Clink, clink, clink, clink...
It's warm. And plenty of light is seeping in through the open windows. The chair is soft and very comfy with classical music playing in the background. The desk is stacked with neat papers and a pen sat near a small lamp. The whole room looked like an everyday office, casual and organized. Everything looked normal. Not anything unusual, every item put perfectly in place, normal.
So why is the atmosphere so... well, eerie? The room should have felt peaceful and relaxing...
Oh. Right.
It's because of the stone plaque sitting on the desk. And the words engraved on it.
DR. A.J. HILL
And this isn't any regular office. It's a psychiatrist's.
No wonder.
Clink, clink, clink...
He's at the window, stirring a spoon in a cup.
Must be making coffee or tea. Nice for him.
Then he turns around and slowly walks to his desk.
"Before we begin, there are a few things I need to make sure you understand." He finishes his sentence as he gets closer.
"You see, no one can change what happened last year." Dr. Hill continues.
Yeah, that. That accident.
"The past is beyond our control." He sits down and sets his cup aside. "You have to accept this in order to move forward."
Like that's actually easy.
The man clasps his hands together. Looks like he's not done talking.
"But there is freedom in this revelation. Everything you do, every decision you make from now on, will open doors to the future." He smiles as if the idea was as the best solution to every problem. It doesn't really make sense.
"I want you to remember this. I want you to remember this as you play your game."
Ah. Right, right, righty right. The game. It's supposed to be fun.
"Every single choice you make will effect your fate and the fate of those around you."
Suddenly, he leaned in closer.
Whoa. Dude, that's way too close.
"So. You have committed to commence with this 'game'. This is significant." He pulled his face away a few inches. Better, but still kinda close. "And I want to help you see it through." He leaned back in his chair. Finally, he's in his own personal space.
"Sometimes... sometimes these things can be a little bit scary... even terrifying... but I am here to make sure that no matter how upsetting things may get," His grin grew very wide. "You will always find a way to work through it." He nodded his head while still smiling, making a small sound of satisfaction. Then his face grew serious and he looked down at the papers strewn across his desk.
"Alright." Dr. Hill continued. Whopee, he's done with his speech. Now the work begins. "We will start with a simple exercise."
He grabbed a rectangular sheet of paper and set it down right in the middle of the table. "Could you please pick up the card? And I want you to look at the picture on the other side and tell me what you feel about it." He was balancing a page of notes on his knee with his pen raised above it as he was talking. "It is essential that you answer honestly to get the most out of this experience." He smiled encouragingly. Again.
What a creep.
Flipping the card over reveals a picture full of green and blue and a bit of red. It was a big cornfield, with the yellow cobs peeking from the tips of the stalks. There was a red barn standing in the distance with a full clear sky and puffy white clouds overhead. It would have been a very beautiful picture, honestly, if it weren't for the scarecrow. It seemed that the figure was a mess of brown among the pretty green plants and a crack in the calmness of the blue atmosphere.
"So..." Dr. Hill uncapped his pen. "How did that picture make you feel? Remember: be honest."
I feel uneasy
"Okay..." He started writing notes on the paper. "Honest is good. But what do you think it is that makes you feel... uneasy?"
The scarecrow
"I see... I see... Let's say the scarecrow were not there... Would you feel comfortable staying there on your own for a period of time? Say a week, for example?"
No, I wouldn't
"Oh no? And why not?"
I'd be lonely
"Ah." An expression of triumph and understanding dawned on his face. "There's a fine line between the peacefulness of solitude and the loneliness of isolation." He said the last word in an almost mysterious way, as if it were something dangerous. "Perhaps this is something we can explore in the future. Hm?"
He's still smiling. Ugh. Then he looks down at his watch. "'Cos I'm afraid we're out of time." Oh wait, really? Yay, great, now we don't have to listen or deal with Dr. Creepy-guy-who-smiles-a-lot.
"For now. Until our next session." Oh.
"And until then, try to surround yourself with friends... in a place that makes you feel... safe."
Huh, sounds nice and appealing. Definitely better than hanging out with this guy.
Dr. Hill gets up from his chair after setting down his pen and notes. Picking up his tea or coffee, he hums a small tune as he walks aimlessly to the window, in the exact same spot he was in when the session started.
Clink, clink, clink...
Stuff should be getting interesting now.
I'll reply to your comments in the next part. There's only one more small part of the prologue, so it may be updated fairly quickly.
Enjoy this little therapy session for now. :)