The Shadow Kingdom

Chapter 2 - Virtuoso

The next day, I allow myself to wake up a little later than usual. I only have one lecture on Tuesday, and it doesn't start until noon. By the time I've finished my morning routine, Alex is already out the door. I enter the living room and pass the time with my favourite hobby – painting. Alex has always called me a virtuoso despite the fact that she never sees me hold a paintbrush. And the reason for that is because I never do.

I take out a blank, medium sized canvas from the closet and set in on the living room floor. I squeeze out a little paint of every color onto the canvas. Using the view from the living room window as a reference, I place my hand over the canvas, and the drops of colour spread over the canvas like snakes emerging from a pit. In less than half an hour, the paint sets into place, and the empty canvas becomes a menagerie of brown buildings, smashed between the trees of Central Park and grey sky above.

I'll sell this the first chance I get. So far, this is the only way I can think of to use my unnatural ability to help put food on the table. I set the new painting on the coffee table and leave for school.

I arrive just in time for statistics class. Other students have already claimed all the seats up front, so I'm forced to take one in the middle. I take out my notebook, and I am unsettled when I see the professor arrive. "Hello, everyone. My name is Adrian Shang. I will be your instructor for this semester."

What the hell? I stare at the man for the entire hour and a half, waiting to confront him about what is going on. I registered for four classes this term, and coincidentally, the same guy teaches them all? The same man who might have been following me last night? Being unnatural means that I am very good at noticing unnatural things.

He finishes going through the syllabus, but this time, he actually teaches us some stuff. Normal distributions, Z score, p-value, combinations and permutations; nothing I don't already know. He is quickly out the door as soon as the class ends, ignoring all the students who are approaching him with questions as if he's avoiding them.

I manage to chase him down in the hallway. "Professor Shang!" I shout as I try to catch up to him.

He finally stops and turns around. "Oh hello, Scarlett," he speaks as though nothing is amiss. "What can I do for you?"

"Professor Shang, I registered in four classes this term, and they are all taught by you. Is there some reason for this?"

His eyes shift left and right in confusion. "No, I can't imagine a reason for that. There are only a handful of professors who teach the classes in which you are registered. The probability that you chose all my classes at random is not unreasonable. Stranger coincidences have happened."

Huh. I can't form a strong enough argument against his logic, so I ask the bolder question. "Were you by any chance outside my house last night?"

He smirks at me as if I'm the crazy person. Which, who knows, maybe I am. "No Scarlett, I was not. Why do you ask that?"

"I don't know, I just thought I saw... never mind. Sorry to bother you. I'm sure you're a fine teacher." I smile awkwardly as I walk away.

"Uh, Scarlett?" Adrian calls to me. "Feel free to stop by my office sometime if you need help with any of the material. Considering that I am your only professor this term, I do expect to see you around from time to time." He smiles at me and leaves.

What is it about the way that guy smiles? It's almost... magnetic. It makes me feel as though he's trustworthy despite the fact that I don't know anything about him.

When I get home, Alex still hasn't gotten off work. I pop open my laptop and start searching for art galleries, any place that might want to buy my painting. I write down a list of addresses on my notebook and leave the apartment with the painting in hand.