I had been going to see Freya at least twice a week for at least two months. Well, it was probably more like three times a week for the last three months, but I was losing track of the time just as much as I was losing my memories of those two horrible years. I couldn’t thank her enough for deleting those outrageous times.

I stood in front of my doctor’s door and gently rapped upon it. When I heard her tell me to come in, I did exactly that. I smiled as I turned the knob and walked in.

It was always a pleasure to see the woman, who was just as beautiful as she was wise. I was consistently overjoyed to be in her presence, and it blew my mind how she had become such a respectable psychiatrist in her field. I had always known she would succeed in whatever she decided to do. But to become such a prominent doctor in such a short period of time…

“How are you today, Marcus?”

My eyes felt privileged to fall upon the dazzling blonde. Even in her working attire, she had the figure of a goddess to accompany her inviting aura. She had truly found an occupation that suited her since she was at the top of her field. When I finally answered, I realized a smile had formed on my face as I responded, “I’m doing very well, thank you. How are you doing today, Freya?”

“My day just became infinitely better!” she told me as I had a seat on the chaise lounge across from her. I noticed that she didn’t have a clipboard in her hands.

There was a window directly behind the bed-like chair. We were on the third floor of the building, so I could look out across a small park that sat behind the psychiatric hospital. There were people down below going about their lives and having a good time. I think they were enjoying the nice weather while they still could since autumn was closer to being over than beginning. When I turned my attention back to Freya, I chortled, “Did your day just get better because you kicked out some crazy person before me?”

The beautiful Doctor Morgan playfully rebuked me as she sat forward and waved a hand in my direction. “Marcus! You know that’s not a nice thing to say!”

I laughed and apologized for the comment. Like I said before: Freya is far too kind of a person. She cares about everyone, no matter what race, creed, or walk of life they come from. This may sound a little extreme, but I sometimes don’t think the world deserves such a righteous person.

Freya crossed her right leg over her left and readjusted her long dress. She then decided to ask, “Did you end up moving into that new apartment?”

I shook my head as I answered, “Unfortunately, it probably won’t happen for a while yet. I know I don’t have a whole lot of stuff to move, but I sure miss my old pickup. It would be incredible to get her back.”

“So why don’t you?” the kindhearted doctor inquired. “You told me a few sessions ago that you figured it had been moved back to your parents’ house after you left college, and I informed you last week that you were correct in your assumption.”

“That was really nice of you to go out of your way and drive by their place to check,” I graciously told the beautiful blonde. “You didn’t have to do that, you know. It’s so far away…”

Freya waved my words off as she told me, “Your parents would love to see you, you know. I bet if you dropped by to reunite with them after all this time, they would be the happiest couple in the world to know that you’re alive and well.”

“I would love to see them, too, but you know I can’t do that, Freya.”

My marvelous doctor frowned at me in response.

I told her during one of our first sessions that I was afraid to go near my old house. I was afraid that some of the people she was helping me to forget would have the house incessantly scouted and would do something to them or my younger sister if I even approached it. That could be my paranoia from earlier coming to the fore again, but I could still remember something from the memories Freya was helping me obliterate… and it was that I wanted that time gone for a reason.

There was something evil in my past that wasn’t finished with me.

“Marcus, do you remember the first day you came to see me?”

At first, I wasn’t sure if my incredible doctor meant the first day we had met back in school or if she was referring to when I had sought her out as a professional. “You mean back when we were kids…?”

“No, I’m talking about when you started seeing me on a normal basis as your psychiatrist,” she responded.

My mouth opened to give her the answer, but no sound came out. As weird as it seemed, I realized I couldn’t remember that session. I couldn’t understand why that was since I had only asked Freya to help me forget the two years before I once again found her.

Freya’s heartwarming smile brought comfort back to me as she stood up and started to walk around her room. She mainly paced back and forth in front of her elegant oak desk, but then she leaned back against it as she gazed directly at me and queried, “Why are you not trying harder with the apartment, Marcus? Why are you spending your nights outside of the city’s limits in the surrounding woods or on the plains?”

My heart skipped a beat as I nearly choked on my saliva. How the blazes did my blonde friend know about my living situation since I had never mentioned where I was crashing…?

“I have to admit,” she went on as she crossed her arms while going back to pacing, “You do a fantastic job of cleaning up and making yourself presentable to the point where no one would know you’re living in a sleeping bag. That’s a secret you need to share with most of the world since I’ve seen far grubbier people living in mansions!”

Even though my gorgeous doctor was doing her best to diffuse the tension, I knew she was actually a little peeved at me. It wasn’t because I hadn’t told her about my living situation, but because she worried about me. She didn’t want me living like a hobo because she cared deeply for my well-being.

Freya made her way toward me and squatted down in front of where I reclined. She reached for one of my hands to take in her own as she soothingly said, “Marcus, it’s dangerous outside of the city. You never know what manner of vagabonds or animals you’ll stumble upon… or if they’ll stumble upon you in the middle of the night.” She finally looked away from me for a moment as her voice became lower, and she admitted, “I hate to say it, but the world’s full of horrible creatures who just want to take advantage of others who are down on their luck. I guess I don’t understand why you don’t try a little harder to find a nice place to stay since you claim to have the money to do so.”

“I’m not lying about the money, Freya,” I sternly told my kindhearted doctor as I made eye contact with her. “You know I would never lie to you.”

The blonde psychiatrist nodded as she responded, “I know. I guess that’s what confuses me the most since I believe you have every coin you’ve claimed to have…yet you still spend your nights out on the prairies under the stars.”

Yes, I had been camping out on the plains or sometimes within the forests surrounding the city Freya lived and worked in. The only time I bothered to enter civilization was when I had an appointment with my beautiful psychiatrist. I know it probably makes very little sense, but I didn’t want to be near other people at that time in my life. I had trust issues with most, and when it came to people like Doctor Morgan, I felt that constantly being near her could only cause her grief. Something was after me…

Freya let out a sigh as she stood up. She made her way back toward her desk and the ornamental, glass-like staff that hung on her wall as a decoration behind it. With her back to me, the beautiful blonde droned, “With winter coming…”

“How do you know where I’ve been staying?” I decided to speak up. It didn’t feel right to cut the benevolent woman off, but I was confused as to how she could’ve found out about my current situation since I had never specifically told her where I had been spending my nights.

“I followed you,” Freya admitted without turning around. She was silent for a moment before finally adding, “There are homeless shelters in the city that would welcome you with open arms…”

“Those are for people who don’t have anything,” I again cut the thoughtful female off. My tone had become somewhat harsh, but I reined my resentment in since Freya had done nothing wrong. I admit that I felt like she had been spying on me at first, but she had apparently only followed me because she was concerned for my well-being.

Besides, I could never be mad at such a wonderful woman. I was only upset because I didn’t want her to get hurt. With the many sessions we had had, she knew exactly why I chose to live the lifestyle I did. She knew I stayed away from populated areas due to the fear I dealt with on a daily basis.

“Marcus, take off your clothes.”

I was even more caught off guard than I had been only moments before when Freya revealed that she knew where I had been staying. “Excuse me?”

“Take off your clothes,” she repeated as she turned around and continued to stare at me with her arms still crossed. “As your doctor and a professional, I’m asking you to remove your clothes.”

I had no idea why she was making such a request of me. As Freya had just stated, she was truly a professional, so it wasn’t like she was going to push my naked body back onto the chaise lounge so we could relive the first time I had ever received a handjob. I knew the intelligent woman was trying to make a point, but I didn’t have a damn clue what it could possibly be.

Freya intensely stared at me while waiting for me to comply.

I stood up and slowly started to disrobe. I unbuttoned the shirt I was wearing before pulling it off, and then I unbuckled my belt and lowered my black slacks. I stepped out of them and stood before my doctor in nothing but my socks and boxers.

“Underpants, too,” Freya informed me.

I swallowed a lump in my throat as I watched the blazingly attractive woman make her way back toward me. I found it slightly odd that I was somewhat afraid to be nude in front of her. It didn’t make a lot of sense to me since she had, in fact, been the first woman to ever see me naked, and any other time a woman I cared about had asked me to shed my clothes, I had always been quick to comply. Of course, I had never been told to drop everything in front of a psychiatrist before.

My boxers eventually plummeted to my ankles.

Freya stood less than a foot away from me. I could feel her warm breath on my exposed flesh as she gazed directly into my eyes for the longest time. I knew she was trying to make a point, but I’d be lying if I said I had any clue as to what it was.

Placing her left hand over my heart, the benevolent doctor felt my life-giving organ beat a couple of times before moving her appendage slightly upward toward my left shoulder. When it came to a halt, she used a couple of fingers to apply a bit of pressure as she asked, “Do you remember what happened on this very spot?”

I felt a bead of sweat form on my forehead and begin making its way slowly down the side of my face. I gritted my teeth before mumbling, “No.”

Freya’s hand then traveled back downward. It passed my heart and glided across my abs. Her digits remained on my left side and avoided my penis altogether – which I’m sure she could see was beginning to rise – before ending their journey on my left hip. She felt the wing of my pelvic bone and applied a bit of pressure to it as she asked, “How about here? Do you remember what happened here?”

I was glad the beautiful blonde was standing off to the side because if she had been right in front of me, I’m afraid my stiffening rod would’ve actually made contact with her. I did my best to shake off any arousal as I cleared my throat and again responded, “No.”

Freya stepped away from me and turned her back to me again. She then told me I could put my clothes back on as she refused to make eye contact with me.

I was truly at a loss for words. As I bent down and tugged my boxers back up, I made sure to tuck my flailing penis into them before pulling my pants back on. I then reached for my shirt and once again concealed my torso from view. I knew Freya had obviously not been using her 'power' as a doctor to take advantage of me, so I wondered just what exactly it was that she was trying to prove.

As if reading my mind, the determined psychiatrist answered my silent question by saying, “Marcus, we’ve been working together for months to erase the horrors you lived through for two straight years. I’ve been utilizing my skills to the utmost in order to help you, and while I’ve been doing my absolute best, I’m certainly not infallible. There are certain blocks of your memory that are missing that shouldn’t be, and while I did intentionally remove the memory of how our first meeting went after being reunited, I shouldn’t have. It’s something you should know so you can be aware of the ramifications.”

I’m not the brightest guy in the world, but I can honestly say I had never been more confused in my life than I was at that moment. As I sat back down on the chaise longue, I mumbled, “Freya, what are you talking about?”

Still unable to face me, the reticent doctor went on, “Marcus, you were under the impression that you found me after your horrible ordeal, but that’s not exactly the case.”

I still wasn’t following what the sympathetic woman was saying.

Freya finally faced me as she informed me, “Marcus, you’re obviously well aware that something horrible happened to you… it’s why you want me to help erase certain parts of your memory, to begin with. However, I think you should know that when you first sought my help, you didn’t actually appear on my doorstep…but instead, I was brought to you!”

I didn’t understand how such a thing could be possible. “Freya, what are you trying to tell me…?”

Letting out a sigh while reaching for something on her desk, the beautiful blonde told me, “I was contacted by someone who knew of the connection that you and I had in the past. How this person knew about any of that is beyond me, but she told me I had to be at an exact place at an exact moment in time if I wanted to help you… and sure enough, I found you in a pool of your own blood after you had been shot twice. You were dying, Marcus, but I was able to…”

“Shot?” I cut the kindhearted woman off. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I tried to make light of the situation by laughing when I replied, “How could I have been shot? I don’t have any scars…”

“I took care of that,” Freya took her turn at interrupting me. There was an ominous tone in her voice as she cryptically answered my question while gazing at the decoration on her wall.

Still unsure of how I should be acting, I asked my old friend, “If I didn’t originally come to you for help, then where did you find me?”

Freya shook her head and didn’t appear to want to answer my question. She remained reluctant before telling me, “Marcus, it’s not so much the where that matters, but the how of the situation.”

I don’t know what my problem was in hindsight, but I guess I decided to be difficult at that moment as I stood up and started to make my way toward the door. Again, I knew I was being stubborn, but as I reached for the handle, I didn’t bother looking back as I told my old friend, “I…I have to be alone right now. I’m sorry to leave like this, Freya, but I need a little space.”

The benevolent female said a very curious thing in response. I wasn’t sure why, but she glanced upward as she asked, “Marcus, have you ever thought about how high the sky actually goes?”

I wasn’t exactly sure why the compassionate doctor would ask me such a question, so I simply mumbled another apology while staring at the wooden portal before me. “I’ll…I’ll see you in a few days, okay?” And with that, I up and left Doctor Morgan’s office without so much as a goodbye.

                    *

I sat in front of my campfire with my arms crossed and tried to stay warm as the temperature dipped. I knew Freya was right, and I wouldn’t be able to keep spending my nights out under the stars. Winter was drawing nearer with every day that passed, and when it was finally upon us, I knew it would arrive with a vengeance.

I held my hands out to the fire in order to absorb more of its warmth. I then placed my palms together and moved my appendages back and forth while doing anything I could to generate a little more heat. I had probably made a mistake by choosing to spend the night on the plains instead of in the woods. I certainly didn’t know the science behind it, but I’ve discovered that forests tend to be slightly warmer than open areas.

While sitting in front of the crackling flames, I thought back to earlier in the day and the session I had had with Doctor Morgan. The woman was a bona fide saint, but I had walked out of her office without so much as thanking her for her time. It wasn’t like me to be rude like that… especially toward someone I cared so much for.

This may not seem relevant, but when I was a kid of about five or six years of age, I was out playing in my backyard once and spotted a bunny just sitting in a tall patch of grass. Even at such a young age, I knew I would never be able to get anywhere near the rabbit, but I did my best to sneak a little closer… and when I was within feet of it, I noticed that the poor thing only had one eye before it hopped away. I’m not sure why, but the image always stuck with me. Maybe it was due to my love of animals and how I felt so bad for the small creature, but I always wished I could’ve done something to help that rabbit.

If I had to guess, I’d say the image of that little bunny popped back into my mind at that very moment in time because I saw myself as the injured animal and Freya in my place as the younger me. She wanted nothing more than to aid me just as I had wanted to help the rabbit, and if it were in her hands to do so, she’d go to any lengths to accomplish just that. In that regard, we had a lot in common.

My mind then went back to a few of the other things that had taken place in the beautiful blonde’s office that afternoon. I found myself placing a hand over the spot on my left shoulder where Freya had claimed I had been shot, and at the same time, I wondered what exactly she had meant with her question about the sky. The compassionate female always had a reason for her queries, so I knew there was more to it than met the eye.

I felt like I was near a bayou as the late-night sounds of frogs and toads croaking could be heard from a nearby rill. Sound always had a way of carrying over the water better at night, and when I suddenly took note of a thunderhead off to the east, I let out a sigh since I knew this was only a warning glinn. I was about to be visited by a storm, and there wasn’t a tree in sight to take cover under.

The bright glow in the atmosphere wasn’t the only light I took note of, though.

Through the darkness of the night, I saw the alarming glow of two headlights traveling in the direction of my campsite. There were no main roads in the area, but a gravel path weaved through the tall grass of the plains. I usually followed the winding route in order to retain a general idea of my location, and very rarely did I behold vehicles traveling the uncommon path. When I did see them, though, they usually went flying by since the drivers knew they could avoid the rules of the larger cities.

This vehicle, however, was driving exceedingly slow. The sluggish pace felt like it was on purpose, and my heart skipped a beat when I wondered if something from the past Freya was trying to help me forget had located me. I found myself saying a silent prayer for Freya’s safety even though she was more than likely fast asleep in the comfort of her own home.

A hundred different thoughts raced through my mind as I tried to determine my best course of action. I lacked the wherewithal for a fight if the automobile happened to contain a group of thugs who were looking to rob me because I had nothing to use as a weapon. I also realized that if the people in the car happened to be venal, I had no form of currency on me to buy them off with. The few coins I did possess were enough to maybe purchase breakfast at a cheap diner, so my only recourse was to run. It’s not like the driver could miss me since the fire I had blazing was a dead giveaway that I was present.

As my head whipped around to see if there was anywhere I could possibly hide, I suddenly noticed that I could hear something carrying on the gentle gales passing through the area. At first, I thought I was hearing things, but when I listened closely, I realized that I was hearing my actual name being called out. Confused, I finally turned my full attention to the vehicle that was coming to a complete stop and noticed that the driver had the window down. Her voice was clearly recognizable.

The driver was none other than my warmhearted doctor.

“Marcus!” Freya shouted again as she tried her best to locate me. “Marcus, I know you’re out there! I can see your campfire! Where are you, Marcus?”

I was more than surprised that my psychiatrist had tracked me down, but I finally called out in response by saying, “I’m over here, Freya!” I waved my hands even though I wasn’t sure that she’d be able to see me. I knew it would make things infinitely easier for the kindhearted woman if I made my way toward her current location, so I began trudging through the tall stalks of grass. “I’m right here, Freya.”

The beautiful blonde parked her automobile on the thin path before climbing out of it and jogging toward me. She gave me a quick hug and then pulled away after only a second while letting out a long sigh. Her voice became stern as she began lecturing, “Marcus Veovin, this has to stop! Do you realize that a storm will be here within fifteen minutes… and there’s not a shelter within miles of here to hole up in!”

I wasn’t trying to be a smartass, but as I scratched the back of my head, I responded, “The forecast was clear an hour ago…”

Freya struck my left arm out of anger. It wasn’t hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to get the point across. “You do know that if you stay out here, you’ll be placing yourself in inimitable danger, right?”

I had trouble facing the intelligent woman since I felt like a complete idiot in her presence. I knew she was only angry with me because she cared, but I honestly didn’t know what she wanted me to do. She knew I didn’t want to take refuge anywhere in the city, and since I didn’t presently have a vehicle to take me anywhere safe…

Freya pointed back at her car as she ordered, “Get in, Marcus.”

“Huh?”

“You heard me,” the peeved psychiatrist told me in an authoritative tone. “Get in my car, Marcus.” She was more intense than she had been about my clothes earlier in the day.

Without arguing, I made my way around the vehicle and climbed into the passenger’s side. I closed the door as Freya did the exact same thing on her side of the car. Once her door was closed, she rolled her window back up and placed the automobile in drive. With her eyes on the gravel road in front of her, she did her best to turn the car around since the slender path didn’t allow her a whole lot of room to work with. As she did so, I could tell just by looking at her that she was pissed.

I knew I had to say something, but I couldn’t think of a single word that was appropriate for the moment. Again, it went without saying that Freya was only upset because she wanted nothing more than to aid me. I was that little bunny with a missing eye that needed help, but instead of sticking around to receive the care I so desperately required, I did my best to hop away.

Freya again let out a sigh as she reached over to the control panel of the dashboard in order to locate the knob that controlled her vehicle’s heat. She asked me if I was cold, and when I nodded, she cranked the temperature up. She kept her eyes forward and her left hand on the steering wheel as she bluntly asked, “It was cold enough before it, but was there a plan as to how you were going to stay warm once the storm actually hit?”

I knew Freya was only being harsh with me because she cared. I also knew it was in my best interest not to be an ass since I cared about her as well, so I simply responded by saying, “No.”

The benevolent doctor shook her head while keeping her eyes on the road as she took us back toward town. “Marcus, I know you’ve been through trials and tribulations that normal people could never begin to fathom or cope with, but don’t you think it’s time to get your life back on track? I know it’s not going to be easy, but you have to start allowing people back in! You have to put a little trust in the system and know that not everyone out there is dead set on hurting you!” The amber-eyed blonde let out another sigh before finally glancing over at me and pointing out, “But first, Marcus, you have to start trusting the most important person you could possibly believe in again… namely, yourself.”

It wasn’t easy, but I met the wonderful woman’s eyes and did my best to smile. Her words weren’t demeaning or pejorative but instead encouraging and invigorating. She truly was in my corner, and she wanted to see me through the hard times so I could once again be the Marcus Veovin she had loved spending time with in the old days. She wanted me to be happy again.

As Freya drove down the gravel road back toward civilization, a sudden thought struck me as I asked, “Freya, where are you taking me? I don’t have enough money on me for a hotel, and you know how I feel about spending a night in a homeless shelter…”

“I’m taking you back to my place,” the kindhearted doctor answered as she remained focused on the road.

I swallowed a lump in my throat. I wasn’t sure if I had heard the compassionate woman correctly. “I’m sorry, but what was that?”

“You heard me, Marcus,” Freya told me as she concentrated on her current mission. “I’m taking you back to my place so you can have a warm meal, a hot shower, and a comfortable sofa to sleep on.” The beautiful blonde turned to look at me as she queried, “When was the last time you had any of that, Marcus?”

I didn’t have an answer for the wonderful woman. Even if I thought long and hard on it, I wouldn’t have been able to come up with a proper response. “But Freya, I couldn’t impose on you…”

The amber-eyed blonde sardonically smiled and glanced at me out of her peripherals while jesting, “More than you already have by making me follow your trail out to the hinterlands after sundown?”

I glanced at the digital clock at the center of Freya’s dashboard and realized it was half past ten. My warmhearted friend should’ve been at home in bed since she probably had to be up in less than eight hours to start preparing for her workday, but instead, she was out tracking down my sorry ass so I wouldn’t be consumed by the oncoming storm. It went without saying that I felt pretty bad about that.

“I’m only teasing you, Marcus!” Freya tried to convince me since I wasn’t saying anything. “By now, you have to know that there’s no one more important to me than…”

Whatever the benevolent doctor had been about to say, she was unexpectedly cut off when something darted out in front of us across the gravel and into the tall grass on the northern side of the path. Freya slammed down on her brakes as the tires of her vehicle crunched across the granules of the slender road. Even though the potential accident had become a thing of the past, both of us sat in silence for a moment while trying to determine what we had just seen.

“What the heck was that?!” The amber-eyed beauty asked with a hint of relief in her voice since the danger had passed. “Was that a deer?”

I’m pretty sure I had caught a better glimpse of the animal than my older friend had, but I certainly didn’t want to frighten her with what I thought it really was. Instead, I simply nodded and blithely said, “Yeah, I think it was just a fawn or something. Nothing to be worried about.”

Freya placed a hand over her upper chest while her breathing returned to normal. She let out a small laugh as she reminded me, “I’m not used to driving out in the countryside, so forgive me for having such a fright over such a docile critter!”

I shook my head and told her not to worry about it. When we finally started moving again, I thanked the sympathetic woman for coming to find me when she had. It was one thing to deliver me from the oncoming storm, but to put a roof over my head was something else altogether.

It went without saying that she had also just saved my bacon from possibly becoming the midnight snack of a creature known as an 'edom,' but that was something she didn’t need to know about since I would’ve received an even worse tongue-lashing for being on the plains, to begin with.

END OF PART TWO OF EIGHT