The next morning, the doorbell rang. Curious, I pulled out of my contemplation of the ceiling. As I came down the stairs, Stephan opened the door and ushered someone in. The Plague contrary to his nickname was pleasant and charming while talking to a young woman dressed in jeans.

Before I opened my mouth to tease him, he greeted me.

“Aki, good timing. This is Dr Jennifer Sterling, your new shrink.”

“I prefer psychiatrist, thank you. You must be Akira Lu.” She shook my hand, a bright smile on her face.

“Yes, just call me Akira.” I smiled in return.

I was surprise at her attire. I was under the impression that a shrink or a psychiatrist would be dressed formally in a suit ot something of the like. But she was dressed in jeans and t-shirt. In a way, it put me more at ease and a weight I didn't know I felt was lifted from my shoulders.

Jennifer Sterling was petite with long brown hair. She was neither pretty nor ugly. The best word to describe her was plain. Her only defining feature was her smile. It was infectuous. All in all she looked friendly… and not old enough to have a degree in psychiatry. I didn't remark on her young appearance though, she must find it annoying and I wanted to be on her good side.

“So where are we going to do this?” The faster I talked to her, the faster I would go back home.

“Why don't you go in the garden?” Stephan proposed.

“Isn't grandfather there?”

“No, he went out.” It was the first time that Lu Huang Fu left the house since I lived with him. I was curious to know where he went.

“Okay. Please follow me.” I led Jennifer to the garden where we sat on a bench.

I stayed silent as I didn't know what I should do or say. It was the first time that I had a session with a shrink. Sensing how lost I was, she took pity on me.

“You can talk about anything that came to your mind.”

“Huh? I don't know where to start.”

“Why don't you start by the reason you need to see a psychiatrist.”

“Well, I'm sure you've heard but last week I kind of freaked out... twice. I got in over my head and I just flipped.”

“So what happened?”

“Nothing important. The first time was in a game. Someone said something that pissed me off and the second time, I was unfairly arrested by the police.” I didn't pursue the subject as it made me embarrassed. “So can I go back to my place?” It was the most important thing I wanted to know.

“Let's talk about the first time you freaked out. What was happening?”

“I don't want to talk about it. I wasn't at my finest.”

“Okay, so tell me about your life here. I gather that this isn't your home.”

I had expected her to demand answers I didn't want to give so the change of subject was unexpected but welcomed.

“No, I live in the school dormitory. Well, at the top of the dormitory. I live in a penthouse with 5 guys.”

“Do you like it?”

“Not really, it was better when I had the place to myself. But it's definitely better than staying in this house.”

“Hmm...You don't like living with your grandfather?”

“There's nothing to do here. There's no TV, no radio, no StaviCon, no books. I can't go to the kitchen because it's Mrs Lin's territory, the garden is grandfather's. I can't take a stroll in the neighborhood in fear of being arrested again. The place is like a jail. There's nothing to do and I can't get out. I want to go home.” I insisted in case she didn't get it the first time I said it

“I don't think that it's a good idea. You attacked one of your roommates.”

“What? That again? I attacked him once. He attacked me like a hundred times and no one send him to see a shrink. I don't see why everyone is making a fuss over it.”

“He attacked you? When?”

“I'm not going to tell you.” She was good. I told her more than I planned.

“Okay. So what type of activity would you like to have here?”

“I'm not going home?”

“Sorry.”

I sighed defeated. I thought for a minute then I gave her my answer.

“I want a StaVicon. I have quests to finish.”

“So what games do you play.”

“Forgotten Soul.” Her eyebrows raised in surprised.

“What do you like about it?”

“It's the first VR game I ever played.” I couldn't explain everything I did in there. My game play was chaotic. Most of my actions didn't have a reason apart from me just feeling like it.

“So would you like to play a game with me?”

“Huh?” Was it normal for a psychiatrist to ask to play a game with a patient?

“It could be nice. Why don't you invite some of your friends?” My face closed down at her question.

“I don't have friends.” I said through gritted teeth

She tried to start the conversation again but I didn't let her. I stayed walled in silence.

“We'll stop for today. Will you lead me to my car?”

I nodded. Stephan was in the sitting room. We passed by him on our way out. She explained that she was leaving and that she would call him later. She bid him farewell.

Her car was parked in front of the house. A man leaned on the car's door. I recognized him. He was the doctor that I fled from the day before. He looked pissed.

“Mr Lu, I'd like a word with you.” He made his way toward me.

“No, I have nothing to say to you.” I tried to rush back inside the house but he grabbed my arm.

“Excuse-me, Dr Gruber. Akira doesn't want to talk to you.” Jennifer tried to remove his hands from me. She must have been told about my previous reaction to his presence.

“Don't talk to me! I have business with Mr Lu not with you.” He sneered at her.

“I don't have any business with you. And I don't want to talk to you. Let me go, now. ” His grip was too tight, I felt his fingers dig into my skin.

“Mr Lu. I studied your file. I can help you. If you come to my office, your life will be better.”

The guy didn't creep me out like the first time but my impression of him wasn't any better. What did he expect by coming here?

“Dr Gruber, let Akira go.” Jennifer was calm but it was just a facade. “You're scaring him.”

“Young girl, I don't need you to tell me how to treat my patient.”

“I am not your patient!” I raised my voice.

“What's going on here?” Stephan's voice brought relief to my rising panic.

“That man won't let me go.” Dr Gruber let go of my arm. Finally.

“Mr Hayes. I came to talk to Mr Lu about our sessions. I was thinking that Thursday will be a good day to try again at the office.”

“We talked about it. And Akira has a new doctor. She's right here. Dr Jennifer Sterling.”

“Are you talking about that little girl? She's not old enough to wipe her ass.”

“You don't need to be crass. You don't even need to be here. If you approach Akira again, I'll file a police report against you.” Stephan pushed me behind him.

“Wait! It's a misunderstanding. I just want to talk. He ran so fast yesterday that we didn't have the time to greet each other. I'm sure that if we talk about it, he'll choose me over that little girl. I'm a renowned psychiatrist. I worked on several high profile cases. I can't give you names because of professional secret but you know my reputation. I don't see why I have to be replaced by some no name charlatan.”

Now that Stephan was here, my fear of the guy went down. I meant that he was between me and the creep. If the guy got violent, I would push Stephan on him and run for my life. With that plan in mind, I could appreciate the creep for all his stupidity. Did he really think that coming to the house would endear him to us? And if he was that great, why was he acting like a moron?

Jennifer got angry at being called a charlatan. She started a screaming match with Dr Gruber. I stared bemused at the two psychiatrists. I didn't catch their words as their voices rose in pitch.

Lu Huang Fu, his nurse and his niece came out of the house. I didn't know when they came back but they were still wearing their coats. Not only them but the neighbors also came to watch. All of them wore curious expression.

“What's going on?” Grandfather's question was drowned in the noise they were making.

I didn't answer, I was too busy looking as Dr Gruber got pissed even more. He raised his hand. Stephan got close to him. He grabbed his arm and pulled it behind his back. It was the same move the cops used on me a few days earlier but Stephan was faster and meaner about it. In the disappearing noise, I clearly heard something break.

“I called the cops.” Mrs Lin said.

“It's a habit around here.” They all looked at me like I said something weird. “Well, it's true. It's what? the third time? You need to build a police station on the lawn. That way they'll be there when a psycho decide to show up. All things considered, the police also have crazies. You should build a psych ward. There won't be a shortage of patients. And look, you can have two psychiatrists for free.” I laughed at my own joke. It wasn't funny but it was better than crying.

If I wasn't so level-headed, I would think that I had a psycho magnet on me. It couldn't be normal to know that many of them without being crazy yourself, right? I wasn't crazy so there must be a reason.

Lu Huang Fu decided that it was his clue to take me in his arms. I wasn't out of my mind enough to not feel embarrassed by his actions. I already steered clear of the memories of Stephan doing something of the like. Looking at the way things were going, I would need to use bleach on my memories before going back home.

“So...My shrink...”

“Shh... Everything will be fine.”

Sirens approached the house. I thought that the whole police station was coming. At least nine cars filled with cops were there. They parked and they all rushed on the street.

“Am I the only one who think that there's a problem with the police?”

“What do you mean?” Lu Huang Fu was curious at my question.

“Do you really think that kind of reaction is normal?”

“I don't see what's the problem.” I glanced at Mrs Lin and she had the same reaction. Only the nurse shook her head in defeat at their... I couldn't even find an appropriate word to describe them.

I couldn't believe that I was the one that needed a shrink. Sometimes...Well, every time, I thought that I was the only sane person around here.

“I'm going back inside.” I wasn't keen on meeting the police once again. Our previous encounter wasn't on my list of favorite moment.

I went up to my room. I stopped at the door. There was a package on my bed. Remembering my luck, I debated running back outside. However, I took my courage in both hands and went to open it. I squealed in delight at what was inside. The solution to my boredom had finally came out. I danced in happiness as I held the new headgear in my hands.

I would be able to play once again. I laughed, twirled and stopped in my tracks. My smile froze as Stephan stood in the doorway.

“What do you want?” If he talked about what he saw, I would throw the headgear at his face.

“The cops need to take your statement.”

“Do I really have to talk to them?”

“Don't worry. I'll be there.”

“Is that supposed to reassure me?” I nonetheless made my way downstairs.

“Mr Lu. I am Sgt Dillard. I'm in charge of your case. Can you tell me in your own words what happened?”

“Dr Gruber, my former shrink, came today. I didn't want to talk to him so I tried to get back inside. But he grabbed me. Dr Sterling, my new shrink, came between us but he started to insult her. Stephan came outside. That's when Dr Gruber let go of me. He talked to Stephan then went back to insult Dr Sterling. That time, she answered back. He got pissed. He was going to hit her when Stephan intervened. That's it.” I said that in one breath.

The Sgt blinked, trying to get everything that I said. Good luck to him. “Can I go back to my room.”

“Not yet. I have a few more question. What's your relationship with Dr Gruber?”

“As I said he was my former shrink.”

“For how long?”

“10 seconds? 15 max. I fired him before the first meeting.”

“And the reason was...”

“None of your business.”

“Do you know of Dr Gruber's connection to Mrs Sarah Johansen?”

“What does my former teacher have to do with him?”

“She was his ex girlfriend.”

“It's a joke, right?” How did he find that that fast? And how small could the world be? I got two stalkers and it so happened that they went out together. Did I need any more proof that I had shitty luck?

I stared at Stephan in disbelief.

“Did you know about it ?”

The answer was written on his face. He didn't know and he was pissed. Someone's head was going to roll.

The Sgt asked me a few more question before he left. He proposed to keep a police car in front of the house but grandfather refused. From what I gathered, he hired a private bodyguard for me but I wasn't sure as his voice was lowered when he said it.

Stephan was glowering, his right foot tapping a maddening rhythm on the wooden floor.

“Aki, why don't you go back to your room ? You can play with the StaViCon.”

I was impatient to play but I was more curious to see the fireworks explode. Stephan was steaming mad and I wanted to know who was the poor soul who would feel his wrath.

“Aki, Go to your room now.”

“Tch.” I went up the stairs. In front of my room, I opened the door and closed it without entering. I backtracked to the top of the stairs where I hid. I could clearly hear what was said downstairs.

“What the fuck is going on ?! Did you know about it ?” Stephan exploded.

“Stephan, I swear I didn't know.” The voice was faint but I recognized Mrs Lin.

She was always cold to me, barely saying a few words in the week I had been here.

“You're the one who insisted on that shrink.”

“He had good credentials. I couldn't have known that he was that woman's ex boyfriend.”

“Do you seriously want me to believe that it's just a coincidence that you chose the ex boyfriend of his stalker as his shrink ?”

“It's not what you think. I talked to him and he said he could help Akira. We just wanted what was best for him.”

“We ? Who are you talking about ?” Stephan's voice had an underlying threat that couldn't be mistaken with anything else.

“Stephan, I don't know what you're talking about. This event was just a coincidence.”

“A coincidence ? So it's a coincidence that Dr Gruber is known for his volatile temper, it's also a coincidence that Akira's first stalker ask for a restraining order against him claiming that HE was a stalking her. It must be a coincidence too that YOU heavily insisted we hired him.” With each word his voice rose in pitch.

“Stephan, calm down. Lin, tell us why ?” Lu Huang Fu intervened.

“Grandfather, I didn't know I swear. Amanda...”

“You talked to HER ?!” Grandfather's shouted.

“She's his mother...” Mrs Lin tried to explain.

I didn't stay to hear the rest. I went back to my room. The StaViCon headgear laid forgotten where I put it earlier. I threw myself on the bed and did my best to stop my thoughts. My mother had something to do with my stalkers. Right now and then, I would kill for a distraction. Despite everything, I loved my mother and what happened had too many implications that would hurt me if I thought about them.

I raised my head bemoaning my stupidity. I had a StaViCon now. I could lose myself in a game. I put the headgear on.

The scan of you iris had determined that you are a registered user. Do you want to access your StaViCon account?

“Yes”

Please choose the application you wished to connect to.

“Forgotten Soul.”

Request denied. Please choose the application you wish to connect to.

“Zombie Apocalypse.”

Request denied. Please choose the application you wish to connect to.

“I want a list of all games I can play.”

TownCity

Table board Reign

There was no way that I would play Table Board Reign. The name was pretty explicit. In this game, you can only play table board games like tic-tac-toe, cluedo or checkers. It was boring as hell. As for TownCity, I had no idea what it was. I had never even heard of it.

“Well, let's play TownCity.”

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