2.3

Professor Oliver Gregory was an incredible person. Originally, he was a student at Saint Deval. There, as a teenager, he had accomplished something so incredible that no one had ever done  before or since.

He was the only one to graduate from Saint Deval with full marks in every single subject. But not only that, at the tender age of 24, Gregory was already a professor and lecturer at the University of London.

Finally, at 36, he became the principal of Saint Deval.

Yes, a truly incredible person.

And a person who was standing just a few feet away from Ben in his living room, looking curiously at the mess Ben had made in his search.

Embarrassed, Ben turned his gaze to the floor. He realized how ridiculous it all must seem. A huge hole in the door, an apartment in chaos, and himself surrounded by half-empty bottles of alcohol.

“Uh that's just, well that was because of...”

Ben trailed off. If he told about the monster and his mother now, they would think he was crazy.

His principal looked at him curiously but didn't press any further. Thankful, Ben quickly changed the subject.

“Excuse me, I don't want to seem rude, but what exactly brings you here?”

His principal smiled sadly. It was a compassionate smile that made Ben's heart tighten.

“Well my boy, it pains me to inform you of this, but due to your unexcused absences over the past few days, you missed the monthly exams and thus failed each one. I suppose you know what that means?”

Ben froze. At Saint Deval, if one failed even one subject, one would be expelled from the school.

“But there's still time before the exams. Or have they been moved up unannounced?”

His principal frowned. “Are you even aware of what day it is?”

Ben just shook his head.

“It's the twenty-fourth my boy. The exams were scheduled for the twentieth and the twenty-second.”

Ben's mind raced.

“The twenty-fourth?”

That would mean he had spent the last three weeks mourning his mother. Somehow, he must have lost all sense of time.

“You can't do that!” he whispered desperately, even though he very well knew that they could.

His principal made an apologetic gesture with his hand

“This is as unpleasant for me as it is for you, but it is a rule that applies to everyone. Some people are simply not able to meet our demands” he said in a friendly but determined voice.

Ben's thoughts were racing. Why now? How exactly did he miss the exams? And why was he still able to stand? Shouldn't he have died of thirst by now?

“Here are all the necessary documents. When you have calmed down a bit, please take the time to read them through.” His principal continued, handing him a thick envelope.

He turned to leave, but then stopped at the door.

“I don't know what you've done here but don't worry about the door I'll take care of it.”

With those words, he took his leave, and as quickly as they had come, the two men were gone.

The despair that had come with them, however, remained.