Burn Chapter 4

“Dr. Griffin? Dr. Griffin!?1

I jerked in my seat, the force of my sudden movement shaking my gold framed glasses from the perch on my nose and sending them sliding. I fixed the contraption with one slender finger and turned towards my assistant standing anxiously in the doorway, clipboard clutched to her chest. 2

“Dr. Griffin, you’re ten o’ clocks here. He’s been hyperventilating in the office for the past twenty minutes waiting on you.”3

I sighed, not annoyed so much as resigned. 4

“Send him in Clarice.” I frowned, worry gnawing at me like a toad. “And call Salin again. I can’t believe we haven’t heard from her this past week. If she still doesn’t answer I want you to file a report with the police you understand?”5

Clarice bobbed, so anxious that her slim body shook with it. As Salin was her friend as well as fellow secretary, it was understandable. As she hurried out she wandered past my ten o’ clock, Georgie Mendez, as he walked into the room. Eyes darting nervously over every inch of space before he deemed it safe enough to walk into. Georgie suffered from sever paranoia. He came to see me religiously almost every week, and though the nervous look around the room may not have seemed like improvement to some people, the fact that he had refrained from dropping to the floor and rolling in with gun drawn was a lesson in restraint that I noted and applauded. 6

I smiled warmly at him. 7

“Hello Georgie. How are we today?”8

“Not good Dr. Griffin. No not good at all,”9

“What seems to be the problem?” I didn’t have to fake the concern in my voice as I watched him edge further into the room and take a slow careful seat down on the plush padded leather seat in front of my office desk. 10

“Well,” Georgie began then stopped as he smoothed nervous fingers across the length of both jean clad thighs. 11

The jeans were an improvement too. 12

Better than the fatigues he usually sported.13

I fought off a triumphant grin and nodded my head encouragingly.14

"Well what Georgie?"15

His eyes darted to my face and narrowed before returning to his lap. His lips pursed. 16

"I've been seeing things."17

Concern had my stomach tightening.18

"The kinds of things like before?"19

He shook his head and leaned forward in his seat, fingers clasped so tightly together that his knuckles turned white and his nails bloodless. 20

"I've been seeing demons doc. All over the fucking place. Scuttling around like cockroaches."21

I stared at him wide-eyed for a long tense moment as I tried to relearn how to breathe. When I got my breath though I almost wished it had eluded me a bit longer because what came out of my mouth was in no way proffesional. 22

"Shit."