Benton Knight, Business man, philanthropist, father. And for the past nine months a patient of Frances Twist; being diagnosed with bi-polar disorder brought his well-ordered a structured world into chaos. Fearing that his illness could have made him feral; Benton set about to manage his condition with a regime of medication varying from anti-depressants and anti-psychotics. There is no cure for bi-polar disorder; regardless if you are a normal or a were. Recently he was prescribed Xanax for anxiety. Lately Benton has been feeling anxious. Running on three hours sleep and enough coffee to fuel a space shuttle, has done little to improve his disposition.
Arriving at Frances Twist’s office after having an argument with his wife regarding drinking de-cafe coffee and his recent workload; Amanda was concerned Benton was slipping back to his previous ways despite making a promise to spend more time being a father. In Benton’s defense, according to him; recent drama has precluded him from going good on his word at least for the time.
Which is why he is at Frances’s office early; to wired to have a nap and in no mood to have a second argument with Amanda; Benton had his chauffeur James drop him off. Benton may be anxious but he had the good sense not to drive in his current condition. Rudy; Frances’s receptionist was surprised to see his boss’s eleven am appointment arrive early. Offering the agitated man some herbal tea, in an effort to calm Benton down; Rudy frantically sends Frances’s a text letting her know she might have an office emergency and it be best to get back soon.
******
Frances was looking at Benton as he paced her office; earlier he exploded into his were-panther fursona in a fit of unbridled rage; his suit, a garment from Awareness surviving his shifting into the ten foot hulking were-panther, savagely attacking the punching bag Frances’s had installed in her office. It served dual purposes. One; it was a chance for her to get out some frustration stemming from her family the Carter’s. While her brother Samson has been supportive as usual; the relationship with her father Joseph and her mother Angelica was still strained. Despite the fact that father and daughter are talking in the same room without wanting to scratch each other’s eyes out; their relationship was still tense. The second reason for the punching bag was to help Benton with his ongoing anger management therapy. Seeing the bag ripped to shreds; the sand inside to give it heft spilled all over the floor, Frances had the stun gun she secretly procured shortly after seeing Benton Knight as a patient at the ready. Remaining calm, as she watches Benton; Frances hopes she wouldn’t need to use the device in case he took his rage out on her.
“Doctor,” Benton breathing hard; “the punching bag isn’t working. Fun as it may be to hit it; I’m just too frustrated and stressed out.”
“Talking can help,” Frances calmly responds; “tell me what has clearly put you under stress.”
“I already told you last week in regards to the delays regarding the new elementary school I’m funding,” Benton sitting down on the sofa and taking a Xanax; “that is still bothering me. I promised that the school would be completed in time for the new school year; the contractors hired to build it are saying otherwise.”
“Yes,” Frances making a note of Benton taking Xanax; “yet there is more that has made you agitated. It’s nothing on the home front now is it? The last time we talked you said things were fine between you and Frieda.”
“And they still are,” Benton answering; “there was the drama after I imposed a credit limit on her card. But Frieda knew that was coming; she was just surprised that it was a monthly two thousand dollar limit. The big row came when Amanda flipped her lid when Frieda started making some extra cash babysitting. It’s mostly with the Carpenter’s children and on occasion Sherriff Cooper’s nephew Darrell I think is the kid’s name? There are few others but, she keeps herself busy and has her friends help out from time to time.”
“By friends you mean,” Frances smiling; “Eric and Spencer?”
“Yes,” Benton breathing deeply before exhaling; “she assures me that nothing sexual goes on when minding the kids, but those three… At times they can’t keep their paws off of each other. I worry they might set a bad example. That doesn’t keep me up much,“ Benton sighing; “but it’s the next bit that has me really pissed off.”
Frances arches and eyebrows as she muses to herself; ‘finally the meat of the potato’. Adjusting her position in the chair she is sitting in as Benton continues.
“It was shortly after the New Year’s party I and my wife typically throw every year,” Benton commenting; “the town’s usual who’s who as well as friends and acquaintances. Included were the Lawson’s as well as the Anderson’s. Both parents and children; my brother and his fiancé now wife, plus the Carpenter’s; seeing those kids of theirs tearing up the house… I swear I could of used a few of these that night,” Benton shaking the bottle of Xanax in his paw. “When Tachibana arrived shortly before the start of the New Year; she was being escorted by two white were-tigers. They were genial, pleasant, didn’t mingle much but I sensed they were nervous; like they didn’t want to be at the party.”
Benton pauses before continuing; “at the time I had no ideal I shook the paws of Far Hojun and Kai Hu Wang.”
“You mentioned those two in an earlier session;” Frances chiming in; “didn’t you say they were missing off on some spiritual retreat?”
“Yes,” Benton growling; “their spiritual retreat involved them hiding at Tachibana’s estate, scheming to bring me down.”
“How so,” Frances looking genuinely interested.
“They had a hair brain scheme,” Benton flexing his claws and baring his fangs; “to have me removed as CEO of Knight industries and put Frieda in charge after having her get emancipated from me and Amanda.”
“And how did they intend to do that,” Frances looking surprised; “do you have specifics?”
“I’m not sure of the details,” Benton still looking agitated; “but the company they run the Wang Technical Consortium, helped developed the security and network infrastructure Knight industries relies on. I suspect they had a plan to use whatever back doors or secret network tricks to undo me. Surprisingly I enlisted the help of an outside consultant to find and plug said security holes, in case they intend to enact their plan.”
“You said surprisingly,” Frances jotting down notes; “this consultant is someone you didn’t want to deal with I take it?”
“No. Yes,” Benton sighing; “Stovall Systems, but I was surprised it wasn’t Martin I met.”
“That’s because the company,” Frances answering; “was started by Melissa, Martin’s wife and nine months pregnant.”
“I know,” Benton looking distraught; “after what their daughter Julie did, I didn’t want to deal with them. Hell I’d still wouldn’t if it wasn’t for finding out Far and Kai were staying in Moon Lake. I’m just fucking surprised that s.o.b told me.”
“Who told you,” Frances asking.
“Jack Crawford,” Benton snarling at having to say his latest nemesis’s name; “he thought telling me would make me bust up Tachibana’s estate like I did to her office when I wanted to remove Daisuke’s head from his body. He was nearly right.”
“You didn’t,” Frances looking alarmed; “you didn’t attack Tachibana’s estate.”
“I came this close,” Benton holding up a clawed thumb and forefinger a half inch apart; “Tachibana was surprised that I wanted to talk to Far and Kai when I showed up. More surprised that I knew they were guests at her estate. Long story short,” Benton looking at Frances; “there was a lot of hissing, snarling and growling as security did its best to contain us all.”
“I guess that explains why the elder council demanded weekly meetings between us,” Frances jotting down more notes.
“You mean Tachibana,” Benton correcting her; “yes I received a scroll regarding that as well. But that incident happened months ago,” Benton looking glum; “what’s keeping me up at night, well look out your window.”
Benton getting up to raise the blinds; not caring if anyone sees him in his fursona as he looks out to the construction going on.
“The future home of Wang Technical Consortium’s new head office,” Benton seething; “those white furred were-tigers are still here in town and are putting down roots as they say.”
Frances gets up and closes the blinds quickly before anyone could see the large hulking were staring outside.
“Benton,” Frances looking serious; “you know better than to risk exposing our existence to the world. What if one of those construction workers was a normal? What if they managed to take a picture with their smart phone?”
“First,” Benton answering as he heads back to the couch; “those construction workers are all weres. Their physique and the way they carry themselves; I don’t need to sniff the air to tell if they are normal. Second; none were looking up as they are busy pouring concrete. Frances,” Benton look at his therapist; “I’m not careless, I do take care to keep our existence a secret. Just because I have a mental condition,” Benton getting angry; “everyone thinks I’m going to be the one that endangers us all. I’m getting sick and tired of being the elder council’s scapegoat. And I’m getting tired of everyone dancing around me; afraid to say the wrong thing, fearing it might set me off! I’m not the only were that is running the risk of exposing us,” Benton growling; “what are they doing in regards to that DJ my brother fired? What about those werewolves that killed Alyssa Cooper when taking back Julie Stovall? What about the weres that have undocumented mental issues the world over? I can’t be the only one keeping the council up at night!”
“Benton,” Frances looking at the black furred were-panther before him; “yes you are right. You are not the only were the council is concerned in exposing us. But you need to remember,” Frances letting her were-cat form out; “you have a public face. You run a multi-billion dollar global conglomerate. So yes, the council is going to be looking at you with a magnify glass, getting under your fur and pissing you off with their edicts and scrolls. It’s because of your position in the world,” Frances getting up and jabbing Benton with a clawed finger; “you run the greatest risk in exposing us. The council dreads in fear every time you head to New York or any other major city,” Frances looking serious; “that you could have a manic episode or worse. It’s one thing to debunk a photo of a were walking in the woods as sasquatch,” Frances shaking her head; “it’s another to try and debunk the existence of weres, when a were-panther is seen running up and down a major thoroughfare on social media or live on CNN!”
“Point taken,” Benton grousing; “but I’m not hiding in a hole, just because I might crack and go crazy.”
“I’m not saying you do,” Frances calming down; “but you do need to relax more. What you just told me today,” Frances looking at the destroyed punching bag; “and the bag you dismantled, you need a vacation from what is stressing you out.”
“And what did you have in mind,” Benton snorting; “a trip to Belize? Bora Bora? Tour the Australian Outback?”
“No,” Frances smirking; “I’m prescribing you a staycation.”
“A what,” Benton looking stunned; “you want me to stay in Moon Lake? Are you mad?”
“No,” Frances answering; “but you are on you way to being mad, unless you start reducing the stress you are under. It is clear you have not been getting enough sleep of late and you are high strung on caffeine.”
“You’ve been talking to Amanda,” Benton asking; “she said something similar to me this morning.”
“Then you should listen to your wife,” France responding; “reduce your workload, take up a hobby, and lay off the coffee. And when you get home,” Frances looking at Benton as she shifts back from her fursona; “get some sleep and don’t forget to maintain your regime of pills as prescribed to you by Doctor Abigail Robinson. And no I haven’t been talking to your wife," Frances watching Benton defurring; "but Rudy my assistant picked up on your agitated sate and informed me when you arrived.”
Coming out of the office after having his talk; Benton felt a little relieved. Having a chance to talk in confidence without anything being revealed; Benton was starting to feel tired. Calling up James to let him know he is done with his appointment and to meet him outside; Benton was unaware that both Frances and Rudy were asking for him.
“Mr Knight,” Rudy shouting to get his attention.
Benton turning around sees Frances’s assistant, a normal handing him a slip of paper. Reading it he looks at Frances.
“You did destroy the punching bag,” Frances looking at Benton as he is holding the bill for the object; “it’s not as if you can’t afford to replace it.”
“Same time next Friday then,” Benton yawning.
“Yes,” Frances answering; “and get some sleep.”