The Class of ‘96

By Thornshield

 

 

As the brilliant orange leaves began their spiralling descent, the campus grounds at the illustrious Harvard University was bustling with activity; old friends boasting about their summer exploits and nervous freshman desperately finding their way around. It was September the 19th, the beginning of the Fall term of 1995. Walking towards the lecture halls was a tall, fair-skinned man whose appearance caused several raised eyebrows and stares to those who had never seen him before. It was to be expected, for his clothes was horribly mismatched and old-fashioned (at least to the discerning eyes of the trendy students), and had long white hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. Yet his face was unexpectedly youthful, with refined features and grey-blue eyes. To returning students, he was known as Professor Sabin Duvert, a lecturer in Cultural Anthropology, specialising in Folklore and Mythology.

 

With an odd grin on his face, he was pleased when students he knew waved in greeting. Due to his quirky mannerisms and obsession with mythical creatures, students found him an interesting figure around campus, though behind his back he was the brunt of several jokes. Walking towards his assigned lecture theatre, he pushed the wooden doors open with ease and stepped to the front of the board. To his delight, the number of students in the hall outnumbered that of the previous years. Finally, he thought to himself, Folklore and Mythology is getting the respect it deserves.

 

“Good morning everyone,” he began once the gathered students had found their seats and quietened down. “To those who do not know me, I am Professor Duvert, and I’ll be the main lecturer for Folklore and Mythology. Please make sure you’re in the right lecture hall and have chosen this course willingly.”

 

To his utter surprise, not a single soul left the hall and he rubbed his hands in glee before writing down his name, office hours and the title of the course on the board. Turning back round, he took a quick glance at the variety of students in front of him before flipping open his course guide book.

 

“Since you all are in your senior year, I shall assume you have completed the necessary background reading. Also, please check your coursework folder for the reading lists and required materials,” said Sabin monotonously, before adding in, “And one rule that you must follow is that you do not fall asleep in class. Other than that, I hope for active participation and enjoyment. After all, who doesn’t like creatures like werewolves and vampires?”

 

Grinning slightly to reveal his longer than normal canines, he nodded to himself. “Now then, before I start the actual teaching, I’ll announce the names of those students who also have me as their tutorial lecturer for Folklore and Mythology 99.”

 

Not realising that the students already were getting bored, he continued to drone on, “Ahmad Ahbasi, Eric Chang, Igarashi Rina, Imoen Whitehouse, Jacqueline Key, Jared Hunt, Leon Ferdinand…”

 

~

 

“Don’t you think that professor is a bit weird?”

 

Turning her head towards the girl who spoke, Jacqueline Key’s light brown hair flipped over her shoulder so naturally that she would be a prime candidate for a hair shampoo advert. Her sapphire-blue eyes sparkled as it met her classmate’s and she gracefully brushed loose strands of hair behind her ear.

 

“Now that you say it,” she replied, her voice as sweet as honey and clear as crystal, “He does seem a bit eccentric.”

 

Along with two other girls, Jacqueline was heading towards the classroom for their tutorial with Professor Duvert, and naturally, the hallway banter switched to gossiping about the lecturers. The third girl then spoke up, adjusting her glasses as it moved out of place slightly.

 

“He seems so young yet so old with that white hair of his. Perhaps it’s a genetic disorder?” she voiced her opinion. “Jacky,” she continued, referring to Jacqueline, “I hope you don’t plan on trying to bed him?” she asked with a giggle.

 

Dismissing the first girl’s laughter, Jacky waved her hand in front of her four-eyed friend. “Rina, I have no need to sleep with him, my average is high enough as it is. Though I have to admit he does have some sexy features.”

 

“And speaking of the devil,” warned Rina as they watched Sabin appear from another corridor.

 

“We’re not late are we?” asked Jacky, looking at her wristwatch. Shaking their heads simultaneously, the three girls then entered the classroom, followed suit by Sabin a minute later.

 

Placing his briefcase on the lectern, Sabin looked up from the front of the class as the students, including the three girls, took their seats. Taking out the class register, he began calling out for attendance, since tutorials were compulsory unlike lectures. Satisfied with the perfect attendance (though not surprising since this was the first tutorial after all), he addressed the students with a smile.

 

“Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to the first week’s tutorial for Folklore and Mythology 99. Let’s start off with the history of mythical creatures in Ancient Mesopotamia. Anyone interested in sharing their knowledge?” he asked, looking around the class. Not a single soul dared to raise their hand and he looked back down at the register.

 

“Right then, may I call…” he started, as he ran his finger through the list of students, “Igarashi Rina.”

 

Looking up, he watched as the girl sitting next to Jacky stood up, he asked, “I take it you’re Japanese?”

 

“Half. My mom’s from Japan, dad’s a local,” she explained with a smile.

 

“So your first name would be-”

 

“Rina,” she chirped quickly, adjusting her glasses yet again. She had a small build, with shoulder length black hair. Light brown eyes twinkled nervously behind the glasses, for she had absolutely no clue about the Ancient Mesopotamian culture, having forgotten to do the required back reading.

 

“Alright, so if you could, please tell us what you know about this topic?”

 

Stuttering, Rina looked around the class hoping for help. Finally, she gave up and said she didn’t know anything, looking down at her feet abashedly. Sabin smiled and told her to take her seat and was about to call out another name when Jacky stood up suddenly.

 

“Ancient Mesopotamian legends state that heaven and earth was created from the body of Tiamat who was slain by Marduk. As for mythical creatures, the Gilgamesh Epic reveals a beast known as the Humbaba, guardian of the Cedar Mountain,” she started, before spewing forth knowledge that amazed the entire class. Being superficial creatures by nature, they hadn’t expected this pretty girl with a slender and attractive body to be so well-versed in the subject.

 

Finally finishing, she smiled at Sabin and sat down, before muttering to Rina, “Honestly, did you not do any reading at all?”

 

Clapping his hands together, Sabin praised her. “Absolutely spot-on. Very good Miss –” he said, before realising he didn’t know her name.

 

“Key. Jacqueline Key,” she called out from her seat, “Call me Jacky.”

 

Nodding, Sabin continued with his praising and told the class that to do well in this course they needed to remember such facts off the top of their heads. Turning around as he picked up a piece of chalk, he began writing down several key points, adding in the occasional silly drawing. The Professor was thoroughly enjoying himself, and hoped that the students were too.

 

Back in her seat, Jacky whispered to Rina, “This is boring, I know all of this already.” Flipping her pen in her fingers, she decided to take a nap. “Hey, wake me up when the class is over. I’ll get the notes from you later.”

 

“But he said no sleeping!” Rina whispered back, her voice mingled with fear and admonition. To her dismay, Jacky had already slumped over her desk, eyes closed shut. Looking around nervously, Rina continued jotting down notes, hoping Sabin won’t notice.

 

Up front, Sabin took a pause from lecturing, having covered most of the syllabus that he had planned for today. Scanning the class, he asked, “Does anyone have any questions?” In truth, he had noticed the sleeping student and was merely waiting for her to fall into a deep slumber. While he was pleased with the knowledge she had shown earlier, Sabin felt it necessary to teach her a lesson regarding naps in class since he did warn them after all.

 

“None?” he queried, as he probed Jacky’s dreams with his mental abilities. Smiling to himself, he began manipulating the dream into a nightmare, all the while continuing his lecturing. He was about to let the spell work itself passively when he felt a discomforting pain in his temples, as though he had just run into a brick wall. What could have caused it? Taking a break from speaking, he took a sip of water from the glass he had brought in to class, he then realised that Jacky’s dreams were no longer visible to him, as though she had shut them off completely. Impossible! No one had been able to stop his nightmares before!

 

Trying once again as he resumed lecturing, Sabin’s attempts repeatedly failed. By now, the student should have been waking up screaming in normal cases!  Deciding to give up since it was almost the end of the period anyway, Sabin shook his head as he finished the sentence he was saying, “And so the high priest En, is not a god.” However, his concentration was rather affected by this interesting turn of events and he ended up writing not a dog instead.

 

“That’s all for now class, I’ll see you Thursday. Remember to read up chapters one and two for the weekend,” Sabin said, dismissing the class as he packed up his belongings. As the class shambled towards the exits, he watched with a sly grin as Rina shook Jacky awake. How interesting, he said to himself, before leaving the room as well.

 

~

 

With just a week into the new term, Harvard societies and clubs were getting into full swing. Seniors were actively promoting and recruiting members, while some decided to form clubs of their own to leave a mark before they graduate. It was one of these fledgling clubs whose founder stood in front of the class, with speech at the ready. Having just finished the tutorial for the day, Sabin was packing his books and looked at the student who took his place at the podium. His name was Eric Chang, an average student in this particular class, though rather enthusiastic about the subject. Upon inspection, Eric was your stereotypical Chinese geek; the only thing missing was spectacles and a bad fashion sense.

 

“Good afternoon everyone,” he began, “I’m Eric Chang and I’m standing before you today to talk to you about a new club that I’m planning to form.”

 

“Since we are all studying Folklore and Mythology, I believe that each of us has an immense imagination and fascination for mythical creatures,” he said, prompting a curious smile on Sabin’s face.

 

“So the club I’m planning to form is actually none other than a Pen & Paper Role-playing Soci-” he continued, only to be deafened out by the din caused by the majority of the class packing up their stuff in a hurry.

 

“Wait, wait!” he called out desperately. “Before you let negative opinions cloud your judgment,” he continued, voice speeding up in excitement, “Let me say that with the relatively new hardcover Monstrous Manual and the brand new series of Player’s Option manuals for AD&D offer an incredible gameplay experience plus can be a good learning tool for the mythical beasts we study in our classes!”

 

“Why don’t you just stop yapping and grow up Eric,” shouted out a large, muscular guy with a crew-cut hairstyle. Jared Hunt was his name, and he was a senior member of the school’s Ice Hockey first team. His opinion caused a ripple of laughter among those still left in the class and Eric fidgeted nervously without a comeback. With a girl in his arm, Jared stood up and headed towards the exit, prompting the class to follow suit.

 

To the few stragglers left in the deserted classroom, Eric finished lamely, “Well, to those interested, please write down your names and contact details here and I’ll get back to you.”

 

Dejectedly, he smiled weakly at those who actually bothered to write down their names, though most of them were doing it out of pity. Finally, as he folded up the piece of paper and slipped it into his sling bag, he realised he wasn’t the last one in class. Eric turned in surprise to Sabin who was still standing there, watching him with an odd grin.

 

“Sir!” he said, almost jumping out of his skin, “Do you have another class here?”

 

Sabin shook his head, white hair fluttering behind him, and put a hand upon Eric’s shoulder. “I have to commend you on trying to bring Role-playing into a better light, though there’ll always be those who can’t appreciate its beauty and appeal.”

 

“Do you play AD&D too Professor?” Eric asked immediately, his eyes shining in added admiration. Sabin had already been his favourite lecturer from the start, feeling a common bond from their fascination with myths and the like.

 

“Yes I do,” admitted Sabin with a wide smile, “In fact, I game often with my son who turns seventeen this year.”

 

Upon realising the coincidence, Sabin laughed out loud and clapped Eric on the shoulder again, “And guess what? He has the same name as you!”

 

“Wow, that’s cool!” interjected Eric, his eyes wide in surprise.

 

“Come to think of it, our last campaign actually ended several weeks back. I haven’t had time to whip up a new campaign and his old group has decided to take a break,” the Professor said, before asking, “Perhaps you’d like to have a weekly gathering at my place?

 

I’m sure Eric, erm, my son, not you,” Sabin continued, confusing his own self slightly, “Would enjoy a new role-playing group. What do you say Eric?”

 

Thinking about it hard, Eric stammered a reply, “I’m not sure sir. Wouldn’t it be weird to have them at your place rather than at the campus itself?”

 

“Nonsense,” said Sabin firmly, “Besides, my house is just nearby, about fifteen minutes walk away.”

 

After a moment’s pause, Eric finally smiled at Sabin. “Sure thing Professor. Do you think I could get your number and address?”

 

“Sure thing,” agreed Sabin as he flipped out a pen from his overloaded back pockets, and scribbled it down of the paper that Eric placed in front of him.

 

“Thanks sir,” chirped the Chinese student with a grin, “Hope to meet your son soon!”

 

Watching as the student left the room with lifted spirits, Sabin mused to himself, smile still upon his lips; I hope Alex doesn’t throw a fit over this like she did with the previous group.

 

~

 

“Alright boys, wrap it up!” shouted a middle-aged, stout man known only as Coach. He then blew into his whistle, the shrill noise signalling a halt to the practice game of ice hockey. As the member’s of the university’s first team headed towards the lockers, the Coach stopped one of the players by the shoulder and brought him aside. With dirty brown eyes, he stared into the younger person’s light green eyes.

 

“Sup Coach?” asked Jared Hunt as he slung the hockey stick over his shoulder.

 

“You played well today Jared, but you still need to work on your aim,” replied the Coach.

 

“Yeah, I know that, can I go home now?”

 

“I’m afraid not. Although you’re not the captain of the team, you are one of the star players. And if you don’t buck up on your shooting, you’re gonna cause the team to lose,” warned Coach, “Now head back into the rink and get cracking on the usual shooting drills.”

 

With an annoyed look on his face, the youngster with the crew-cut turned around and muttered under his breath an expletive.

 

“What’s that?” demanded Coach angrily.

 

“Nothing.”

 

With a slam on the rink’s plexi-glass door, Jared entered the rink, brooding over his punishment.

 

“And remember,” called out Coach, “If a single puck fails to get into the goal, start the reps all over again!”

 

With an angry roar, Jared took a mighty swipe at the nearest puck, sending it hurtling towards the goal with incredible force.

 

~

 

The next day, his bad mood still lingered about him like a dark cloud. Pushing several students out of his way, Jared made his way to his seat, before sitting down silently. He had been forced to train for a whole extra hour, making him late for his dinner date and tiring him out completely. Sex that night was more of a chore than pleasure. Taking out his books, he was then interrupted by a mocking voice in his ear.

 

“I heard you were pretty beat in the sack last night hmm?”

 

Turning around, Jared scowled and found himself face to face to Jacky’s grinning face. “Well it’s not my fault Coach was such an asshole during training,” he retorted, “Now leave me alone.”

 

Laughing, Jacky left his side and took her seat, not wanting to face her classmate’s fury. Everyone knew that members of the ice hockey team were rather high strung, mainly from the high hopes the school had on them. It wouldn’t make things better that most were on athletic scholarships that needed to be constantly proven.

 

At this point Sabin had entered the classroom, and the usual routine began. Halfway through Sabin’s lectures about the hidden connotations behind fairy tales, Jared found his vision blurring and an overwhelming fatigue overcoming him. Shaking his head out of it, he blinked for a minute, trying to focus on the wolf that the Professor had scribbled on the board. And then it all went black.

 

After what seemed like hours, Jared blinked his eyes open, releasing a yawn from his tired body. Looking around him, he realised he was still in the classroom but everyone had left. Correction, everyone but him and the Professor. Straightening up with a jerk, he apologised profusely. “I’m sorry sir! I didn’t mean to fall asleep in class! You see, Coach was driving me to death last evening and I didn’t get a good sleep.”

 

“I see, but even then, didn’t I tell you NOT to sleep in my classes?” asked Sabin, who Jared noted, had his back facing him. In fact, he wasn’t even sure it was Sabin other than the horribly mismatched outfit and smooth, distinguishable voice.

 

“I’m really sorry Professor, I’ll catch up with what I missed from my friends,” added Jared quickly, who tried to get up but felt himself stuck to the seat.

 

“Friends you say?” mused Sabin, his voice deepening and sounding more spooky by the second. “Do you actually have friends?”

 

“Yeah, sure I do! I mean, there’s Jason, Ally, Eric, Jac-”

 

“Eric?” asked Sabin incredulously, “Do you think he considers you a friend after being downtrodden by the likes of you?”

 

“I-I,” stammered Jared, trying to think up an excuse. He wasn’t even sure why he said Eric’s name in the first place.

 

“Well let me tell you something Mr Hunt. Unless you stop pushing others around and start respecting rules…”

 

Sabin turned around slowly as he paused in mid-sentence, and a tremor of fear ran through Jared’s spine. Jared began to tremble at the sight of the turning face, for it was obscured by dark shadows. ‘W-who are you?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

 

“-you will never gain any true friends,” finished Sabin, still turning towards the frightful student, his face unexposed

 

Suddenly, pitch black shadows jumped out in front of Jared, prompting him to jump back in shock. A second later, six glowing red eyes appeared to stare at him hungrily before a gaping jaw lined with vicious teeth bared themselves in a wicked grin.

 

“I AM…YOUR GREATEST NIGHTMARE!”

 

Screaming at the top of his lungs, Jared raised his hands in front of him, hoping to fend off this monstrosity. “No! Please don’t hurt me! I’ll be good!” he screamed out, his eyes shut tight in terror.

 

A moment later, a voice called out. “Mr Hunt, may I ask what’s wrong?”

 

Slowly opening his eyes, Jared looked forward and saw Sabin’s concerned face looking at him from the front of the class. Scanning around quickly in confusion, he realised everyone was still in their seats.

 

“I-I, y-you were a monster!” he called out, his eyes darting about in disbelief.

 

Immediately the class burst into laughter and the still-trembling student looked around in bewilderment, before realising he had fallen asleep and had a bad dream. At that instant, the bell rang out and Sabin clapped his books shut.

 

“Well that’s all for today everyone,” announced the grinning Professor, “And Jared, I don’t think it’s wise to call your lecturer a monster. But, I commend you for having a good imagination, it’s crucial for this course.”

 

And with that, the entire class emptied, leaving Jared sitting alone in the class, still stunned at what had occurred. It was just too real.

 

~

 

“With gigantic muscles flexing, the giant swings his enormous club overhead, bringing it down in a mighty arc upon you.”

 

“I nimbly sidestep away from the weapon’s path and prepare myself for a furious counterattack,” announced Eric Duvert, pumping his fist before rolling the dice.

 

“As you move out of harm’s way, the club smashes into the ground with a resounding thud, sending tremors around the point of impact. However, he’s completely off-guard!” shouted Eric Chang, caught up in the moment as the Dungeon Master.

 

It was a slow weekend, with the chill of approaching winter present in the air. The two Eric’s were in Sabin’s living room, engrossed in their weekly campaign, along with several other gamers. Sabin hadn’t joined in the campaign, for the end-of-term exams were drawing close and he was busy preparing revision material for his students. However, he took a break from the work to watch the day’s events and smiled as the group greeted him.

 

Among the group was Rina Igarashi, who Sabin didn’t expect to join the campaign. She usually hung out with Jacky and the other fashion-trendy girls, but did seem to have an attraction towards the geeky but friendly Eric Chang. He grinned to himself as he watched her shyly role-play her cleric upon Eric’s instructions.

 

“Good campaign today?” asked Sabin curiously after the DM concluded the day’s session.

 

“Good’s an understatement Professor,” said Eric with a smile as he packed up.

 

“Yeah dad, I think my ranger can easily kick any of your character’s asses now,” joked the other Eric.

 

“Only because he just levelled up D,” corrected Eric, referring to Sabin’s son as D for the Duvert in his name.

 

“No need to stress that C,” laughed Eric. “At least my sister didn’t annoy us with her presence today.”

 

At that point the sound of heels clicking on the marble floor announced Alexandria’s arrival. She had straight blonde hair and a pretty face, though it was marred with a look of disgust as she noticed the group from afar. Sabin shook his head at his daughter’s behaviour, but by now had grown accustomed towards it.

 

“Speaking of the devil,” muttered one of the guys in the group.

 

“You mean baatezu,” interjected Rina, referring to the new name that TSR used to avoid any legal conflicts.

 

The joke prompted laughter around the table and Sabin couldn’t help but chuckle. However, Eric Chang was completely silent, slack-jawed as he stared at the approaching girl. This prompted a frown from Rina and she nudged him with her elbow, to no effect. The boy was caught up in his crush over Sabin’s daughter.

 

“You nerds at it again?” said Alex with a tone of disdain as she drew near before looking up at her father.

 

“Daddy,” she started sweetly, the change in manner causing the group to hold back laughter. “There’s a huge sale at the moment but I’m out of cash. Could you lend me a couple of tens please?”

 

Unable to resist Alex’s saccharine-sweet request, complete with puppy eyes, Sabin gave in and handed her several ten dollar notes. “You’ve got to learn how to save money girl.”

 

“Thank you daddy!” squealed Alex as she gave Sabin a peck on the cheek, his words of advice lost and forgotten. And within a moment, she was gone, leaving Eric Duvert shaking his head at his father.

 

“You spoil her too much dad.”

 

“Only as much as I spoil you Eric,” countered Sabin, “After all, I wonder where that brand new set of pewter miniatures came from. Surely Sam wouldn’t know where to buy such high-quality pieces.”

 

As the others laughed, Sabin’s son gave in and uttered his thanks with a smirk.

 

“Anyway, we’ve got to run,” said Eric Chang, finally snapping out of his reverie, as he referred to Rina and himself.

 

“Oh? Where you off to C?”

 

“Got a house party to go to,” announced the university student proudly. At his side, Rina smiled to herself, for it was through her connections that he even managed to get invited.

 

“Sweet!”

 

“Hey, maybe I’ll try to get you an invite the next time,” offered Chang.

 

“Really? That’d be awesome!”

 

Immediately Sabin stared his son down. “Don’t think about it. I’m not letting you set foot in one of those drunken parties,” he said forcefully.

 

With yet another laugh, Eric and Rina said their farewells to the rest who were about to leave as well.

 

“Remember to finish off that assignment,” called out Sabin as they were about to step out the front door.

 

“You got it Prof!”

 

Finally, when the entire group left, Sabin took a look at the mess they had left behind; empty soft drink bottles, half eaten packets of chips and much more. It was just like when he gamed with his son years ago. Shaking his head with a smile, he started to clear up the mess, recalling yet another memory; that of Samantha yelling his head off when she came in to clean up.

 

~

 

As the autumn foliage began to wither away, the frigid winds of winter began to snap at people’s heels. Most students were huddled in their heated rooms, just chilling out with each other. However, the Ice Hockey team were busy at practise, for the big match against their rivals Cornell was just round the corner. As the coach’s whistle signalled for the team to hit the refreshing hot showers, Jared smiled to himself in satisfaction. Ever since that nightmare he experienced, he had turned over a new leaf. It was a gradual change, with him shedding off his jerk-like attitude slowly and at the same time working hard in training without uttering a single complaint.

 

“Good work my boy,” praised the coach as he patted Jared on the back.

 

“Thanks Coach,” replied the student, before heading to the showers.

 

Under the relaxing torrent of hot sprays, Jared found himself deep in thought. This time, his mind recalled the image of the monster with its advice. It no longer scared him, but instead drove him to improvement. Yet, his curiosity still urged Jared Hunt to find out what exactly it was. As silly as it sounded, he didn’t believe it was just a figment of his imagination. But even after delving through countless books in the library regarding mythical creatures, there was no mention of anything like this.

 

Then, an idea struck him. An idea so simple and straight-forward, that he rebuked himself for not thinking of it earlier. Stepping out of the shower, Jared nodded to himself; Time to pay Professor Duvert a visit.

 

~

 

Nestled in the corner of a musty room full of dusty tomes and ancient volumes was a large mahogany table, possibly an antique from the Victorian era judging from the intricate design. Behind that table sat a white-haired male, stooped over a journal with a pen in his right hand and an open book in the other. Scribbling down scrawls of newly-found morsels of information, Sabin was so caught up in his research that he was oblivious to the door opening.

 

“Professor?” called out Jared Hunt tentatively.

 

Finally shaken out of his concentration, Sabin looked up from his work. As he studied the well-built figure of the Ice Hockey player, he smiled and gestured for the student to have a seat opposite him.

 

“Jared, what a surprise! What can I help you with?”

 

Sitting down slowly upon the chair offered to him, Jared stumbled for the words in his mouth. He had no idea how to structure the query on his mind and fidgeted slightly under the gaze of the eccentric Professor.

 

“I have to say you’ve changed considerably Jared,” said Sabin, sensing the other’s nervousness, “For the better that is.”

 

“Thank you Professor,” replied Jared with a chuckle, “I apologise for my earlier behaviour. To be honest, it was all the competitiveness in the team that made me act like that. It’s a dog eat dog world in the rink. But now I realise that there’s no need for such arrogance as long as I work hard to stay at the top.”

 

“Oh?” uttered Sabin, “And what made you change your perspective?”

 

“Well…” started Jared, still fumbling for words.

 

“Could it be that day when you fell asleep in class?” asked Sabin with a grin, leading on the conversation in the right direction.

 

Jared’s eyes burst into liveliness at the unexpected question. “How’d you know sir?”

 

Sabin shrugged with a thin smile and allowed the student to continue.

 

“Well, during that nap, I had a nightmare of a shadowy creature with four glowing red eyes-”

 

“Six,” interrupted Sabin, before realising he shouldn’t have blurted that out.

 

“That’s right! There were six! Have you seen it before sir?” pressed Jared curiously.

 

Covering up from his mistake, Sabin shook his head slowly. He felt that Jared didn’t suspect it was his doing just yet and thought up of a bluff.

 

“I haven’t seen it before, but previous students had the same account of this creature, whose name I still can’t locate in any book. And it seems to only come to them in dreams during my lectures. Perhaps this dream-world being is attracted to my fascinating subject?” he joked with a laugh, “But in any case, that’s the reason why I warn my students not to sleep in my classes.”

 

Fascinated by the explanation, Jared asked, “Do you think it would appear again if I fell asleep? I mean, as scary as it was, it did pass me the advice that helped me change.”

 

Sabin laughed and shook his head once more. “Who knows? But if you try sleeping again, you’re going to end up failing my subject,” threatened the professor with a grin.

 

“Alright then sir, I won’t,” replied Jared after chuckling at the light threat.

 

“That’s a good boy,” smiled Sabin, “Is there anything else you need help with then?”

 

Giving it thought for a moment, Jared shook his head. “Not that I can think of sir. Thanks for the help; I’ll take my leave now.”

 

Reaching forward to shake Sabin’s hand with a firm grip, Jared then turned around to leave the office. Breathing a sigh of relief over keeping his identity hidden, Sabin turned his attention back to the book.

 

“Oh, I almost forgot!” said Jared just as he was about to turn the doorknob, “Sir, would you like to come for the Harvard-Cornell Ice Hockey match?”

 

Looking up with a toothy smile, Sabin nodded. “It’ll be a pleasure.”

 

~

 

“Dear, how do I look in this dress?”

 

As the sweet voice wafted into his ears, Sabin Duvert turned around to feast his eyes on a lovely sight. Posing right in front of him was his darling wife, Samantha, looking absolutely gorgeous in a deep blue gown, her curly brown hair done up nicely. Her posture showed off her curvaceous body and the exposure of several rune-like markings in various places made her all the more attractive. Coupled with her engaging personality, Sabin never once regretted her as his life partner.

 

“Simply stunning,” admitted Sabin with a smile, resisting the urge to pounce right there and then. Then a thought struck him. “What’s the occasion though?”

 

Staring straight at him incredulously, Samantha placed both hands upon her wide hips. “Didn’t you promise me a romantic Christmas Eve dinner?”

 

“Did I?” blurted out Sabin, before quickly covering up, “So I did!”

 

 As Samantha raised an eyebrow quizzically, Sabin got to his feet and kissed her lightly on the lips. He then rushed out of their bedroom before she could raise any questions. He was panicking slightly, for it was the day before Christmas Eve and Sabin wasn’t even sure when he actually promised such a dinner.

 

Rummaging through a list of name cards for potential restaurant numbers, he began calling them up one by one, only to find they were fully booked. Just as desperation was about to seep in, he remembered meeting someone who owned a posh restaurant recently. Who was it though? Pacing about the living room, Sabin mentally sorted through the countless pieces of information he had gleaned over the never-ending years.

 

“I got it!” exclaimed Sabin out aloud, prompting puzzled looks from the twins, who just happened to be in the living room.

 

Ignoring them, Sabin fumbled over his student files, looking for a particular house number. It was after the hockey match that he met Jared Hunt’s father, a friendly hulk of a man who owned the restaurant as a side business. While he wasn’t sure he’d get a reservation, it was worth a shot for Jared’s dad only had praises for him when they met; something to do with Jared stating Sabin was one of the few lecturers who understood him.

 

“Hi, may I speak to Mr Hunt please?” asked Sabin as the call got through.

 

“Mr Hunt? Hi, Professor Duvert speaking…No, it’s not about Jared. I was wondering whether I could ask a small favour from you.”

 

And so, the fated day came and by the evening, Sabin was all dressed up in his nicest suit (hand-picked by Samantha of course, she just didn’t trust his taste). His long white hair was slickly tied back in a ponytail and he was looking quite the dapper gentlemen. And by his side, with arm wrapped around his, was the ever-youthful Samantha, causing heads to turn as the pair walked down the street. Nothing could put a damper on his good mood and Sabin even donated to one of those roadside beggars dressed up as Santa Claus, to the surprise of his wife.

 

As the two entered the restaurant, they were warmly greeted by the waiters and were escorted to a private table for two. A bottle of champagne was waiting for them at the table, and Sabin gracefully poured a glass for Samantha.

 

“My, this is a lovely place,” whispered Samantha, “You must have had booked ages in advance!”

 

“Nothing but the very best for my love,” whispered Sabin back, lying through his teeth.

 

This prompted Samantha to blush slightly as she looked down at the table. Noticing the lack of menus, she looked up at Sabin with the question clearly on her expression.

 

“You’ll find out soon enough,” grinned Sabin, peering into Samantha’s brilliant green eyes.

 

As though on cue, a troupe of waiters bearing platters of delectable morsels stepped towards their table. As they laid down the plates, Samantha was awe-struck. In front of Samantha were her favourite meals, from appetizers to the main, and she looked up at Sabin’s grey-blue eyes in overwhelming joy.

 

“T-this is…” she stammered towards Sabin, whose attention was divided by her blustered reaction and by the piece of steak tartare in front of him.

 

Tearing his eyes away from the raw steak, Sabin nodded his head curtly with a smile. “No need for words Sam,” he whispered before lifting her hand gently and kissing it lightly.

 

“Tonight’s your night,” he continued, as he lifted his glass, “Here’s to you, a wife that every man dreams of, plus a whole lot more.”

 

With a beautiful face that was completely tinged red, Samantha lifted her own to clink against Sabin’s and smiled. “And here’s to a man who has proven time and time again, to be all a woman could ever ask for."

 

“Cheers,” the two said simultaneously, before starting their meal.

 

Several hours later, the couple found themselves strolling down the boulevard, walking off the scrumptious meal in their tummies. It was a lovely night, with the moon shining bright and twinkling stars accompanying it in its splendour. Hand in hand, Sabin found himself staring at Samantha for long periods of time, as though he was a boy struck with love for the first time. She caught him each time and soon laughed at him for his silly behaviour, pinching his side.

 

Sabin joined suit in the laughter and a minute later they were catching their breaths upon the sidewalk. As he recovered, Sabin was noting for the umpteenth time how beautiful Samantha was. Without her, his life wouldn’t be complete.

 

“Sam,” said Sabin suddenly.

 

“Yes dear?” asked Samantha, wiping away tears of mirth.

 

“I never say this enough, but Sam,” he said with a pause, “I really love you.”

 

Smiling warmly, Samantha stepped closer towards Sabin. “You really are getting mellow aren’t you Sabin?” she asked with a giggle.

 

Sabin stumbled for an answer, a hand rubbing the back of his head. Before he could say anything however, Samantha wrapped her arms around his neck and said, “Sabin dear, you’re standing under some mistletoe.”

 

Looking up, Sabin raised an eyebrow, “Erm, no? There isn’t-”

 

“Hush and kiss me,” interrupted Samantha as she brought his head down to face her.

 

Exchanging heart-felt smiles, the two drew closer with smouldering gazes. Whispering to each other the three magical words, they promptly locked lips in a passionate embrace.

 

As the tolling of a distant bell signalled the clock striking twelve, the two parted slowly, eyes unable to tear themselves away from each other. Their lips opened slowly, as they formed the same words together.

 

“Merry Christmas.”

 

~

 

As the New Year rolled in with a bang, the merriment of the festive season was quickly dispelled for a certain event was just ahead. That’s right, the dreaded end-of-term exams. Tossing gifts into the wardrobe and Christmas trees out into the streets, the students of Harvard began surrounding themselves with piles upon piles of reading material, the culmination of work that should have been done during the short winter break. While a few students carried on their lives as usual, unfazed by the exams (which meant two things; confidence or utter resignation), the majority of them began focusing all energy on last minute revision, extra-curricular activities taking the backseat.

 

“Most of you here are well prepared for the coming exams, which shall be assessed in the form of a written essay,” addressed Sabin towards his students (most of who seemed to be recovering from the massive First Night festival) during their final tutorial session for the term.

 

“As you all should know by now, the paper is rather simple, with only two grades; Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. However, I do not want to see any of you just hoping to scrape into the passing mark. Since you all are in the final year, it indicates very well that you truly possess a keen interest in this subject and have been reading in depth.

 

I cannot offer you any hints towards this exam, other than stressing that sloppy writing with no facts shall definitely result in failure. Also, those who think they can make up some fantastical account of some obscure myth to cover up their lack of knowledge, think again. I’m confident to say that my knowledge spans many, many cultures, and I am a voracious reader of little-known facts.

 

Alright then, any questions?” Sabin asked, scanning his class once, noticing the nervous looks on their faces.

 

“Well then, good luck to you all,” he ended, dismissing the class with a grin. He could hardly wait to see what his students would write regarding his chosen topic; Lycanthropy.

 

~

 

With a whirlwind respite after the gruelling exams, the beleaguered students enjoyed their Spring break to the fullest before returning to the campus with batteries all recharged. Along with the blooming flowers, the campus was springing back into full swing. The exam results were posted soon after, and as to be expected by the prestigious university, most students did well. As for Sabin’s class, only two students had failed, and he was pleased with the achievement.

 

Taking a well-deserved lunch break, Sabin sat down at an empty table in the campus canteen, a piece of juicy steak (medium rare, for they wouldn’t dare serve a raw steak in fears of being sued) waiting to be devoured by him. As he dug in with eagerness, he glimpsed out of the corner of his eye a petite, female figure coming his way. Chewing down on his food, he looked up at the smiling face of Rina, who surprisingly had written an excellent exam essay despite being so spacey in class.

 

“Hi Professor,” she greeted him cheerfully, food tray in her arms, “Mind if I join you for lunch?”

 

With a warm smile, Sabin pulled up a chair, “Not at all Rina. Here, have a seat.”

 

As she took her seat, Sabin swallowed the bite he was chewing, took a sip of water and realised something. “Where’s Eric? Since the two of you got together you’ve been inseparable.”

 

Rina laughed and adjusted her glasses. “He’s on his way actually. Something about wanting to sign up for the school event Jacky’s organising.”

 

“Trying to get himself invited to more parties without your help I assume?” smirked the white-haired professor.

 

“Possibly,” smiled Rina, “Oh, sir, I still haven’t thanked you enough for advising me to make the first move.”

 

“No need for thanks Rina. That boy seriously wouldn’t realise you liked him unless you flashed a neon sign at him. Besides, he would never have a chance with my daughter. That girl…” trailed off Sabin as he shook his head.

 

Sabin’s words prompted a giggle from Rina, after which one of those awkward silences filled the gap. After taking a bite of her own meal, she noticed what Sabin had been wolfing down on.

 

“Eric’s just like you; he’s always eating meat, meat and even more meat. And he’ll complain if it is overcooked,” said Rina as she shook her head disapprovingly.

 

“Really?” asked Sabin, “Ah, and look who’s here.”

 

Turning her head, Rina smiled at the sight of her geeky but lovable boyfriend, who was heading their way. As Eric approached, he gave Rina a peck on the cheek before waving to Sabin. “Hey Mr D, how’s the steak?”

 

“It’s good Eric,” replied Sabin, with a knowing smile at Rina.

 

So with Sabin’s recommendation, Eric went off to get himself a slab, before returning to the lunchtime conversation with the professor. The trio discussed various topics, ranging from the recent exams, to recent news and gossip.

 

“By the way, the campaign is coming to an end, so you won’t be seeing us lurking around your house much more,” said Eric, “It should give us ample time to prepare for the finals.”

 

“That’s good to hear,” replied Sabin, “Though I doubt the two of you would fail the exams, given your steady work so far and recent exam.”

 

In truth, Sabin would miss their presence around the house, for it livened up the place. And in a few years, even his son would be moving out for college. But time never stands still, and over the never-ending years, Sabin had learnt how to let things go slowly, but all the while remembering sweet memories.

 

With a slightly melancholic smile, Sabin finished his meal as he listened to the two. Not before long, the two student’s lunch break was up and they packed up their belongings, ready to head off to the lecture halls.

 

“See you in the next class sir!” said Eric, followed by Rina wishing Sabin farewell.

 

And in less than a minute they were gone, leaving Sabin alone with an empty plate on the table. Finishing the last sip of water in his glass, Sabin stood up to clear his tray. The end of the academic year was drawing close and he doubted he’d see these students again after graduation. With a sigh, he told himself that all good things would come to pass and walked off, his footsteps echoing hollowly upon the slate floor.

 

~

 

“-good work so far, so there shouldn’t be any problems. I guess that’s it, good luck for the exams,” said Sabin as he stretched forward to shake a student’s hand.

 

It was the week before Harvard’s Reading Period, and Sabin, like other lecturers, was meeting up with his students during his office hours to discuss their academic progress. As the student left the room, Professor Duvert called out for the next student to enter.

 

“Afternoon sir,” the melodic voice of Jacqueline Key drifted in.

 

Looking up with a smile at the blue-eyed, pretty young thing, Sabin offered her a seat. With a courteous smile, Jacky gracefully sat down and waited patiently as Sabin flipped open the girl’s academic files. She was an outstanding student with an almost perfect average, but what troubled him was the incident ages ago, when she was unaffected by his dream probing.

 

“Well Jacky, to be honest there’s not much I can say given your excellent results throughout the year, but…” he started, pausing to figure out how to dig up the information.

 

“Yes Professor?”

 

“I’ve always been curious as to why you chose this course. You seem to look bored in class, but always have the answer when questioned,” stated Sabin.

 

“Well, I can’t say I’m terribly fascinated by it, nor am I put off by it. I guess I chose it because it’s easy, at least to me, and also because my parents told me to.”

 

“Your parents?” asked Sabin.

 

“Yeah, my parents,” confirmed Jacky, “I know it’s odd, but you see, my parents are so called clairvoyants and they said that this is the path I should be taking.”

 

A clairvoyant? Could her genes be the cause for such a strong mental barrier?

 

“That’s very interesting, but didn’t you have any other paths you wanted to take?”

 

“Nope. Not sure why, but I too felt like it was worth giving this a shot,” admitted Jacky.

 

Sabin leaned back in his chair and thought about what she said. So while she may not be able to harness such claimed mental powers of her parents, it’s lurking in her mind passively. He was, however, slightly disappointed by the fact that such a bright student as her seemed to have no apparent goal in life or ambition.

 

“Professor?”

 

Interrupted in his thoughts, Sabin looked up in front of him with an apology on his lips. However, it didn’t get out as he was astonished to see Jacky sitting upon the corner of the table, leaning towards him.

 

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re rather…attractive?” cooed Jacky seductively as she reached out to finger his collar.

 

“I mean, beneath all those fashionably-challenged clothes is a rather dashing, handsome thing,” she continued.

 

Stuttering, Sabin attempted to draw back, this turn of events completely unexpected. “I-I’m married Jacky.”

 

“Is that so? Well, your wife must be one lucky lady,” she purred. Jacky then stretched her hand to caress Sabin on the cheek, before moving upwards to his eyes to guide them shut.

 

“Jacky, I’m your lecturer!” stammered the flustered Sabin. He was already debating whether to use his manipulative abilities upon her, but for the love of his life, couldn’t bring himself to inflict it upon the attractive student.

 

Against his own will, he found his eyes closing as he felt Jacky’s breath lightly teasing his skin as she drew close. In his head, he called out for Samantha, his mind still staying loyal when his body had betrayed him.

 

Bracing himself for any illicit behaviour, he was startled by the sound of laughter ringing in his ears. Sabin opened his eyes in surprise and jumped back as he realised how close his face was to Jacky’s.

 

“Silly Sabin,” she giggled, “Did you really think I would try to do something to you?”

 

Straightening, Jacky adjusted her blouse and stood up. “My grades are far too high to benefit from sleeping with any lecturers. Though it was interesting to see your reaction.”

 

Frowning, Sabin regained his composure and was about to start lecturing her about how wrong her actions were, when she continued speaking.

 

“If you weren’t married, that would have been a different matter,” she said with a wicked grin, “Perhaps in another lifetime.”

 

To that, Sabin found himself without a reply and he fidgeted nervously under the gaze of this sly girl. How on earth did he get himself stuck in such a situation?

 

Jacky stepped forward towards Sabin after a moment’s pause and struck a pose. “One last thing. I’m not exactly sure why this came to mind, but I thought you’d like to hear about an eccentric student.”

 

Sabin raised an eyebrow, his inquisitive nature pushing aside the earlier events from his mind. “Go on?”

 

“Well, his name is Nicholas and he’s a first year undergrad student. Rumours has been spreading around that he’s incredibly brilliant but a little bit…psycho.”

 

“What department is he in?” asked Sabin, not even sure why he was so curious about this student.

 

“I believe he’s in one of the Sciences,” replied Jacky.

 

“Right, thanks for telling me this, though I doubt it’d be of use to me,” thanked Sabin, though a little voice in his mind told him to keep on to this information, for after all, it was the only student who had ever resisted his dream probing who was telling him this.

 

Suddenly, Jacky leaned forward and kissed Sabin on the right cheek. “Alright then Professor, I’ll take my leave now,” she chirped as she skipped off towards the door. Surprised by the sudden kiss, Sabin could only stare at his student in disbelief.

 

 “Oh, I just remembered. Apparently he’s related to that Dr. Alphonse Moreau,” said Jacky as she spun around. “See you around sir. Wish me luck for the exam!”

 

And as Jacqueline left the room, Sabin remained seated in his chair. Shaking his head in mild amusement, he rolled the mentioned name upon his tongue, before his brain registered exactly what had occurred today in his office. Better not tell Samantha about this, he joked to himself as he called in for the next student.

 

~

 

With flowers in full bloom, and the heat of the coming summer seeping in slowly, students at Harvard collectively faced their last trial of the year. That’s right, the dreaded finals. To the class of ’96, this would be their last exam here at the prestigious university and it was a do-or-die situation.

 

As for the lecturers, their work was done; having imparted their knowledge to the best of their abilities, and most were already unwinding for the summer. This included Sabin, for he was planning a summer vacation with Samantha to bring the twins somewhere as they would be turning eighteen this year. Of course, the twins had plans of their own, and were negotiating with their parents to have it on a date that didn’t clash with their own agenda. Their futures were also being planned out, or as Samantha called it; a rough guideline.

 

In the midst of it all, Sabin had completely forgotten about the person Jacky had told him about, and it wouldn’t be many years later before he actually meets up with Moreau. But that in itself, is a different story, and this one is about to come to an end.

 

~

 

“Professor Duvert!”

 

With his shirt rustling in the light summer breeze, Sabin Duvert turned around upon hearing his name called out by a cacophony of voices mingled together. As he took a glimpse at who it was, Sabin smiled. It was none other than the students who had made the biggest impact on his life this year; the now-inseparable pair Eric and Rina, along with the striking Jacky and the muscular Jared. It was the day after the graduation ceremony, a key annual event which he sadly had to miss due to reasons we shall not delve into, and Sabin had just locked the door of his house as he planned to take a walk.

 

“Ah, what a pleasant surprise,” he greeted the group, who had gotten closer to each other in a strange twist of fate over the years, “Congratulations for graduating with flying colours, I’m very proud of you all.”

 

“Thanks Professor,” the four chimed simultaneously.

 

“Why weren’t you present sir?” asked Eric, prompting a nod from Rina.

 

“We were looking forward to seeing you, especially since this year the Anthropology department had the highest number of passes,” she said.

 

Not exactly sure where to start, Sabin scratched his chin as he delayed giving an answer.

 

“I’m sure our darling professor has his own reasons,” purred Jacky with a twinkle in her eyes.

 

Sabin nodded as the group laughed, and the matter was dropped to the relief of Sabin. He didn’t want to dampen the good mood, especially since his students were all jubilant over their results. Instead, he steered the conversation towards summer holiday plans, and whether they were planning to work anytime soon. As it turned out, each of them were going on trips for the vacation. After that, only Jared was going to work, for the other three were planning to further their education, possibly abroad.

 

“I hope you guys have a great time and I wish you good luck for the future,” smiled Sabin warmly, offering each of them a heart-felt handshake.

 

“Thanks sir,” they said, before Eric added, “And we promise to keep in touch.”

 

“Oh, and we have a small gift for you sir,” said Rina, holding out a large envelope.

 

Surprised at the gesture, Sabin thanked them profusely and opened it eagerly. The first thing that slipped out of the envelope was a gift certificate for an all-you-can-eat buffet in a restaurant that was reputed for its tasty and abundant meat.

 

“This is awesome!” exclaimed Sabin with a wide grin. “Thanks!”

 

As he slipped the certificate back into the envelope, Sabin then dug out for the other part of the present. It was a large laminated photograph of the graduated students, with the smiling faces of the group beaming up at him amidst the large crowd. This sent a mixture of emotions within him, both happiness and sadness intermingling. Flipping it over gingerly, he was pleasantly surprised yet again. Written in different inks and styles were personal messages from the four of them, plus signatures from other students of the class.

 

“Thank you so much,” he said softly, knowing that if shadowy substances didn’t flow through him, he might have had had to fight back some sniffling.

 

“I’ll never forget you all,” he promised, a sad smile displayed upon his youthful face.

 

“We’ll never forget you too,” they promised in return.

 

And with that, they bid Sabin their final farewells and exchanged contact numbers before heading their separate ways. As Sabin Duvert stepped back into the house to keep the present safely, he took another look at the group photograph. Above the jubilant faces were the words; ‘The Class of ’96: Truly Magical’.

 

With eyes closed, Sabin placed it at his chest for a moment, then upon the mantle carefully. As he stepped out of the house once more, he agreed with the year’s slogan. It was truly a magical year.

 

 

~The End~