New York.
Most crowded city in USA. Living in this city cost a lot of money. The city has a fair share of Looney too.
(Memory Loss)
Sneak peek: "I'm scared, Doc. Can't you help me? Few days ago I woke up in a strange motel. Alone. Covered with stick...
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(Alice Monroe: Laura Marano)
"You better put that back, girl," warns John. The girl is quiet.
He warns, "See the ceiling above you. There's an eye watching you. The security guard will nab you the minute you head for exit. Don't do it. You don't want to be taken to police station, do you Alice? A criminal record would break your mom's heart."
Alice looks upward. A CCTV camera is blinking above their heads. She sighs.
She confesses, "I'm no thief, Mr. I, I just don't know what got me. It looks attractive and then my hand just..."
"I know. I know. I think you need help, Claire. Here is my name card. Come to me next Monday afternoon. I will clear my schedule for you."
Alice takes the card from him.
"You won't tell Mom about this?" asks her frightfully.
"Only if you put that thing back," warns John.
Alice sighs. She takes out the marvel action figure from her tote bag. And she puts it back into the display.
She asks, "Satisfied?"
John says, "Visit me on Monday. We will work this out, Alice."
"Just stop telling me what to do. You aren't my dad."
The teenager girl leaves the shop.
A security guard has showed up.
He says, "Thanks for the help, Sir. Teenagers are really troublesome these days. As if having criminal records have been trends among them."
"Tough job, Sir," says John.
"You got it."
*****
The teenager girl is sulking. John knows her mom quite well. Vanessa Monroe is a rich widow, a millionaire. A well known philanthropy. Her husband died last year. Things haven't been going well with her daughter since her husband's death.
John knows about it because Vanessa has been seeing him as a patient last month. She has been very stressful because her daughter's misconducts. She even showed her daughter photo in her phone to him.
Kleptomania is inability to resist urge to steal something. Not for any financial profit. Sometimes stolen stuffs worth almost nothing like small ribbon or used items.
Alice Monroe has been diagnosed with kleptomania. Another doctor has prescribed SSRI (anti depressant) drugs to cure her. But her behaviors haven't changed. Still stealing things from others.
John asks, "Tell me Alice. Why do you steal?"
"I'm no thief!"
"Taking stuffs without permission or paying money. That's stealing according to law," scolds John firmly.
No answer from her.
John says, "Your mom has been paying large sums of money to stores to prevent you getting arrested. But one day you would definitely go to jail. You like that possibility?"
She shakes her head.
"Why do you steal, Alice?"
Finally she responds, "I don't know. I felt the stuff is shiny and the next thing I know I had brought it home."
Like a magpie, she couldn't resist the urge to steal.
John reads her medical records that he asked from a colleague in another hospital.
He asks, "Did the medication work for you?"
She confesses, "I stop drinking it."
"Why?"
"It made me felt weird. Like a zombie."
John nods. Most folks felt that way about anti depressant drugs.
She asks, "Are you going to tell my mom?"
"No. We will work this out, Alice."
"What's in it for you? I got no money to pay you up."
"Researches. Kleptomania cases are quite rare. I could use your case as research file."
Alice sighs. She asks, "What now?"
"Three steps. First, hold your breath when you feel the urge of stealing something. The sharp pain might averse your mind from the urge."
"Second?" asks her.
"Pinch yourself. And leave that spot," orders John.
"What if it didn't work? What if I still steal stuffs?" asks her worriedly.
John smiles. He says, "Then you go to third step. Take the stuff to cashier and pay like everybody else. Got it?"
Alice nods although she says nothing at all.
John holds her hand. He says, "I won't keep any record about our session here, Alice. But you have to help yourself. Only you could cure it. Not me. Not your mom or anybody else."
"Okay...I will try it..."
"Good. And ... Could you put that pen down? I like it. Thank you."
"Oh, sorry...I didn't mean to steal it."
John sighs. He adds, "Make it four steps. Return every stuffs you steal to it's rightful owner. You could post them if you didn't have guts to return them by yourself."
"I will. Thanks, Doc. Sorry about your pen."
Alice Monroe has left his office. John prays his methods would work. She's a nice kid. With annoying kleptomania.
*****
Five months later, John sees her again. In the same mall. In a different store. She hasn't seen him yet.
He groans in his heart when she slips an unicorn pen into her pocket.
She's frozen on spot as if she just realized what she did. John holds his breath. The girl shakes her head. She takes out the pen and quickly heads to the cashier.
Alice paid for the pen and quickly leaves the store. John exhales slowly. At least she's trying to fight the urge of stealing. Maybe there's Hope for her yet.
Kleptomania took years to recover. Sometimes it even took a lifetime. Battling against the urge of stealing. Never easy battle.
---------------------CLOSED--------------------- Don't forget to vote and comment:)
Sorry it's a short chapter
Early studies started in 1890 acknowledged Kleptomania . It connected this disease with immaturity. Like a child, taking something he/she desired.
Modern studies show more folks engaged shoplifting because the adrenaline rush. Knowing they would get caught in the end. But they just love the sensation when adrenaline runs high in their bodies.
The difference between kleptomania and thief is the price for the goods. Thieves steal expensive items. Kleptomania folks steal inexpensive goods. Just for the taste of adrenaline rush.
