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“No, I think it would just get worse”

He flipped a page of his little notebook

“Let’s talk about your fears, Alfred,” he said

“How come?”

“Do you have a proble about your fears?”

“It’s not so I normally talk about”

“And why is that?” Dr Benderhall asked

I thought about it “It’s not so I normally think about”

He sat there, waiting I took a deep breath and let it out very slowly

“Well, clowns for one,” I began “But alhts Horses Thunderstornoivitis Insects Well, not all insects Ladybugs are okay, and I’d be pretty weird if I was scared of butterflies Mostly just biting and stinging insects, though I’uess, which is e have so s like that Bats Well, not the fruit eaters Vampire bats—or any creature with very sharp teeth That covers everything, sharks and lapdogs and those

kinds of things Those are the big ones, the top fears Bleht be one of the top ones Maybe after thunderstornoland I’ve been bored out of my mind Except for that time at the mall last week, when I saw the little man”

He was staring at me “Little man?”

“Yeah, this little bald baby-faced guy in a dark suit I first saw hi at ht at him, he looked away real quick Then I was in Blockbuster and saw him ts over in the comedy aisle”

“Do you think he was following you?”

“He didn’t look like the kind of guy ould rent coe by appearances”