It was weird how Alex became involved in this research.
The idea of reading memories encoded in the brain was intriguing, but going further and using that same technique to read the memories of the deceased seemed invasive and even unwholesome.
But something drove Alex to pursue the project and to be honest it wasn't just scientific curiosity, no, it came down to one thing—the face of the beautiful female who was now sitting near him in his lab.
He was also feeling guilty.
He hadn't told Elizabeth the real reason he chose her as his research assistant. Yes, it was because of her excellent marks and intellignce, but on a deeper level he felt this overwhelming urge to know why her face was imprinted on hos consciousness.
He would eventually tell her, of that he was certain, but for now he was allowing events to take their course feeling that eventually the universe would unfold its purpose...
Yet to be determined, bur he was content with that.
Elizabeth proved to be an excellent researcher and before long became invaluable to Alex and the project.
He was ten years older than her but couldn't help being drawn by her beauty. As often as he tried pushing thoughts of her from his mind, he found himself thinking of her moments later when his guard was down and he allowed his mind to drift.
The mysterious and haunting face that now dominated his thoughts was irresitible, as were the countless ways he became bound up in the subtle threads of her personality and presence.
"A penny for your thoughts," a voice whispered and Alex looked up to see Elizabeth's smoiling face beaming at him from across his desk.
"Sorry," he stammered, "I often become lost in my thoughts."
"No need to apologize," she replied softly, "it's just when you were lost in your reveries it reminded me of someone..."
Her voice trailed off and she turned and looked out the window at the late spring afternoon.
"Someone you knew well?" Alex asked.
She nodded solemnly. "Yes, it seems a long time ago but it's only been a few years."
Alex was burning to know more but he felt a check inside himself.
For the rest of the workday he felt an anguish he had not known before--a mixture of hurt, jealousy and envy.
He had heard from campus gossip that Elizabeth had lost a boyfriend in a skiing accident, but this hurt that he saw in Elizabeth wounded him as well.
It made no sense that he would identify with her pain so deeply, aside from the fact he constantly tried to deny...
He had fallen in love with her.
