Her throat suddenly became dry as she understood Vanessa’s message. For them to be together, she would have to be dead. Phillips would kill her in this very room and Vanessa would finally be hers to hold. She’d dreamed of kissing Vanessa’s breasts. She imaged they were soft, like her own. But she would have to be dead. Dead! Allison vigorously shook her head. She wasn’t ready to die. She melted with desire at the thought of Vanessa’s nakedness. But she wanted to do so much with her life. The thought of graduate school had cheered her through a lonely, painful adolescence. She couldn’t give that up. Just for sex. Maybe she wouldn’t even like sex. What then? No, she couldn’t let it happen. She wanted to live. Allison turned away from the sink full of photos.

“Vanessa,” she began, “I want to live. Maybe someday when I’m old and I die, we can be together. I’m sorry that Phillips killed you. Probably you’ll find someone else who will get you justice. But it won’t be me.” The threat of Phillips and the syringe came back to her. “I won’t let him kill me.” She said grabbing the dried prints of her half-finished photo essay. She strode towards the inner door. She’d just have to swallow a ‘C’ in the class.

She froze when she heard the outer door open and close quietly. It would be easy to get the jump on the old man, Allison thought as she quietly laid her backpack on the floor. Her martial arts training would make quick work of a middle-aged, flabby gut like Phillips. The inner door of the dark room burst open but not far enough to slam the wall behind it. Phillips jumped into the room like an action hero. He even yelled, “Ha!”

“Hello, Professor Phillips. I know you’ve come to kill me for some reason. So, I’m going to leave now before you get hurt. And we can both go home.” Allison intoned. Outfitted all in black, he stood in the middle of the room with a small syringe in his hand. Allison was too annoyed to find him pitiful.

”Vanessa!” He called,” I’m here, my love! We will be together this night!” For an old guy, he sure moved fast Allison thought as he sprung on her, beating his one fist on her shoulders, and holding the syringe above his head with the other.