From the Desk of Archibald Hopper:

Patient: Mr. Gold

Session Four Notes

Before the Session:

I think today we'll go to the park. The weather is absolutely lovely out, for February, and I think some fresh air would be great. I've been listening to Henry's theories about whether Rumpelstiltzkin and some chick named Belle had sex all morning. I feel … cooped up.

I'm bringing along the inkblots for today, but I'll get back to the less conventional stuff as soon as I can get the high school to rent their pool to me for a day. Right now, though, we're stuck with the Rorschachs. I wonder what he'll see in them? Maybe he'll see flowers. I somehow always see crickets or puppets or whatnot. It's weird.

And then one time, I saw some lady with devil horns and all night I kept accidentally saying 'Mama.' It was strange.

But I digress.

After the Session:

Inkblot Number One: a three-legged man with a tea kettle. I couldn't squeeze much meaning out of that one, unfortunately. I do think, however, that Mr. Gold might have a surprisingly negative view of himself. When I asked him what he thought of the idea of himself as a three-legged man, he told me most people would call such folk (i.e., circus freaks) monsters.

Inkblot Number T—

I wonder if that would explain a lot – him seeing himself as a monster, I mean. It could explain why he's so isolated. I've posited before that it could be because of his family, but it might also be because of a perceived need for punishment. But if he sees himself as a monster, why not change his ways?

Anyway. Inkblot Number Two: Mr. Gold likes white spaces. Also, he says there aren't enough white spaces. Methinks symbolism.

Inkblot Number Three: Mr. Gold likes men.

Inkblot Number Four: Now, this one was interesting. He said he saw … something Russian. I don't know how to spell it, but I know it's a gun. And he said it's what "they" gave his "plah."

What's a plah?

I don't know, either, notes. I just don't know.

We did word association after that, and since all of his answers were deliberately random and I'm a little ticked off right now, I won't go into that much except his answer for 'family' was 'jury.'

Speculate as you will, future Archie. Speculate as you will.

Goodnight notes,

-Archie Hopper