‘This is ridiculous,’ I grunted, slowing my steps. The Professor glided ahead of me in his wheelchair, turning slightly to look back at me.
‘Now, now, Scott,’ he said, with his clipped accent and smiling eyes. ‘We’ve been through this.’
‘I never said yes.’
‘But you wanted to.’
‘Stay out of my head, Professor!’ I growled.
He lifted his arms slightly in an expression of innocence.
‘No tricks, Mr. Winters, I assure you,’ he said soothingly. ‘I just know how it feels to be confronted with something terrifying and not be sure of the next step.’
I sighed and adjusted my red-tinted glasses, noticing how ever so slightly tense it made the old man.
‘No tricks, Professor,’ I smirked. ‘I assure you.’
‘Quite right,’ he nodded. ‘Shall we?’
He gestured for me to continue walking, and I settled back into a stride.
‘This is really the best place?’ I asked him, pointing at the building as we got closer.
‘Absolutely,’ he nodded. ‘I screened it myself.’
‘How?’ I frowned.
‘I had Misty accompany me,’ he replied. ‘For whatever reason, she insisted on taking their eye test in Bentleigh.’
‘That must have been a sight,’ I chuckled, trying to picture the cool-skinned woman I knew as a child.
‘Indeed,’ the Professor smirked. ‘Especially when she refused to leave until they gave her a lollipop.’
‘And you think they can help me?’
‘Them? Of course. It’s their job – though I would have personally gone with the best optometrist near Cheltenham, if you’d been willing to travel slightly further than just down the street from the mansion.’
‘I want it over with, Professor. And you know that isn’t what I meant.’
‘I can contain any… outbursts, Scott,’ the Professor grasped my elbow. ‘I promise. All you need to focus on is the eye examination.’
I took a deep breath and heard my leather jacket creaking.
‘Well then,’ I exhaled. ‘Let’s get this over with.’