Lost Sanctuary

Chapter 3

She didn't think she was imagining it when she saw something burnt orange and white flash through her periphery for the third time that day. Her walk took her across campus, and she had a little time, so she stopped to look after the blur where it disappeared between the library and the chemistry department. She took a step toward the spot the fox had been but thought better of it and headed toward her class. It wasn't the same fox. Never mind she'd never seen one on campus before.

Later, Nina's laugh cut through the murmur of students leaving, as Jess shooed Ava down their row of seats. Barrow's class was the first of Nina's week and usually provided a good start to the days to come. The professor was perhaps the only person who still kept Nina's interest in their discipline alive, her research interest in the impact of climate breakdown on ocean transformation, had ignited a particular passion. However, the look Barrow gave her was not promising as the woman beaconed her with a curled forefinger. What she could possibly have to say to Nina, she wasn't sure, since she was fairly certain the woman didn't even know she existed. Nina waved a hasty goodbye to Jess and Ava and made her way through the vacating students toward the lectern. She watched the long fingers and perfectly manicured nails of the professor as she arranged the papers on her lectern and tucked them into her bag, alongside her laptop and what looked to be a copper water bottle.

'I finished marking your last term paper'.

'Oh', Nina didn't know how to respond to that. The professor never returned term papers individually.

'It's been flagged for plagiarism', she watched Nina carefully, 'this is a very serious complaint.'

'What?' Nina shook her head, incredulous. 'That paper is mine. One hundred percent. Well, maybe not one hundred percent, I used some quotations and cite other research, but you know what I mean... Sorry', she was rambling, panicking, actually. 'What happens now? What do I do?'

Professor Barrow tilted her head and contemplated the student in front of her for a moment before coming to some kind of conclusion.

'I am fairly certain it is your own work, Nina. You should know I gave it the best mark I've given in years, which is likely why it was flagged. Some of my colleagues are sceptical since it appears your work is not to the same standard everywhere', the words clanged through Nina's head. The best mark she's given in years. Nina wanted to cry for the cognitive dissonance she was feeling in that moment, as both her academic dreams and nightmares knotted, inseparably in a single utterance.

'I'm sorry', she needed to clarify, 'people, other professors, believe I plagiarised the paper because it's better than work I've produced for them?'

'That's the gist of it, yes.'

'This is my favourite class. That was, is, my best paper because I spent weeks on it, and I care about the subject matter. Will there be an inquiry, an investigation?'

'It might not get that far. We'll contact the head of the department and see what he has to say about it. In all likelihood it'll be moderated by another academic before this goes any further.' This might be too much for a Monday morning. Surely, this wasn't happening. 'I'll cc you in the email I send to Dr. Jacobs, you can expect it later today.'

'Thank you, Professor.' Barrow only shook her head and assured her there was nothing to thank her for, she was only doing her job. Nina hadn't thanked her for helping with the plagiarism accusation but didn't know how to articulate her admiration for the woman standing in front of her without sounding like a simpering idiot, so she only nodded, a little dumbfounded by the whole situation. She hauled her bag higher on her shoulder and made for the exit. It was raining when she stepped outside and Nina almost laughed at the irony of it all. She was wearing a summer dress and sandals against the summer heat and had not thought to bring an umbrella, though she saw a fair number bobbing over the heads of students as they passed her. Suddenly, the sky darkened. No, not the sky, the air above her head as a dark green umbrella appeared as if out of nowhere. Roe beamed down at her, umbrella in hand. She blinked up at them in surprise and then grinned back at her friend.