Do You Believe?

"What's your major, Tepnos?" Andrew ventured, adding shadows to his drawing.

"Undeclared."

"Undecided."

"No, I have decided. It's just undeclared."

He paused and looked up to meet her red eyes. "Why?"

"Because I want it that way."

"O…kay. When will you graduate?"

"When I'm done learning."

Andrews brow furrowed in confusion. "You're not like most students."

"I am not. What is your major?" Tepnos asked.

"Creative writing with a minor in art design."

"That fits you."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Tepnos turned back to her book.

Andrew filled in her eyes then turned back to the griffin he had drawn that morning. He darkened some of the lines.

"How is your character development going?" Tepnos asked.

"I'm still stuck," he replied. "I have no idea how to merge these two forms to be able to give justice to both."

"What ideas have you come up with?"

"That's the thing. I haven't. The griffin is both lion and bird, so how do you add more bird without losing the lion?"

"Sounds troubling."

"It is. I want to be able to sculpt this character for my final project in twelve weeks, but without a set image, I can't start the more time consuming crafting."

"Does this being have any abilities?" she asked.

"They fly, love riddles, and every few hundred years they burn and start new."

"Nothing else?"

Tepnos' questions reminded Andrew a little of Kenny, but he didn't dwell on it as he replied, "No. I'm trying to remain true to the nature of both of these creatures."

"Have you done much research?"

"A lot. But there doesn't seem to be much to go on when it comes to their temperaments."

Tepnos nodded once.

"Do you believe in fantastical creatures, Tepnos?" Andrew leaned forward.

"One man's fantasy is another man's reality."

"Yes. But do you believe they could have existed at one point?"

"No."

"Oh." He frowned and leaned back.

Tepnos turned the page of the book she held. Andrew caught the images of a few fantastical creatures as she turned another page.

"If you do not believe in fantastical creatures, why did you pick up that book?"

"For comparison," she replied.

"Comparison to what?" Andrew asked.

"Knowledge."

"What?"

"You heard me true, Andrew."

"Knowledge."

Tepnos gave a nod of acknowledgment.

"But you just said you don't believe in these creatures."

"Yes."

"I'm confused."

"Do you believe that water is made of molecules?" she asked.

"Yes."

"So, you don't know if it is or not."

"No. Water is made of Hydrogen and Oxygen atoms bound together."

"You know this; you don't believe it."

"Yes!" Andrew replied a little flabbergasted.

"Case in point."

"What does water have to do with whether or not you really believe in creatures?"

Tepnos smiled. "You know."

Andrew looked away and Tepnos left.

He pondered what she said for a while. Then he shook his head and worked on his character until he needed to be home to eat dinner with Grammy. He went to bed early, still not understanding what Tepnos meant.