"I don't know what it is, Doc," I said, head on the back of the velvety sofa, and Princess resting peacefully on my stomach. I stroked her fur-like feathers. "Everything I do, I feel like I've done it five thousand times. Even petting Princess right here, it feels like this is the five thousandth time I've done it in the past few seconds."
"Strange," the therapist said. After writing down a few things, he got up and went to the window.
"Yeah, strange," I said. This therapist was strange himself, but he's the one who was recommended to me, so here we are.
He stood by the window, staring and saying nothing. His face was as blank as the decor in this small room, offering nothing exciting to look at, not even a reflection in his eyes. Enough judging him. I turned my gaze to the ceiling. I knew better than to...
Huh, weird. There's a trap door in the ceiling. I wonder what that's for?
"Every repeated action you do," the therapist actually spoke. Wow. So he can say more than one word at a time? "How do you know you're the one performing it?" He hinged toward me, taking his dull eyes off the window for a second.
I sat up. Princess grumbled that her bed had moved. "What?" I said.
"Five thousand..."
I scooted down the sofa. This therapist kept getting weirder. Reflections started sticking to his eyes-- reflections that didn't match the blue sky for the floor level we were on, but reflections that better matched my wild red hair. Something was up. Something...
The therapist slowly turned his head back toward me. "It is safer to feared than loved."
"What does that even mean?" I yelled, jumping to my feet. Princess landed on the floor in front of me. Sorry Princess. She let out a disapproving cluck.
Sticking an index finger to the window, the therapist said, "Your five thousand moves are catching up to you."
My stomach sank. My five thous-- I rushed to the window. It was just as I feared. Five thousand heads of red hair like mine, five thousand bodies walking like me. My clones! I thought I had gotten rid of those guys!
I backed away from the window. It wouldn't be long before they started climbing the tall building to get to me. I had to escape. Somehow!
Head turning slowly, the therapist stepped toward me. "Beautiful, are they not?" he said.
Beautiful? What does this guy--
He pulled something from his blue jeans pocket. Something that fitted perfectly in his hand, but had a strange black ball attached to the end. No! My mouth dropped open. Th-the Paralyser! He's-- he's with... the Barrelheads!
I lifted my head, but my eyes had to be as wide as my mouth was. Steps taken slowly and considered, he moved toward me, Paralyser aimed forward. One touch of that ball, and I'd be in the Barrelheads' grasp once again.
Going out that window wasn't an option. There had to be another way out! I threw my head back. The trap door! Perfect! Doing a backflip, I snatched Princess and pulled on the trap door's string.
Splash! Water poured down and soaked both Princess and me.
The therapist paused. "I knew you'd try that. Now you're ruined," he cracked a smile.
"Ruined?" I stared dead into his lifeless eyes. "I'm not a robot! I'm a living being! Water can't do anything to me!"
"It did to your cat there," he chuckled.
"Cat--"
My gaze dropped to Princess. Her white, soaked feathers draped down, revealing her fibro skin and removing her fluff. Tilting her head up, she gave me a serious stink eye, like I did that to her.
Well.
Maybe I did.
But not on purpose! I'd never intentionally get her wet! I--
"Gotcha!" the therapist jabbed the Paralyser into my back.
Tingling rushing through my body, I jolted. One step, and I crumbled to the soggy, grey carpet. Nothing could move. My eyelids closed themselves, and the last I heard was Princess squawking around the room.
