Mina Murray, a young auburn haired woman around the age of nineteen struggled to drag the minifridge through the empty corridors of the Stoker dorm building of Gull University. She finally reached her room on the fourth floor and lay down on the floor to catch her breath and ignore the aching in her back.
"Mina, what were you doing?" asked her roommate, Lucy Westenra, as she stepped into the room.
"I ... Fridge... Elevator... Out of order."
"Oh, right. You should have asked me for help."
"I did," said Mina as she looked at her out the corner of her eye, "I told you this morning."
"Did you? Oh, you did say something before I had my coffee. You should know better than to tell me anything before I've had my coffee."
"Noted." said Mina with a grunt as she got up and collapsed on her bed.
"Right," started Lucy as she sat cross-legged on her own bed, "Monday, we start classes and live like proper girls; however, I propose that until Monday, we don't live like proper girls.
"Umm, no, but go ahead."
"Come on, Mina, sweetie. I know that you really loved Jonathan and all, but he did dump you..."
"He did NOT dump me, we reached a mutual decision regarding the future of our relationship and... did you just roll your eye at me?"
"He dumped you, he was scum and he dumped you. And now I suggest you find yourself some moderately attractive young man, have your fun with him then emotionally abuse him, you'll feel wonderful."
"I'll think about it."
"Come on, listen, tonight I've got a date with Arthur, but tomorrow, we'll go out and pain the town red. What do you say?"
"I don't know, what do you plan on doing?"
"Hey! Let's go to a gay bar and Soho and see how many women try to pick us up!"
"Are you serious?"
"It'll boost your ego, but I see your point. How about we do a two days Tarantino-Rodriguez DVD marathon?"
"You know how I feel about Gore and Blood."
A young man walked into the room suddenly.
"Hey, good morning." he said.
"Mina," said Lucy cheerfully, "It's Jack Seward, hey there Jack."
"I know who he is, how are you Jack?"
"I'm find, thank you." said Jack, "How are you?"
"Humph. Surviving."
"Good to hear that, are you all moved in?"
"We are." said Lucy, "And to celebrate it, we're just going to sit here and pout."
"You know, my band's got its act together now that we've found a drummer."
"Oh really? Did Lanyon have second thoughts about his new convictions?"
"No, we've got this guy out of Manchester; he'll be going to Gull too. Anyway, we're playing in the Billy Shears pub down at Delan Street tomorrow night. And I just happen to have these ticket." said Jack as he presented them with a pair of tickets.
"Wow. Tickets, eh?"
"Actually, we're opening for another band that people will actually pay to see. Bit it is a milestone."
"I don't feel like it." said Mina.
"Oh, come on!" objected Lucy, "I'm starting to develop into a quaint and sensible person just by listening to you."
"True. You two have never seen us play." said Jack.
"Oh, alright. But I won't have fun, I give you my word."
"Who gives a toss, really?"
"My names is Dorian Gray, I am... Basil, what am I really supposed to say? Should I just keep yammering on? Talk without actually saying anything? Alright, I'll do it... Yada yad yada gobble gobble gobble the rain in Spain gathers in the plains god save the queen the fascist regime god save the queen she is no human being."
Basil Hallward, the aspiring filmmaker turned off his camera and looked at his friend Dorian, a true epitome of masculine beauty, as he sat in the open window ledge in his high rise apartment in Soho.
"That's enough, thank you." he said as he put on his glasses and connected the digital camera to his lap top, loaded the one minute film and started to alter it using his video editing software.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful, I'm not in the best of modes, Basil."
"Don't be silly, I couldn't care what you say. I didn't film you for your wit, but to capture a truly beautiful picture."
"Oh, you're making me blush, go on." said Dorian in vanity.
"You disgust me Dorian, but in a good way. Men hate you, you know, they see how their wives and girlfriends look at you and they boil in jealousy cause they know that as hard at they try, they can never arouse the emotion that your mere sight will cause."
"It's a burden, but I manage." said Dorian as he lit himself a cigarette.
"Cheeky bastard." muttered Basil as he burned the short film onto a blank DVD disk, "What are you doing tonight?"
"Nothing much, I'm meeting Sybil for dinner then its back here for some.."
"I get the picture. There we are," said Basil as he took the disk out, "Let's try it on the tele."
Dorian loaded the DVD into Basil's player and hit the play button.
"I already know how it goes, you know."
"Shhh. Watch."
The image of Dorian Gray appeared, sitting in the frame of the open window as a slight wind caused his silky black hair to vibrate. He looked utterly beautiful, Angelic, Divine. It was first black and white but transformed into color instantly in a masterful artistic technique. Dorian's smooth voice then started talking nonsense.
"My my!" Dorian said.
"Good, eh?"
"Basil, you're brilliant!" said Dorian in awe.
"Oh, you're too kind."
"I'm serious..." said Dorian as a tear spilled down his check, "It's just... glorious! This man will always be young and beautiful, while I will age and wrinkle."
"Err, Dorian, are you okay?"
"I'm freaking out!"
"Alright, let's turn the tele off and have a nice Bloody Mary." said Basil as he pressed a button on the remote control and rushed to prepare the drink.
"It's just so surreal, I've never given much though to my mortality."
"Most people don't. Listen Dorian, you're blowing this out of proportion, you've got a lot going for you."
"Yeah, like what?"
"You've got a beautiful girl who loves you, you're stinking rich, you're getting atop grade education in a respected university, also, you still have several good years to come, you know, maybe you'll be one of those gray, yet appealing men, Like Connery or Omar Sherif."
"I guess you're right," said Dorian as he was handed the Bloody Mary, "It's just sad that we all have to with up and die."
"Ugh. If you're goint to act like this I'm just going to throw the disk out, I can't stand see you like this..."
"No! Don't!" said Dorian, "I'll get over it, just don't throw it away, can I have it?"
"Why?"
"I'd just like a reminder of these better days in the years to come. What I wouldn't do to be forever young. Why, I think I'd give my very soul to keep from aging."
"Too bad you can't, since when do you believe in souls anyway?"
"I don't, that's why I'm willing to give it away." said Dorian with a smile.
"That's the spirit." said Basil with a light at on the back of the head, "Ley's get pissed." he said as they gulped down their drinks.
In The Haggard-Verne Dorm Building of Gull University, the strapping young man known as Alan Quatermain was pacing through the corridors, bored out of his mind. He couldn't wait till classes started so that he'd be able to do something stimulating.
He had made a full lap through the corridors and finally returned to the vicinity of his room, where a young man was moving in next door, at the moment he was about to pick up a massive box labeled 'Books'.
"Need any help with that?" asked Quatermain is a slight Scottish brogue.
"No, I'm fine thank you." answered the young man whose face was out of view, he spoke in a well pronounced manner with the subtlest of foreign accents.
"It's no trouble, really."
"I appreciate it, but I can pick up a box all by myself."
He picked up the box and turned to face Quatermain, who could see him clearly for the first time. He was lean and of average height, he was dark skinned and clean shaven, clearely an India. Two thick eyebrows ere a distinguishing feature of his, and beneath them were a pair of brilliant black eyes.
"You can hold the door open, If you don't mind."
"Of course."
Quatermain held the door open to allow the Indian to carry the box inside, then extended his hand as he the Indian's were no longer occupied.
"Alan Quatermain."
"A pleasure, I'm Mahesh Dakkar."
Mahesh uttered his name quickly, causing a confused and hilarious facial expression on Quatermain's part. The Indian smiled and said, "A little tricky to pronounce?"
"Oh, I'm sure I'll learn to do it. What was it again?"
"Mahesh Dakkar, " he said slowly, "But, you can call me Nemo, everyone else does."
"Ah, that's more like it. What's your major?"
"Computer Engineering, third year, I've been transferred here from M.I.T. in the United States. You?"
"Archeology. I'm a Freshman."
"Freshman!"
"Yes, I realize I look too old. I used to be in the Marines to earn the money."
Nemo looked slightly put off by that fact, but kept acting civil.
"Have you finished your tour?"
"No, an Iraqi insurgent shot me in the leg. I should send the chap a thank you note and a bunt cake one day."
"I see, would you like some tea?"
"I'd love some."
Author's Notes:
1. Gull University is named after Sir Dr.William Gull, a Jack the Ripper suspect.
2. Jack Seward is one of Mina and Lucy's male companions from Bram Stoker's Draculla.
3. Basil Hallward was originally the paintr that painted the Portrait of Dorian Gray, he's been changed her to a student filmmaker for reasons to follow. The DVD disk will act as the painting.
Pointless and slightly crappy, I know, but hey, I'm just beggining.