Several years after that my brother William was born He was small sweet and wonderful We were a happy family I went to school and studied hard I loved learning especially math and science I spent more time with my book than with my friends Then I met Henry Clerval a boy much like me We enjoyed all the same things We loved to explore We loved nature and science Soon we became best friends I especially liked reading I spent many many hours reading to Elizabeth Even though we grew up in the same house I never looked at her as my sister I cared for her and she cared for me I always knew that when we grew up we would marry One night a sudden storm blew in The rain pounded the roof Thunder boomed like a cannon And lightning streaked across the sky like broken glass I found it utterly fascinating I decided then to devote myself to science and 10
the study of electricity Everything seemed perfect My happiness did not last long As I was about to leave for the university my mother died I stayed filled with sadness Her death made me think about life Why does someone have to die Could it be about nature and chemistry I could not grieve forever and knew I must go on I had to continue my education So I left my father Elizabeth Ernest William and Henry and journeyed on to the university I studied all of the time with little rest I especially loved chemistry I loved how everything we do and see and feel was a part of a chemical makeup It fascinated me So I continued to study and study and study and soon I formulated an idea I had no way of knowing that the idea would eventually destroy my life 11
chapter 3 The Creation I made a laboratory on the second floor of my apartment It was large and empty and I knew I would not be disturbed there I kept the lab locked so it would remain a secret I spent hours studying the human body I learned about everything from the blinking of eyes to the twitch of the smallest toe I was fascinated by what lay within a person’s flesh Soon my laboratory was filled with notes and books The tables were lined with jars and beakers Even in the day I burned candles for light because I kept the windows shut tight I could not risk anyone seeing my project Hours turned into days Days turned into months Sometimes I forgot to eat I’d make 12
myself stop long enough to swallow a few bites of bread I never quit working Without proper nourishment I began to resemble the skeletons that dangled inside my lab I had lost far too much weight When I did look in the mirror it seemed as though a stranger was staring back My cheeks had become hollow My eyes appeared red and tired And my greasy hair grew wild around my face But I kept going I only left my lab when necessary and usually at night I would sneak into cemeteries searching for fresh graves I never brought a lantern I couldn’t take a chance on being seen What I was doing was an unspeakable crime but I had no other choice Where else would I get the parts I so badly needed So I worked only by moonlight when I could Some nights the darkness made it difficult to work I would trip over broken branches or stones that were left to mark a 13
