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Mina

A Photographic Novella

in Twenty Episodes

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Text and Makeup by

Jennifer Broome

Photography by Allie Mullin

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©2012. All Rights Reserved

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The Professor’s Tale

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“You’re a very intelligent girl, Mina, so I’m sure you’ll be able to understand what I’m about to tell you. The difficult part is for you to believe it.

“I am going to tell you some fantastic things—fantastic in the sense that they will appear to be the fantasies of a very old man. I swear to you, Mina, that everything I am about to tell you is the truth.”

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“You see…” He paused in his recitation to pull a string of pale green beads from his pocket.

“You are not the only owner of what you call beads.”

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Mina tilted her head and stared at the beads. True, they were green, like hers, and perfectly formed, also like hers.

The Professor’s string, however, was much longer than Mina’s own.

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As if he were reading her thoughts, The Professor commented “Of course, I am much older than you and have had many more adventures. That is why my strand is longer than yours. If you are lucky and wise, your string will be very long someday as well.”

He slipped the beads back into his pocket and continued. “These beads, as you call them, are

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in reality margarites. You will not read of my strand, or yours, in any of your history books.”

The Professor poured more tea for himself and continued thoughtfully, “Of course, the history we teach you here is not true. It’s true in the sense that all stories are a reflection of truth, but that’s all. The history tales are no more true than the fairy tales you were told as a child.”

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The Professor paused to take a sip of tea, lifting his pinky to point at Mina as he drank. “You, of course, are too young to know better, but you of all people should shun the lies they teach you.” Mina squirmed in her seat. “But what does this—”

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“—have to do with your mother? Don’t you see, child—she’s the reason all these lies are being told!”

“What lies? My mother was never in a history book.” Mina looked doubtfully at The Professor, wondering what exactly was in his cup. However, The Professor just tutted at her, as if reading her thoughts.

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Undaunted, Mina continued, “And what do you mean, she’s alive? She loved me. She loved my father. If she were still alive”— Mina paused to hold back tears— “then she’d be here, with me.”

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The Professor sighed, and suddenly appeared much older, and more exhausted than Mina had ever seen him. “It’s not a question of loving, child, but a question of duty. Our lives are not merely about what we want, but what is right. And sometimes…” —he paused, as if to gather an unfathomable courage— “Sometimes we must hurt the ones we love to do what is just.”

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At that instant, the two heard a strange clanging sound in the library. The sound of boots stomping was followed by muffled curses, then the sounds of a paper avalanche. Mina turned as The Professor grabbed her arm. “Listen to me, Mina. Find the Alchemist! You must find the Alchemist!”

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Mina paid scant attention to his words, so horrified was she by what was happening to The Professor. It was as if a sudden plague had taken over his body. Angry black lines began to form

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on his skin. The lines moved as if by galvanism, then began to resolve themselves into some sort of pattern. The Professor’s eyes rolled back towards his brain, his mouth pursed in a silent scream. As the lines settled into place on his exposed skin, Mina saw they were forming more than a pattern—they were forming letters.

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At the same moment she realized this, The Professor lurched, bent double, and began vomiting…words. Sheet after sheet of paper came tumbling from his mouth, covering the floor.

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Mina moved to help, but The Professor waved her away. “Run!” he managed to gasp before another wrenching bout of lexical nausea attacked his body.

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As if he had given the last of his free will to that syllable, The Professor collapsed, and was soon covered by a pile of regurgitated pages.

Mina ran.

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Be sure to check out the next episode, “Mina Meets Hatter and Tatter,” tomorrow. It goes live at 10 a.m. EST on literaturecouture.com/mina. While you’re there, browse the character makeup tutorials, read cast bios, and more.