Doctor Franklin called the office administrative team to his office, “In twenty minutes, Melvin will be here.” Each of them nodded. “We’ve got to hide all of the sharp objects.”
The team searched the office, looking for staplers, pencils, pens, thumbtacks, paperclips, paper knives, envelope openers. Any device with a point on the end, or a sharp edge. They knew how Melvin was in October.
After a thorough sweep of the office, Doctor Franklin looked at the box of items his office manager carried, “Thank you, Mary.” He nodded to everyone on the team. “Thank you.” They smiled, and quickly left.
It was five minutes until Melvin arrived. Doctor Franklin steeled himself, and marched to the check in desk, to wait for him. “Start his session immediately.” That was the best way to deal with Melvin in October. Don’t let him sit in the waiting room. Don’t let him have the chance to watch other people. Get him back, into his session, quickly.
It’s not that Melvin was dangerous. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. Wouldn’t stab anyone, or anything. Wouldn’t cut anything, or anyone. It was Melvin’s gift that was the problem. Even Melvin knew it. That’s why Melvin visited Doctor Franklin each week. To get help in living with his gift. To learn to use his gift for positive things.
When Melvin arrived, he got escorted straight to the office. He calmly sat on the sofa, and stared out the window. Doctor Franklin started with the safest words he knew. “How are you today, Melvin?”
Normally, the doctor used a pencil, or a pen, to write notes during sessions with clients. But, in October, with Melvin, he didn’t take notes at all. Even crayons were a problem. “Any concerning thoughts this week?”
“Just the usual Halloween thoughts, Doc.”
“It is that time of year.” He struggled with ways to say words that calmed Melvin’s inner chaos. “Like what?”
Melvin slowly let out a deep breath. “A guy at the store had an accident this week.”
“Oh?”
“He was cutting open a shrink wrapped flash drive, with a knife he uses all the time.” Melvin stared at his hands, and Doctor Franklin knew what Melvin was seeing, what he remembered. “It’s just…” Doctor Franklin knew what was coming. “I had this thought, Doc. Just one thought.”
“Tell me about it, Melvin. Please. So we can learn from it. And understand it.”
“Doc, he cut the first customer that insulted him. Pulled out his knife, and cut them. They needed 38 stitches, Doc.” Melvin was shaking his head back and forth, “I didn’t want that to happen. It was just a thought, Doc. Just a thought.”
“I know, Melvin.” Doctor Franklin rested his hands on his lap, to hide any shudders, or shaking. “But, we’ve been through this before.”
Melvin nodded. “Every October.”
Doctor Franklin nodded too, and he wondered, “How do you teach a telepath it’s OK to have such seasonal thoughts, so long as you don’t inject them into the minds around you?” Then, he settled in for a long session with Melvin. “Everyone has these thoughts in October. It’s that season, you know.”
It was going to be a long session, and Doctor Franklin knew it.
537 Words
@mysoulstears
Wrote this one for the 2019 #MonsterMash blog hop. Please, go read all the stories in the blog hop. Enjoy your Halloween.
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My Soul's Tears 
Oh dear. I don’t know the answer to the doc’s question. Great flash, Mark.
I LOVE how you used the prompt, how it drove the story, and how you followed through with it!! 🙂
Clever and unexpected… I really like how this played out, Mark.
Very nicely done, and I love that you stuck to the “Melvin wouldn’t hurt a fly” concept while still making hiding the dangerous objects of critical importance, and having a telepath who just can’t control their powers well as the “monster” was great.