Professor Styles

Chapter 1

It was the start of term and my first day at this new university in London, it sounds horrible. I can't wait (note the sarcasm). 

My mother made us move from our country mansion because she got a promotion so I had to transfer Universities. Why did she even have to take it? She was already on mega money. Anyway, she is making me go here. I will have no friends and no clue where anything is, just great. I've never been good at making new friends. 

Have I introduced myself? Well my name is Elizabeth Jane Middleton. Born and brought up in the South of England. I am a 17 year old straight A's student. A  good girl and I love to read. I am 5 ft 10, have long dark brown/red hair, very pale skin and blue eyes. I am an absolute good-girl- never drank, smoked, still a virgin, study a lot. 

As I walk towards the entrance of this strange place, I want to die. It looks like an absolute nightmare from the 1800's. It is so old-fashioned I didn't even know things like this existed anymore. It is so ancient, I thought this place was new? It looks like a huge, haunted castle with dark large windows. It reminds me of Hogwarts. I struggle to open the large wooden doors and I step inside. It is undoubtedly cold inside. Eerily cold. It's like there has never been any heating on and it is completely dead inside. I look around, everybody is dressed in dark clothing and looking at me curiously. I am an outsider. I do not fit in here. I suddenly feel silly in my white summer dress. The cold whips at my thighs. Do they not know it's mid-summer? 

Nobody looks alive or excited. I slowly walk towards what looks like a Victorian-style reception area, everything is so dark. It's like I've entered a different world. I reach the front desk where a grey woman is sat, she looks at me with beady eyes. I open my mouth to speak but am interrupted by her. 

"Ah you must be Elizabeth Middleton." 

I am taken aback, how does she know my name? 

"Um yes, correct. I'm new here". 

"Yes I can see that. You will be in room 288 and share with 4 other girls," she snaps back. 

Are universities run like this? I wondered. She hands me a key with '288' printed on and a lecture timetable. 

"Lectures start at 8.30 sharp." 

I thank her before walking to the large, old stair-case. Can you believe it? Not one single lift in this mansion of a hell-hole. After what feels like hours of walking I reach a door that says '288' on. I forcefully push the large heavy, wooden door open and face 4 chatting girls; all of a similar age to me. 

"Hi I'm Eleanor!" An attractive girl chirps at me. After about 15 minutes of chatting I learn their names are Eleanor, Sasha, Sophie and Alexandra. I unpack my bags and change into a longer dress, knee length this time, proving a more appropriate attire. 

Eleanor and I walk together as we both have the same lecture first according to our timetables.  

I've never been anywhere like this before. "So were you here last term too?" I ask in a friendly tone. "Yes, I can be your tour guide if you want." "Yeah. Okay." 

"So what are the professors like?" I ask curiously, after a dew moments of silence.

 "Well, they are all terrible if i'm honest with you. They are very old fashioned in their ways, very strict, well everything here is. Most are old, grey and very intimidating. You will regret it if you speak in their lessons without being spoken to first. They wont hesitate to punish you.

Mr Styles is the youngest but do not let this fool you. He is the worst of the lot. Very moody, arrogant and solemn. You don't want to get on the wrong side of him. Everyone is basically petrified of him." 

I scoffed. That's ridiculous, how can a one professor intimidate so many people? She looked at me seriously. 

"I'm being serious." She wouldn't look me in the eye. She continued, "He's got some kind of - a hold on everyone. On the other professors.  Apparently he used to run a very powerful gang. Or still does. I don't mean a small town, pocket-knife type of gang either. I mean as in the Mafia. Guns, killing people and big time drug deals. I've heard he has killed men with his bare hands." 

She had a look of horror in her eyes. It was evident that her and everyone else was petrified of Mr Styles. I still didn't believe her. She's being dramatic, surely? 

"Why don't they just fire him? Or lock him up if it's that bad? Surely the police would do something?" I questioned. 

"Did you not listen to what I just said? He's the one at the top. The one with the power. Have you not heard of corrupt coppers before? When you're at the top and you've got other 'big men' under your thumb, you can do what you want. 

I dropped the subject. 

Within ten minutes, we enter a large, cold and dimly-lit room. We sit at the front on the wooden desks while others sit nearer the back. There is an ancient chalk board at the front of the room. The room is eerily silent. The door swings open as if pushed with force, a very tall man walks in with grey hair and a glare strong enough to make me advert my eyes. He looks angry. Is that his normal expression? Gosh, he must be popular. 

Eleanor senses my reaction and whispers to me, "you think he's bad wait until you meet Mr Styles, we have him in two hours."