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Synopsis: Adrian makes a startling breakthrough during his most recent therapy session with Dr. Trimal that is sure to lead to further opportunities for change and growth in his life. ;)
*******
by K9Lupus
“Adrian? Ah, there you are. Good to see you again.” Dr. Trimal said in a kind, even tone.
“Good to see you too doc,” Adrian answered from his red, leather-upholstered seat, his eyes downcast toward his shoes.
“Please come right in. Do you remember where my office is?” Dr. Trimal said with a kind inflection.
“Yeah. Down the hall...two from the right?”
“You got it,” Dr. Trimal confirmed as he followed behind Adrian into his office clad in pastel blues and greens splashed with yellow trim. Adrian smiled. The same smokey-gray couch was there. It was comfortable and the perfect size for his tall frame to lounge across during their activities together. When Adrian had first seen it several weeks prior, a part of him imagined that it would attempt to swallow him whole if he allowed himself to relax. This week had been better for him at home, and he trusted that his psychiatrist's thoughtful feedback was finally beginning to seep in.
Adrian sat, his elbows rested atop his thighs as he always had them and bit the corner of his lip.
“Now, would you like our time today to be used same as before or try something new?” the older man said, itching at one of his powdery white, shaggy eyebrows with his pen cap.
“Same, if that's ok. I've been practicing what we talked about last time, and it's been helping keep the anxiety down.”
“That's more than ok Adrian. We can certainly do that. Before we start, is there anything new you'd like to share with me?” Dr. Trimal responded, underlining a box on his chart.
“Yes. I've been feeling less anxious since I last saw you. Probably a five. Feeling pretty good about that, and I'm hopeful that today can help me sort out a few more things.”
A few hastily written notes and a smile. “Excellent,” the doctor spoke before turning to grab a sip of his cup of tea with the calico cat tail shaped to be the handle.
“So whenever you're ready, we can begin.”
Adrian nodded and laid down across the couch, biting his lip harder as he allowed his eyes to close, but fought his attention towards his breath stuffed at the top of his chest.
“Remember this is your time and your time alone. A chance to dive and see what's there. You're safe here.” Dr. Trimal explained, rolling his chair silently across the carpet to close the gap between him and his client.
Adrian's breath deepened, and he drew his hands away from his legs to feel the suede surface of the couch on his palms.
“Relax, slowly relax.” he repeated in a soft, quiet mantra.
“Now I want you to remind you while you're immersed in this process, you'll undoubtedly encounter other intrusive thoughts: some regarding matters of importance, others not. Each has their place, and I'd like to encourage you as you notice these thoughts come to mind to let them sit center for a few seconds in your attention. Thank them for their presence, and then breathe out letting them go.”
Already Adrian was settling into the rhythm of noticing his thoughts in a more helpful manner after weeks of practice. Dr. Trimal grinned with a fond pride in seeing the results of Adrian's hard work.
“Now what I would like for you to do is to practice heading down to the door that we've built. When you are there, close and open your hands.”
Adrian imagined himself stepping along steps made of light, his inner light reflective of his own self-worth. A few cracks were there in places, and the material distorted underfoot like soft clay at times, but it carried him forward all the same. He closed and opened his hands in their agreed about signal, and then Dr. Trimal continued.
“Where does the door open today Adrian?”
“To the sea,” Adrian mumbled beneath his breath.
“It's an endless sea. I smell....salt, and hear birds, gulls actually. I want to step in.”
“Allow yourself to Adrian. This space and time is yours.”
********
As Adrian submerged himself beneath the waves he felt at once a strange set of sensations pass over him. His body was both icy cold and lit aflame, pulled apart and compacted against itself. He hissed out a tense breath and dived deeper into the cloudy depths.
His body grew out into a sinuous, winding form, and with relief Adrian found that he could breathe again in this space. Hollowed claws erupted from his fingers and toes, and his head reshaped itself into a mighty, fantastical visage. Despite his grand size, Adrian simply floated there, tumbling and allowing the currents to take him. Indeed, it was the way he had coursed through a large majority of life: at the whim of external forces. There was no chance of hurting or being hurt this way. A nagging, an itching compulsion cultivated over his many seasons with Dr. Trimal shook him back to awareness. What could he do to change that? Maybe start with this.
A large, webbed foot kicked out in a new direction altogether, and the sea dragon turned slightly. A second kick turned him even more, and a third powerful kick brought him out of the coursing undercurrent entirely. But now he was here on his own. Again.
It was a scary and vulnerable place. The cold of the depths began to seep into his bones, and a surge of panic washed through him, demanding him to climb back towards the surface, but he could not tell which way was up nor down any longer.
Adrian remembered a phrase he had been told when first beginning his journey to command his thoughts towards his betterment: “Make peace with the chaos. The resistance is the cause of pain. Observe. Reflect. Act.”
And so he sank. Further, further down he went until he was certain he would be consumed entirely by the dark, looming shadows around him, but down here was not the oblivion he had anticipated. Instead, he drifted down to a sparkling beach at the bottom of the sea. There, partway buried in the sand, was a plain, wooden chest. Inside it contained the sum of all his hopes and desires. Adrian, the sea dragon blew out a slow stream of bubbles. How paltry they seemed in face of the greater operations of the world, but they were his, and his alone, and indeed that is what made them special.
Adrian closed the chest and found that he wished to move this chest closer to the surface, but no matter his efforts the chest would not budge. In time it would grow to change, but simply recognizing its presence for now was a good step.
Adrian heard the quiet din of the far-off bell and now rose to meet it, feeling bubbles glide over his sinuous body until he met with the surface's light and joined it in an aura of warmth.
Adrian's eyes snapped open, and he clutched at his chest as if he were taking breath for the first time.
“How was today's session Adrian?” Dr. Trimal asked, the page of his notepad full today.
“Much better doctor. Thank you.”
They exchanged the usual questions with each other at the end of their session, and with a glance up at the clock, Dr. Trimal clapped his hands gently to announce the end of their session.
“Would you like to keep this time for next week?” he asked as they made their way back to the reception area.
“Yeah, it works out fine. I think this is working for me. Today I feel the best I have in years.”
“Good, good. We'll continuing adding onto our efforts next time.”
Dr. Trimal wiped his glasses with his handkerchief, hoping to remove the smudge there, but there was no error in the glass. As Adrian walked away, a conspicuous patch of cerulean scales reflected the artificial light of the office, glittering on the back of his calf until they vanished behind the smoky-gray of the elevator door.
*******
Flash Fiction reward made for
Bluedraconicknight as part of my 50K deviantArt page view giveaway! They requested a prompt for a transformation-based therapy session which I found to be quite intriguing! What questions would you have before engaging in such a program if you were the client?
Huge thanks to all of you who've helped me reach this awesome milestone. <3 Looking forward to the next 50K at your sides. ^^
~Lupus
*******
Interested in getting a story commissioned by me? I am currently open! I'd love to get the chance to bring your ideas to life. My commission info can be found here:
K9 Lupus Commission Info
If you'd like to gain early access to more work like this and other transformation stories/illustrations, please check out my Patreon page at the link below where you'll gain access to exclusive content and story updates before they are publicly released by choosing to support my work for as little as $1. Every bit goes towards me continuing to do what I love and sharing it with all of you.
Click here to check out my Patreon page!
Would love to have you join "The Wilderness" Discord Server to chat and share your work with others here on FA.
*******
The Serpents of Our Minds
by K9Lupus
“Adrian? Ah, there you are. Good to see you again.” Dr. Trimal said in a kind, even tone.
“Good to see you too doc,” Adrian answered from his red, leather-upholstered seat, his eyes downcast toward his shoes.
“Please come right in. Do you remember where my office is?” Dr. Trimal said with a kind inflection.
“Yeah. Down the hall...two from the right?”
“You got it,” Dr. Trimal confirmed as he followed behind Adrian into his office clad in pastel blues and greens splashed with yellow trim. Adrian smiled. The same smokey-gray couch was there. It was comfortable and the perfect size for his tall frame to lounge across during their activities together. When Adrian had first seen it several weeks prior, a part of him imagined that it would attempt to swallow him whole if he allowed himself to relax. This week had been better for him at home, and he trusted that his psychiatrist's thoughtful feedback was finally beginning to seep in.
Adrian sat, his elbows rested atop his thighs as he always had them and bit the corner of his lip.
“Now, would you like our time today to be used same as before or try something new?” the older man said, itching at one of his powdery white, shaggy eyebrows with his pen cap.
“Same, if that's ok. I've been practicing what we talked about last time, and it's been helping keep the anxiety down.”
“That's more than ok Adrian. We can certainly do that. Before we start, is there anything new you'd like to share with me?” Dr. Trimal responded, underlining a box on his chart.
“Yes. I've been feeling less anxious since I last saw you. Probably a five. Feeling pretty good about that, and I'm hopeful that today can help me sort out a few more things.”
A few hastily written notes and a smile. “Excellent,” the doctor spoke before turning to grab a sip of his cup of tea with the calico cat tail shaped to be the handle.
“So whenever you're ready, we can begin.”
Adrian nodded and laid down across the couch, biting his lip harder as he allowed his eyes to close, but fought his attention towards his breath stuffed at the top of his chest.
“Remember this is your time and your time alone. A chance to dive and see what's there. You're safe here.” Dr. Trimal explained, rolling his chair silently across the carpet to close the gap between him and his client.
Adrian's breath deepened, and he drew his hands away from his legs to feel the suede surface of the couch on his palms.
“Relax, slowly relax.” he repeated in a soft, quiet mantra.
“Now I want you to remind you while you're immersed in this process, you'll undoubtedly encounter other intrusive thoughts: some regarding matters of importance, others not. Each has their place, and I'd like to encourage you as you notice these thoughts come to mind to let them sit center for a few seconds in your attention. Thank them for their presence, and then breathe out letting them go.”
Already Adrian was settling into the rhythm of noticing his thoughts in a more helpful manner after weeks of practice. Dr. Trimal grinned with a fond pride in seeing the results of Adrian's hard work.
“Now what I would like for you to do is to practice heading down to the door that we've built. When you are there, close and open your hands.”
Adrian imagined himself stepping along steps made of light, his inner light reflective of his own self-worth. A few cracks were there in places, and the material distorted underfoot like soft clay at times, but it carried him forward all the same. He closed and opened his hands in their agreed about signal, and then Dr. Trimal continued.
“Where does the door open today Adrian?”
“To the sea,” Adrian mumbled beneath his breath.
“It's an endless sea. I smell....salt, and hear birds, gulls actually. I want to step in.”
“Allow yourself to Adrian. This space and time is yours.”
********
As Adrian submerged himself beneath the waves he felt at once a strange set of sensations pass over him. His body was both icy cold and lit aflame, pulled apart and compacted against itself. He hissed out a tense breath and dived deeper into the cloudy depths.
His body grew out into a sinuous, winding form, and with relief Adrian found that he could breathe again in this space. Hollowed claws erupted from his fingers and toes, and his head reshaped itself into a mighty, fantastical visage. Despite his grand size, Adrian simply floated there, tumbling and allowing the currents to take him. Indeed, it was the way he had coursed through a large majority of life: at the whim of external forces. There was no chance of hurting or being hurt this way. A nagging, an itching compulsion cultivated over his many seasons with Dr. Trimal shook him back to awareness. What could he do to change that? Maybe start with this.
A large, webbed foot kicked out in a new direction altogether, and the sea dragon turned slightly. A second kick turned him even more, and a third powerful kick brought him out of the coursing undercurrent entirely. But now he was here on his own. Again.
It was a scary and vulnerable place. The cold of the depths began to seep into his bones, and a surge of panic washed through him, demanding him to climb back towards the surface, but he could not tell which way was up nor down any longer.
Adrian remembered a phrase he had been told when first beginning his journey to command his thoughts towards his betterment: “Make peace with the chaos. The resistance is the cause of pain. Observe. Reflect. Act.”
And so he sank. Further, further down he went until he was certain he would be consumed entirely by the dark, looming shadows around him, but down here was not the oblivion he had anticipated. Instead, he drifted down to a sparkling beach at the bottom of the sea. There, partway buried in the sand, was a plain, wooden chest. Inside it contained the sum of all his hopes and desires. Adrian, the sea dragon blew out a slow stream of bubbles. How paltry they seemed in face of the greater operations of the world, but they were his, and his alone, and indeed that is what made them special.
Adrian closed the chest and found that he wished to move this chest closer to the surface, but no matter his efforts the chest would not budge. In time it would grow to change, but simply recognizing its presence for now was a good step.
Adrian heard the quiet din of the far-off bell and now rose to meet it, feeling bubbles glide over his sinuous body until he met with the surface's light and joined it in an aura of warmth.
Adrian's eyes snapped open, and he clutched at his chest as if he were taking breath for the first time.
“How was today's session Adrian?” Dr. Trimal asked, the page of his notepad full today.
“Much better doctor. Thank you.”
They exchanged the usual questions with each other at the end of their session, and with a glance up at the clock, Dr. Trimal clapped his hands gently to announce the end of their session.
“Would you like to keep this time for next week?” he asked as they made their way back to the reception area.
“Yeah, it works out fine. I think this is working for me. Today I feel the best I have in years.”
“Good, good. We'll continuing adding onto our efforts next time.”
Dr. Trimal wiped his glasses with his handkerchief, hoping to remove the smudge there, but there was no error in the glass. As Adrian walked away, a conspicuous patch of cerulean scales reflected the artificial light of the office, glittering on the back of his calf until they vanished behind the smoky-gray of the elevator door.
END
*******
Flash Fiction reward made for
Bluedraconicknight as part of my 50K deviantArt page view giveaway! They requested a prompt for a transformation-based therapy session which I found to be quite intriguing! What questions would you have before engaging in such a program if you were the client? Huge thanks to all of you who've helped me reach this awesome milestone. <3 Looking forward to the next 50K at your sides. ^^
~Lupus
*******
Interested in getting a story commissioned by me? I am currently open! I'd love to get the chance to bring your ideas to life. My commission info can be found here:
K9 Lupus Commission Info
If you'd like to gain early access to more work like this and other transformation stories/illustrations, please check out my Patreon page at the link below where you'll gain access to exclusive content and story updates before they are publicly released by choosing to support my work for as little as $1. Every bit goes towards me continuing to do what I love and sharing it with all of you.
Click here to check out my Patreon page!
Would love to have you join "The Wilderness" Discord Server to chat and share your work with others here on FA.
Category Story / Transformation
Species Serpent Dragon
Size 120 x 79px
File Size 61.9 kB
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