AGALMATOPHILIA

_-:23:-_

"Tyler? Tyler are you with me?"

The frail brunettes focus turns from gazing out of the window back to the man across from him.

The room, walls stark white, is adequately decorated, a few black ceramic pots hung from fancy iron brackets screwed into the wall with coloured ferns spilling over the sides and cascading through thin air, only to suspend themselves above nothingness.

"Are you stoned?"

The boy lets his eyes wander from the plants back to the man before wandering off again to occupy another space.

He shakes his head with a confused look, squishing his hands between his thighs.

"I'm sorry what did you say?" The shy kid mumbles as he fiddles with his own fingers, finally looking back to the man.

"I asked when the last time you touched yourself was, but you of course don't have to answer if it makes you-"

"In the car before I got here," Tyler interjects, clearly ashamed by the answer.

The man, a renowned psychologist within the local area, shifts slightly to lean back in his chair, Tyler remaining stoic, mute.

"I wanted someone to see me,"

Dr Paul, as the name brandished upon the desk suggested, nods slow, before standing and fishing a file from a cabinet behind himself.

Once again Tyler lets his mind wander, watching the world outside move, wind caressing the leaves like gentle first time lovers, coloured foliage spills onto the sidewalk and covers the land below with a sheet of golden crunchy fall.

"Are you with me?"

Tyler jerks his head back towards the Dr, nodding only slightly.

"I have your diagnoses but it's not what you want to hear, but before I tell you, would you like to do another inkblot test?"

The boy struggles to remain focused but nods anyway, shifting in his seat to lean forward towards the desk.

Dr Paul slides a paper towards him, Tyler staring down at the black mass before him, swallowing back his immediate sexual thoughts about the image.

"I see a man,"

"Doing what Tyler?"

"Nothing he's just a man," Tyler sits back, awaiting the next test.

"And this?"

"Another man but this one is holding something, he also has wings,"

The doctor squints at this, but nods anyway, preparing the next picture.

"I don't really see anything, perhaps a bird maybe?"

"Alright well better than another man," the doctor sighs, Tyler gulping back shame at this statement.

"Lucky last," another image skates across the dark wood of the desk, Tyler picks this one up and stares at it hard and long.

Outside the room a dog barks, Tyler tries to ignore it but the roll of barks continues.

Focusing out the window once again, Tyler observes as the world keeps on moving, women and children pass as mother and offspring, workmen proudly sing and cheer as they continue erecting a structure across the street.

Standing, Tyler wanders towards the window, resting his hand against the cool glass.

The barking he had heard previous returns and Tyler now spies the dog that had been causing the ruckus, playing with another smaller dog in a front yard of someone's petite apartment.