The Mind Games

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Dr. Clara Turner was a therapist. She prided herself on her ability to untangle minds. Her logic, sharp and precise, always found answers. But then came Elliot.

Elliot wasn’t real. She was sure of it. He was a figment, a patient created by her mind. She never remembered their first session. She couldn't even recall how he had started. But each week, he appeared—his eyes dark and intense, staring through her. He knew things about her life, things no one else knew.

But she couldn’t be wrong. He was imaginary, right?

Then came the clues.

It began modestly. A book was cited by Elliot. She was unaware of it. However, the book showed up on her desk the following morning. opened to a page that, rather precisely, detailed her life. The notes followed. Written on napkins and abandoned following sessions. The communications were incorrect. They were too intimate and revealing. "You're not crazy," one note said. You have been tricked.

Clara made an effort to ignore it. She practiced therapy. She was aware of the mind. However, the hints continued to come. Her mind replayed what Elliot had said. You're surprised at how long he's been here.

The crack of reality started. Her steadiness, the world she had created, began to falter. Elliot was authentic. For years, he had been manipulating her. However, how? Why?

The deeper Clara dug, the more the truth twisted. She wasn’t in control. She wasn’t the one guiding the sessions. She wasn’t the one with the answers. Elliot had been pulling the strings.

Now, Clara didn’t know what was real. Was she the patient? Had she always been the patient?

Trapped in his game, Clara had no choice. She had to face it. She had never been in control.

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