Dr. Culver was much more pleased with this day's session than he had been with the previous one. The lights acted completely normal. They didn't flicker or hum or do anything out of the ordinary. Dr. Culver was very grateful for that. Rachel didn't have any kind of outburst. He was grateful for that as well. Of course, he was still playing it safe. He wanted one session where nothing went wrong and he got it. Everything went basically without a hitch. The only close call was at the end of the session when Professor Qara wanted to ask Rachel a few more questions. There was no way Dr. Culver was going to allow that a second time. He instantly called in the orderlies and the session was deemed officially closed much to the professor's chagrin. Dr. Culver was afraid that Professor Qara would be so upset about the outcome of the session that he would cancel the meeting they had planned this evening. Much to his surprise though, Professor Qara was more than willing to attend the meeting.
An inexplicable sense of foreboding came over Dr. Culver when the doorbell rang. Something deep inside told him not to answer it. He knew who was at the door. It was Professor Qara. And even though Dr. Culver found the professor somewhat strange in both appearance and manner, he had no reason to fear him. So, disregarding instinct, Dr. Culver opened the door and invited Professor Qara into his home.
It was a stormy night and the rumble of thunder could be heard inside Dr. Culver's living room as the two men sat down for their meeting. Dr. Culver was never a great conversationalist. He loathed small talk. He liked to get to the meat of the matter, especially with those he considered colleagues such as the professor.
"I just wanted to go over a few things with you, professor, regarding our sessions with Rachel," Dr. Culver began. "I don't know how things are done in Japan, but here in America a relationship between a patient and psychiatrist is very personal and fragile. I have to admit, I am none too pleased about your being present during Rachel's sessions. It's nothing personal. I just feel that your or any person's presence disrupts the relationship that Rachel and I have developed over the past months. Thereby jeopardizing everything that I have worked so hard to achieve during that time. Now, of course, there is nothing I can do about this. The committee wants you there, and if they want you there, then that is the way it is going to be. However, I think that if we work together we can salvage the situation. Keep the damage to a minimum, so to speak. Rachel is... complicated. One wrong move and she withdraws into herself or, as you witnessed yesterday, has a complete breakdown. I feel that there are only so many breakdowns that she has in her. I fear that at some point we could lose her entirely, and that is something that neither one of us wants. Don't you agree, professor?"
"Absolutely," Professor Qara said, his eyes fixed on Dr. Culver.
"Yes... well..." Dr. Culver was slightly disturbed by the professor's gaze. "I am glad to see we are in agreement. Now, I have no problem with your observing the sessions. In fact - after careful consideration - I think that could be very helpful. I think that we should meet like this on regular occasions. Then at those times we discuss what you have observed and the direction that we feel might be best to lure Rachel. I think that the two of us working together can make real headway. However, I must ask - for the time being anyway - that you submit any questions you have for Rachel to me. You see there are certain subjects that set her off."
"Like the tape," Professor Qara injected.
"Exactly," Dr. Culver exclaimed. He felt that the professor was beginning to understand his point.
"Like Samara," Professor Qara added.
"Again, yes." Dr. Culver was pleased. "These are subjects that should be handled with care. Rachel should be led into these subjects with subtle deception."
"And how do you feel about Samara, Dr. Culver?"
"How do I feel about Samara?" Dr. Culver repeated, somewhat confused and agitated by the question. He found the question to be nothing more or less than a clever diversionary tactic on the professor's part. "Samara is a figment of Rachel's imagination, which is why we should..."
"But Samara is real. Rachel found her body at the bottom of a well," Professor Qara stated.
"Well, yes, I know that," Dr. Culver replied, feeling more agitated than ever. "Obviously that Samara is real but that is not the one I was referring to, even though I am sure that it was Rachel's obsession over that Samara that led her to fabricate the one I am referring to. You know the Samara I am talking about, professor, the one that kills people after they watch the tape."
"Yes...yes," Professor Qara said. "So you feel that this Samara is nothing more than a fabrication of Rachel's stemming from her obsession over the real one she found in the well?"
"Precisely," Dr. Culver said. "What else could it be?"
"And you don't think that there could be any kind of spiritual interference involved here?"
"Spiritual interference?" Dr. Culver asked, eyeing the professor, suspiciously. "You mean like ghosts?"
"Not quite, but it will do for the moment."
"No, I don't think it has anything to do with spiritual interference," Dr. Culver said, disgustedly. "Do you?"
"As you clearly pointed out at the beginning of our conversation, we are of two different cultures. Here, in America, science is your religion. You try to explain everything with logic and reason. The supernatural is simply an equation. If you cannot explain it then you call it an anomaly and ignore it as best you can. In Japan, we are more accepting of the spiritual world. We also observe rites and rituals to protect ourselves against unwanted spirits. To you this may seem like a bunch of hocus-pocus or unwarranted superstition but in Japan it is a very serious and very real aspect of our culture. So, to answer your question, I feel that spiritual intervention is definitely a possibility."
Well... we'll have to look into that then," Dr. Culver said, unconvincingly. He was having a hard time hiding the disbelief he felt. He thought for sure that this must have been some sort of elaborate joke. The only thing missing was the punch line. After some quick, silent deliberation, Dr. Culver came to the realization that Professor Qara was crazy. How was he supposed to treat Rachel with this loon in the room? Rachel's court date was approaching, and now he had this to deal with. The pressure was mounting. One thing for sure, he thought to himself, Professor Qara would have to be kept in line from here on out. There was no doubt about that. "Look, professor, whether it is a case of fabrication or spiritual intervention I must insist that any future questions you have for Rachel come through me first. I am after all her doctor and know her better than anyone else. We must work together on this."
"Very well then, doctor. It is obvious that your decision is made," Professor Qara said as he removed his gloves.
Dr. Culver found this especially interesting, since he had never seen the professor without his gloves on. The professor's hands looked just fine to him. He figured the professor had some sort of skin condition that warranted the gloves but that did not appear to be the case. Just another side effect of being crazy, the doctor deduced.
"To our new found relationship," Professor Qara said and offered his hand.
Don't take it, Dr. Culver's instinct screamed. He casually observed the professor's hand more closely, looking for blemishes or blotches and found none. It's all right, he told himself, and took it. The moment they clasped hands, Dr. Culver felt ice run through his hand. He tried to let go but the professor's grip was too strong. The ice traveled through his arm and into his body. When it hit his lungs, the doctor gasped for breath.
"Do feel that, doctor?" Professor Qara asked, with a hint of sarcasm. "Yes... yes. I can see that you do. That is the acceleration of time wearing on your body, breaking it down."
Dr. Culver's knees buckled and he fell to the ground. Pain shot through his body upon impact. It felt like millions of needles piercing his veins.
"It is sad, really. Only now in the face of death do you begin to understand what it is you are truly against. Only now when you find the darkness creeping up on you do you begin to accept what you have fought so hard to deny." Professor Qara smiled. "Only now are you willing to accept the truth."
With every ounce of energy he had left, Dr. Culver tried desperately to break free of the professor's grip, but to no avail. He knew the end was close and he was grateful. He was grateful for anything that would stop the pain.
An inexplicable sense of foreboding came over Dr. Culver when the doorbell rang. Something deep inside told him not to answer it. He knew who was at the door. It was Professor Qara. And even though Dr. Culver found the professor somewhat strange in both appearance and manner, he had no reason to fear him. So, disregarding instinct, Dr. Culver opened the door and invited Professor Qara into his home.
It was a stormy night and the rumble of thunder could be heard inside Dr. Culver's living room as the two men sat down for their meeting. Dr. Culver was never a great conversationalist. He loathed small talk. He liked to get to the meat of the matter, especially with those he considered colleagues such as the professor.
"I just wanted to go over a few things with you, professor, regarding our sessions with Rachel," Dr. Culver began. "I don't know how things are done in Japan, but here in America a relationship between a patient and psychiatrist is very personal and fragile. I have to admit, I am none too pleased about your being present during Rachel's sessions. It's nothing personal. I just feel that your or any person's presence disrupts the relationship that Rachel and I have developed over the past months. Thereby jeopardizing everything that I have worked so hard to achieve during that time. Now, of course, there is nothing I can do about this. The committee wants you there, and if they want you there, then that is the way it is going to be. However, I think that if we work together we can salvage the situation. Keep the damage to a minimum, so to speak. Rachel is... complicated. One wrong move and she withdraws into herself or, as you witnessed yesterday, has a complete breakdown. I feel that there are only so many breakdowns that she has in her. I fear that at some point we could lose her entirely, and that is something that neither one of us wants. Don't you agree, professor?"
"Absolutely," Professor Qara said, his eyes fixed on Dr. Culver.
"Yes... well..." Dr. Culver was slightly disturbed by the professor's gaze. "I am glad to see we are in agreement. Now, I have no problem with your observing the sessions. In fact - after careful consideration - I think that could be very helpful. I think that we should meet like this on regular occasions. Then at those times we discuss what you have observed and the direction that we feel might be best to lure Rachel. I think that the two of us working together can make real headway. However, I must ask - for the time being anyway - that you submit any questions you have for Rachel to me. You see there are certain subjects that set her off."
"Like the tape," Professor Qara injected.
"Exactly," Dr. Culver exclaimed. He felt that the professor was beginning to understand his point.
"Like Samara," Professor Qara added.
"Again, yes." Dr. Culver was pleased. "These are subjects that should be handled with care. Rachel should be led into these subjects with subtle deception."
"And how do you feel about Samara, Dr. Culver?"
"How do I feel about Samara?" Dr. Culver repeated, somewhat confused and agitated by the question. He found the question to be nothing more or less than a clever diversionary tactic on the professor's part. "Samara is a figment of Rachel's imagination, which is why we should..."
"But Samara is real. Rachel found her body at the bottom of a well," Professor Qara stated.
"Well, yes, I know that," Dr. Culver replied, feeling more agitated than ever. "Obviously that Samara is real but that is not the one I was referring to, even though I am sure that it was Rachel's obsession over that Samara that led her to fabricate the one I am referring to. You know the Samara I am talking about, professor, the one that kills people after they watch the tape."
"Yes...yes," Professor Qara said. "So you feel that this Samara is nothing more than a fabrication of Rachel's stemming from her obsession over the real one she found in the well?"
"Precisely," Dr. Culver said. "What else could it be?"
"And you don't think that there could be any kind of spiritual interference involved here?"
"Spiritual interference?" Dr. Culver asked, eyeing the professor, suspiciously. "You mean like ghosts?"
"Not quite, but it will do for the moment."
"No, I don't think it has anything to do with spiritual interference," Dr. Culver said, disgustedly. "Do you?"
"As you clearly pointed out at the beginning of our conversation, we are of two different cultures. Here, in America, science is your religion. You try to explain everything with logic and reason. The supernatural is simply an equation. If you cannot explain it then you call it an anomaly and ignore it as best you can. In Japan, we are more accepting of the spiritual world. We also observe rites and rituals to protect ourselves against unwanted spirits. To you this may seem like a bunch of hocus-pocus or unwarranted superstition but in Japan it is a very serious and very real aspect of our culture. So, to answer your question, I feel that spiritual intervention is definitely a possibility."
Well... we'll have to look into that then," Dr. Culver said, unconvincingly. He was having a hard time hiding the disbelief he felt. He thought for sure that this must have been some sort of elaborate joke. The only thing missing was the punch line. After some quick, silent deliberation, Dr. Culver came to the realization that Professor Qara was crazy. How was he supposed to treat Rachel with this loon in the room? Rachel's court date was approaching, and now he had this to deal with. The pressure was mounting. One thing for sure, he thought to himself, Professor Qara would have to be kept in line from here on out. There was no doubt about that. "Look, professor, whether it is a case of fabrication or spiritual intervention I must insist that any future questions you have for Rachel come through me first. I am after all her doctor and know her better than anyone else. We must work together on this."
"Very well then, doctor. It is obvious that your decision is made," Professor Qara said as he removed his gloves.
Dr. Culver found this especially interesting, since he had never seen the professor without his gloves on. The professor's hands looked just fine to him. He figured the professor had some sort of skin condition that warranted the gloves but that did not appear to be the case. Just another side effect of being crazy, the doctor deduced.
"To our new found relationship," Professor Qara said and offered his hand.
Don't take it, Dr. Culver's instinct screamed. He casually observed the professor's hand more closely, looking for blemishes or blotches and found none. It's all right, he told himself, and took it. The moment they clasped hands, Dr. Culver felt ice run through his hand. He tried to let go but the professor's grip was too strong. The ice traveled through his arm and into his body. When it hit his lungs, the doctor gasped for breath.
"Do feel that, doctor?" Professor Qara asked, with a hint of sarcasm. "Yes... yes. I can see that you do. That is the acceleration of time wearing on your body, breaking it down."
Dr. Culver's knees buckled and he fell to the ground. Pain shot through his body upon impact. It felt like millions of needles piercing his veins.
"It is sad, really. Only now in the face of death do you begin to understand what it is you are truly against. Only now when you find the darkness creeping up on you do you begin to accept what you have fought so hard to deny." Professor Qara smiled. "Only now are you willing to accept the truth."
With every ounce of energy he had left, Dr. Culver tried desperately to break free of the professor's grip, but to no avail. He knew the end was close and he was grateful. He was grateful for anything that would stop the pain.
