Obsidian

Chapter Two

Leading to the current situation I was now in, I looked back to where it all started. I was lost in thought while grading Angela Longmore's essay. The subject of the assignment was the theoretical concept of swapping places with another biological creature. I wanted the students to advocate their logic as to the benefits of becoming the other organism. Intro to Earth Biology is the only class I teach where I will let the students get creative. I feel like the world of science has so many facts and staples that can't be refuted. As the students that are truly interested in the field progress, they will be boxed into papers and studies full of factual content, mathematic equations, and research non-stop. I felt like this syllabus not only gave the students a little transition into the new world they were entering, but also gave me a break from the dry drabness of most theoretical and factual dissertations.

I was initially enthralled by the beginning of Ms. Longmore's paper, not sure where she was heading with the opening statement. It was not more than a few sentences in that I realized the poor girl misunderstood the verbiage of my assignment. While more advanced human anatomy classes were usually reserved for people going into the medical field and other directions, there was confusion about my request. Explaining the new organism she would want to be, she somehow deciphered that I had requested a three-page, rather intrusive, idea of what having an orgasm would feel like to someone of the opposing gender.

Shaking my head wearily, I was pretty sure I would have started blushing had a stranger's voice not interrupted my reading of generic pornography.

"Hello there, I was looking for a...Russell Davis?" I heard a man from the doorway ask uncertainly with an elegant British accent accompanying the question.

I looked up from the paper that had been gripping my attention in the most confusing and saddening way, for the last ten minutes, "I am Davis Russell. What can I do for you?"

A combination of a shameful grin and head nod is how I met Wendall Stone. A tall, well-groomed African-American man who looked to be in his early fifties, walked fully into the empty college auditorium room, "I am so sorry about that, I assumed my secretary mixed your first and last name up."

I shook my head to acknowledge the innocent mistake and stood up from the tabletop chair I was sitting at behind the podium in the desolate room, "It happens. But, as I asked before, what is it that I can help you with...Mr.?"

"Oh, my apologies. I am Dr. Wendall Stone," the man shook his head again, disappointed at the first impression he was developing at the moment. He approached the podium and being that I was already standing, I met him halfway as we extended hands in a courteous yet confusing salutation. I immediately noticed that behind the four-hundred-dollar tailored tweed suit was a man that seemed more nervous than my students that took their finals last semester had been.

"Do you think?" Stone had nodded and pointed to the auditorium seats, proposing they sit down for a conversation.

I looked down at my watch. I was in-between classes and had twenty minutes before my final students of the day. I planned on going to grab a coffee and deli wrap at the campus cafeteria, but my routine had proven to be pretty dull as of late. It seemed that Dr. Wendall Stone caught me on a good day, "Sure, I have a bit of time."

Guiding Stone, I noticed in his left hand was a leather briefcase with fine stitching across the borders and gold clasps to accentuate the entire outfit he was presenting himself in. As I sat down, I noticed that Stone had a look on his face that resembled intent. It was the same look as a student that I had given a low grade would have as they approached my office or front of the classroom to dispute and plea their case. Watching him unbutton the blazer, he revealed a matching tweed vest in the same dark heather gray color as his suit. He started to open his briefcase and then noticeably rethought his motion and just looked up at me.