Rogue Prince

Chapter 1: Insomnia

"So... Mr. Black, would you like to tell me again what you saw in Maple Town?" I said to the 56-year-old man, sitting opposite on the red velvet couch. Terrified of what he saw. I could see as he spoke, he relived that memory over and over again. I could see the drops of sweat running down his left brow where there was a single white hair amidst the black ones.

His cracked bottom lip quivered as he answered my question"It was weird, doctor. It was scary. It had black fur like the midnight sky without the moon. Canines white as a pearl and looked sharp as a knife. Claws sharper than a razor or a blade."

"Mr. Black, what was scary?"

"T-the beast itself. It had blue eyes cold as steel. I-it looked right at me like it was ready to pounce on me. Ready to hurt me."

I crossed my leg over to the other and asked"Where did you saw this beast?"

"On the outskirts of M-maple Town. In the woods"

"Why were you there?"

"Went to visit a friend and -um- to hunt."

"Hunt what, Mr. Black?"

"Anything. A wolf or... or a coyote. But the thing I saw was no normal wolf. It was big... same as your height maybe. Blue eyes that glowed in the dark."

I noticed as he rubbed his palms together... anxious. A simple case of the anxiety of his wife dying a year ago. He looked at me and asked"You don't believe me, doc. Do you?" I smiled"Why wouldn't I believe you?" He answered, "Because you got this look in your eyes that you think I'm lying or even crazy."

"Well, I don't think you are. I know you're telling the truth. And I believe you. But you also came to me to differentiate and teach you the difference between real and imaginary."

I showed him a picture I found on Pinterest of a black wolf with blue eyes. I asked, "Is this what you saw?" His eyes widened"Yes, that's it. That's the beast but it was bigger."

"Mr. Black this is just a simple wolf. A pure breed that is common in Maple Town. There's nothing to be afraid of. You're safe here in New York. There are no woods here. Just tall building and screaming cab drivers."

Before he could say anything else, my phone alarm beeped and I smiled"Our time is up. Next week at the same time?" I got up from my black leather chair and he did too. I shook as he asked, "You won't prescribe me any medicine?"

"I don't give medicines randomly. But I think try drinking lavender tea before bedtime every day for one week to calm your nerves and get you better sleep. It'll help."

"Thank you so much, Dr. Quinn."

"No worries."

I walked him out the door and closed it right after he left. Putting the chain and then locking the triple locks I had installed on my door.

I live in New York and I'm a therapist. I work from home for people who don't like hospitals. Even I don't like hospitals honestly.

How do I protect myself from a patient who rarely gets wild? Easy, two anesthesia, and one ketamine injection under my coffee table in the middle of the room. A pistol under my chair. Another one in my patients' file drawers. And a ketamine tranquilizer under my kitchen island.

Having so many people in my house, I need at least some type of protection for myself. It's important.

I have at least about 140 patients coming and going out of this apartment. 8 of them have a similar case about wolves. Same descriptions. Huge wolves in the outskirts of Maple Town.

Why do they go there? Why do they see the same things?

I was getting tired and relieved that he was the last patient of the day. I looked at the clock above the fireplace and decided to call it a night.

I took a soothing hot shower and got ready for bed. The only problem with me is no matter how comfortable I am or how tired I am, I can't sleep. I've tried everything. Reading books before sleeping, sleeping naked, sleeping in silk sheets, sleeping with lavender scent on my pillow and nothing works. Which leaves me to my last and final option. Sleeping pills. Prescribed to a patient with extreme insomnia; me.

I grabbed the yellow bottle from my side table and took one pill, gulping it down with water and keeping the bottle back on the side table. Laying straight on my back, with fluffy pillows under me, I stared at the ceiling. Taking a large breath in through my nose and out through my mouth. I started counting"1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7..." my speech became slurred on seven but I continued counting"8... 9... 10... 11..." and I don't remember what comes after that when the pills started working their magic and blissful sleep took over me in a matter of eleven seconds.

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