clio

Chapter 1

Under the shroud of pre-dawn shadows, a lone figure traversed the dimly lit path, each step echoing through the many trees on either side of him. Marcus adjusted a laptop which he clasped in his left arm while attentively listening to the arithmetic sound of chirping birds. The dark path ahead was barely visible through the moist winter air, only lit on one side by a line of dim garden lights casting a faint glow that reflected off the slippery asphalt.

Marcus could have always taken the shorter route to the Lecture hall but there was a sense of liminality throughout the park at this time that Marcus was all too attracted to. It gave an unsettling sensation that no one was able to quite pinpoint and while most people were disturbed by the sensation and uncertainty of liminal spaces, Marcus consistently sought them out.

The silence, the darkness, the lack of people, the glittering condensation under the white light, and the scent of rain meeting the asphalt path, all came together to trigger a feeling of Nostalgia which although determined to explain he consciously knew he never would.

Soon enough Marcus stopped feeling the liminal sensations as the park ended and his eyes met the blocky crest of the lecture hall, barely illuminated by the rising sun from behind that gave a warm ora to the building. Marcus was in no rush and took his time to look up at the overhead crescent moon, its majesty overlooking the campus as the sun rose and the stars faded.

Marcus gently set down his laptop on the sturdy wooden desk that sat in the center of the auditorium before proceeding to settle into his chair, pouring the contents of a silver thermos into a mug sitting on the old desk. The contents were light brown but failed to produce any strong odor.

Marcus didn't bother with coffee; instead, he was pleasured by a warm cup of hot chocolate made by his loving wife. His high metabolism was enough to get him up in the morning and drinking any coffee even this early would have lasting effects on him until the late afternoon. He had learned to cherish sleep at a young age, noticing that others seemed to forget the pleasures of dreaming while he looked forward to gaining beyond-reality experiences within the comfort of his bed.

Pulling the mug under his mustache-covered upper lip, Marcus opened his laptop, trying to grasp the comforting feeling of the warm liquid chocolate running down his throat while setting up today's presentation.

The presentation was labeled "Introduction to higher level psychology". It was the same presentation he had given at the beginning of every second semester for the past 8 years.

Marcus looked up from his laptop after casting the presentation to the large curved screen behind him which was simple enough. Rays of light were just beginning to fall through the window to the left of the room. Soon enough students would trickle through the doors near the back.

Sure enough within an hour, the auditorium was sprinkled with the sleep-deprived students of this semester, newer faces sitting closer to the front while the older students sat wherever was comfortable, some still in their pajamas. The student who had taken Marcus's class long enough knew that he didn't care what the students wore so long as it wasn't disruptive.

"Good morning my test subjects! For those new faces, my name is Marcus, and for those of old... You know what to be afraid of" Smirking could be heard throughout the space as Marcus paused, taking a seat at the front of his desk, one leg raised over the corner while the other stayed planted in the floor. Leaning back, he pressed a button on the laptop which triggered the next slide of the presentation where he continued with the lecture.

He was halfway through introducing the subject when he was interrupted. Two men burst through the doors at the back. Chatting loudly as if they were at a convention of a sort. Like their conversation needed to be heard by everyone. Despite their tardiness and disruptive behavior, they were better dressed than almost anyone else in the room. Outshining everyone's dull, wrinkled pajamas with their clean white lab coats and vibrant green ties.