"Shadows of the Mind" (Dr. Crane backstory)

[seonedevinian]

awesomely scary. i like your Scarecrow, he's very real. good work making his madness truly unsettling!

[aurora10]

WOW!!!!! That was awesome! Great job, Azina.

[Niquinga]

Wow, that's really creepy. Having Scarecrow just engulf Jonathan's mind so that eventually he isn't even himself anymore. I eagerly await the next chapter, please keep writing it.

[belle]

“Hey, Scarecrow,” Stan laughed, pulling his fist back in for the punch.

“Yes,” Scarecrow replied.


excellent transition Azina! Admirable!

[spikie2]

Wow. you're so talented. I have to stop just before I read another part or I will never sleep. It's like 2:30 am now and it wouldn't suprise me if I would dream about this, it's so realisric and impressive! Keep up the good work! *exalt*

[Death The Kid]

Bravo!! You're such a wonderfully talented writer, Azina! EXALT!

[azina]

Once again we are back to the present with adult Crane. This promises to be a long chapter and I still haven't written all of it. This is what I've gotten so far. This is probably a bit too "chatty" but I thought it provided an interesting history into one of Crane's previous patients.

“I can’t believe he did that,” said Mrs. Jensen, shaking her head in disbelief.

“That young man sounds absolutely dreadful,” gasped Mrs. Sweeney, taking a sip of her vintage sauvignon wine.

“And you say he has cold eyes? I hear only crazy, evil men have those,” Mrs. Jensen hissed.

Mrs. Chesterton nodded. She enjoyed the support she found in her friends as she told them how truly awful Dr. Jonathan Crane was to her and how she would never ever return to him ever again. They were dining at her favorite restaurant, La Clariate, and were finishing off a delicious, prolonged luncheon of roasted quail in fresh rosemary with spring potatoes and buttered asparagus.

“Honestly, I don’t know what possessed you to visit him to begin with, Genevieve,” sighed Mrs. Jensen. “He does have a dubious reputation you know.”

“Dubious, yes, but he did cure that one woman, who was it?” Mrs. Sweeney looked up at the ceiling, searching her memory. “It was good ol’ Judith Mariwell of the Shalley Family. You remember.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Mrs. Jensen gasped, with a smile. “He did manage to cure her. Waiter, more wine. Thank yooou!”

“What? He did?” Now Mrs. Chesterton really was curious. Judith Mariwell was something of a legend she only heard bits and pieces of now and then.

The waiter brought another round of wine and the dessert menu. The women suddenly were more interested in the double chocolate torte than in discussing old Judith.

“Tell me about Judith,” Mrs. Chesterton insisted.

“Oh,” Mrs. Sweeney said, peeking up from behind the menu. “Well, you know she was terrified of even stepping outside her door.”

“Couldn’t even drag her outside for anything, if I recall,” Mrs. Jensen continued. “And the more they let her be the more terrified she became until she couldn’t stand to look outdoors. She closed all the windows.”

“She was a strange bird, that old Judith,” interjected Mrs. Sweeney. “Genevieve, you really should get a dessert. I think it would make you feel better.”

“I told you, I don’t feel like dessert,” Mrs. Chesterton snapped. “Now tell me, what happened to Judith.”

“Well, then the Shalleys heard of this new upcoming young doctor,” continued Mrs. Sweeney. “They were shocked when they saw him – he looked like a boy

“He still looks like a boy,” said Mrs. Chesterton.

“A creepy boy, from what I hear,” Mrs. Sweeney snickered. “Anyhow, even though he was young and weak looking he would take none of her sass, from what I heard.”

“The Shalleys gave him carte blanche, anything to cure her of her fear – and he took it,” said Mrs. Jensen.

“I heard he’d chloroform her in her sleep then when she woke up she’d be outside, tied to a chair,” Mrs. Sweeney giggled. “Oh, the racket and the fuss she’d make!”

“But he’d refuse to take her back inside, not until she got used to being outdoors. Gradually she learned to enjoy being outside,” said Mrs. Jensen.

“And – and is she cured,” Mrs. Chesterton asked.

Mrs. Jensen shrugged, taking another sip of wine.

“From what I heard she takes walks every afternoon, as happy as a bird,” Mrs. Jensen replied.

“But you know a creepy doctor is a creepy doctor as they say,” said Mrs. Sweeney. “I say get as far away from him as possible. Yes, double chocolate torte with extra whipped cream. Don’t skimp on it now.”

The waiter took down the order for the desserts. He looked to Mrs. Chesterton who shook her head.

“Now I know she really is ill, she loooves the torte,” said Mrs. Jensen. “Make it two.”

“I told you I’m not hungry,” snapped Mrs. Chesterton. “Sorry. I just want these panic attacks to go away.”

“Well, dear. I recommend someone new if you don’t like said creepy doctor.” Mrs. Jensen retrieved from her Italian leather purse a doctor’s card. “He’s highly recommended.”

Mrs. Chesterton took the card and looked at the title. Yet another “head doctor.” Unlike Dr. Jonathan Crane, he met all Mrs. Chesterton’s expectations when she came to call. There were no weird patients, no odd darkened rooms, no cold staring and no feelings of unease. His name was Dr. Henry Worthing, a man in his mid-50s who had been practicing psychology for almost 20 years and had a solid reputation, especially among the elite.

His office was in upscale Gotham City and none of the low-lives Mrs. Chesterton saw frequenting Dr. Crane’s office came to call. And unlike many of Dr. Crane’s sessions, Mrs. Chesterton was prompted to do most of the talking while Dr. Worthing did most – well all – of the listening. He asked almost no questions while Dr. Crane asked many (and often unsettling) questions. It would seem Dr. Worthing would be the perfect match and Dr. Crane would be an unpleasant experience long forgotten except for one thing – the panic attacks were getting more frequent, especially when she was alone in her own apartment at night.

[aurora10]

Chatty is good! Now I have a craving for dessert....

[seonedevinian]

i like the interaction between Mrs. Chesterton and her circle of priviledged ladies. it's a good way to introduce information without it seeming contrived (which, by the way, you haven't been). good work!

[raine]

brilliant as always deary keep it up

[Shelly]

wow. you are very gifted! keep it up. can't wait to read more

[§ilvercell]

ottid!EXALT

[§hannon]

-waiting for next chapter-

It couldn't come any sooner! Wonderful story, Azina.

[seonedevinian]

hey, i hope to read more of this soon! reading your Crane was part of what inspired me to pull my story together. thankyou, and thanks for your support. EXALTATIONS!

[azina]

Thank you so much ... your feedback has helped me greatly throughout all of this ... and your Crane is so awesome. Going to write more tonight so stay tuned. Hope you're writing more too!