Liam,

You did not show up for class and you know it is required to pass. I expect to see a doctors’ note or something equivalent tomorrow or this will count as your only absence.

Moreover, it has also been a bit since I’ve seen one of your theses. I know we still have just over 2 weeks until it is due for a grade, but I highly recommend you don’t put this off until the last minute. Your last couple submissions have not been up to par compared to what I know you have in you.

You are a smart kid, Liam. I see your effort and that you work hard, unfortunately I give no leeway on this assignment. If it is not completed, you will not pass this course.

Please email me with any questions of stop in my office,

Professor Amla

Liam woke up to read this email. He slept for 17 hours, he was both physically and mentally exhausted over the night he had now more than a day prior. He looks at the clock and sees that professor Amla’s office hours are going on for a little over an hour, maybe he can talk to her about what happened.

Walking through the campus, Liam can’t help but look over at the woods every other step. The thought of the gun, the fox, and the panicking from getting lost caused him more unnecessary anxiety than he already had. Everyone is outside, I guess the lock down isn’t happening anymore. I wonder if they caught the shooter. Liam walks passed a trail that heads into the woods and a thought occurs. What if the noise I heard was someone walking on the trail? I should see if it goes near the burrow.

Liam looks at the big clock tower in the middle of campus and sees he has time do go through the woods and then head to professor Amla’s office. After a few minutes into the woods nothing is of recognition. He looks around and can’t see where the burrow is. If the trail isn’t close, what did I hear in the woods? Was it a person? Just my imagination? Liam heads out of the woods just in time to meet with Dr. Amla before she leaves for the day. As he is walking up to her office he sees another one of his classmates in her room. He was one of the kids that always acted out, one where you’d think it was a high school class if you were just observing him. His face looked sad though, like something happened to him. Liam sat next to the door and listened in best he could. He couldn’t make out every word but what he got from it was she was saying there was no way he could pass. The student spoke for a while, likely pleading her to let him make up an assignment or a test, but as time went on he kept talking. Suddenly the door opened up and the boy walked out and made eye contact with Liam. He didn’t say a word, yet Liam could tell his efforts went in vein. Once Dr. Amla made up her mind, nothing could make her change her decision.

Liam walks in to an apathetic look on the professors face, that situation clearly did not affect her in anyway.

Liam I am glad to see you are okay. What can I do for you?

Liam explained the night before her last class he could not sleep, and when he did finally get some sleep he ended up sleeping all day. Like the kid before, Liam just kept talking, trying to get any reaction out her or any read on what she was thinking. When he realized no emotion would be shown he moved on to his thesis. Telling her something traumatic happened in his life and he isn’t able to focus on it at the moment. He says he will try to have another draft by the end of the week.

Well, Liam, sleeping through a class is not a legitimate excuse to miss it. If it happens again you will go down a full letter grade. As for your thesis, I will be expecting one by the end of the week. It is not mandatory but I believe you need to start working on it. I am glad you are trying to write it though, I have so many students just turn it in when it’s due and not have me check it beforehand, causing them to fail the class when I reject it. I know your first couple attempts weren’t up to my standards, but I believe you will get there. You have done exceptional on every other assignment in the class. I will help you in any way I can.

Professor Amla watched Liam leave her office. She sat there thinking about the recent exchanges she had with Liam. The outburst she saw at the auditorium was unexpected. She has never seen that side of him, though she didn’t know him outside of class, she could usually read a person well. The outburst threw her for a loop. She locks up her office and heads to her car, but she can’t help but feel worry that he will ambush her again, and she won’t be able to calm him down the next time. She hurries to her car and drives home.

Liam leaves the professor’s office and heads out the building thinking what a waste of time that was. She was a little nicer than normal but why would she drop my grade a whole letter if miss another class. At least I won’t lose my scholarship with just a letter grade. Failing this course is another story. The only way I can afford to go here is this full ride. Liam now can’t even think about what happened prior. This thesis is what he is forced to think about, and it upsets him. He had something happen to him that he knew he needed to deal with, but this thesis is forcing his thoughts towards it. He held a gun, is he who he was? He was the same person - but didn’t feel the same. Is this new entity he didn’t expect or want all because of an item he held? How would that even make sense? Did I actually change just from holding a gun? It’s not like I shot it, I’m not even sure it had bullets in it.

Walking passed the part of woods he exited makes him think that’s truly when everything changed. In the woods he was Liam, but who is he now? After staring at the woods he looks down at the road ahead and there’s the fox he related so much to. Laying in the gutter. Poor thing must have been hit by a car. Liam saw this and felt something he hasn’t felt for a while, a pit in his stomach was forming and he didn’t know what to do. He hurried back to his dorm to get away from everything.

Once in his dorm he lays down and stares at the wall like on the night he couldn’t sleep, the night before he felt different. Trying to think but everything felt foggy, blurry even. He sits up, grabs out a notebook, and starts trying to write a thesis to take his mind off of everything else.