangely making him seem rather pleased, though I suspected he was more than annoyed with me. He released my hand and I wiggled my fingers in relief. The red marks persisted and there was still a phantom sensation of his grip on my hand.

"You have until the end of the week."

Today's Thursday! Seriously?! But before I could speak, he was already at the door. I wanted to yell and shoot a few curse words his way. Not that it would have helped..

I'll never be able to come up with that much money in time.