[Humphrey walks down a corridor at the college, a few students flooding the corridors on the way to their lesson. The corridor has a dark green wallpaper with oak flooring and small lightning above. He’s quickly analysing the corridor when a student runs by and accidentally bashes him into the wall, making him groan very loudly in pain. He pushes himself forward against the wall and finds himself against a door, grabbing quickly to the handle and ducking inside of it. He pushes the door shut, leaning on it for a moment while rubbing his side.]

  Humphrey: [quietly] Ow…

  [Humphrey turns around and analyses the room. It’s a very small room, with a table in the middle and two cushioned chairs on either side of it. There’s a work cabinet on the side, with a collection of five Russian nesting dolls along it while all out of order in size. He chuckles a bit, going over to them and picking one up.]

  Humphrey: Well isn’t that cute…

  [He starts to open them up and put each doll back inside of the other again. As he’s doing this, the door opens up behind him.]

  Gary: Excuse me?

  [Humphrey turns his attention to Gary, stood in the doorway and looking nervous. He’s wearing a black shirt with a red collar and sleeves, along with the Red Lantern logo on the front. He also has on jeans and black sneakers.]

  Gary: Is this the room for the private counselling?

  Humphrey: Mr Gray, I presume? Come in, please, take a seat.

  [Gary nods, closing the door behind him. Humphrey picks up all the Russian dolls, holding them in both arms.]

  Humphrey: Awfully busy today, isn’t it!

  Gary: Yeah, well… people have been a bit hectic after the Storm recently.

  Humphrey: Yes, I’ve heard.

  [Humphrey takes a seat opposite to Gary, both sitting on the chairs. Humphrey proceeds to drop the nesting dolls on the table, only three left.]

  Humphrey: I’m new to the area so, if you don’t mind me asking, what happened with that?

  Gary: Oh, um… some people got struck by lightning. A lot of students are coming out of hospital from it apparently.

  Humphrey: Well… I can certainly expect more people at my doorstep from the sounds of things, heh.

  [Gary gives a nervous chuckle, looking down to the table. The room is silent for a few seconds before Humphrey slowly pushes over the Russian dolls, all together now, in front of him.]

  Humphrey: There. Not too hard.

  [Gary looks up, confused, at Humphrey.]

  Humphrey: I am Humphrey Duncan, call me Mr Duncan or Humph if you’d prefer, I don’t mind. And Mr Gray, you are here for… what exactly?

  [Humphrey leans back. Gary scoffs a bit.]

  Gary: Sorry, I… it’s my first time, I-

  Humphrey: Oh don’t worry! Complete ambiguity, nothing you say will leave this room.

  Gary: No, um… I was expecting more questions like “How are you?” or “How’s the family?” or “Here, sign this piece of paper for us” stuff like that.

  Humphrey: Well… I’d like to think I’m quite successful in my methods but if this is the route that you wish to take then okay!

  [He adjusts himself.]

  Humphrey: How is your family, Mister Gray? Do you have a good relationship?

  Gary: W-well, I, um-

  Humphrey: Or would you prefer to talk about what you came here to talk about?

  Gary: I… guess that.

  Humphrey: Excellent. Go on then.

  Gary: Okay… I’ll be honest, you’re a bit of an asshole.

  Humphrey: Yes, it’s in the job, do go on.

  [Gary sighs, fidgeting in his seat a bit as he tries to sit up straight. He taps his fingers against the back of his hand.]

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  Gary: Well, um… I’m under a lot of stress recently. I’m not, like, sad, I’m just… not handling things as well as I think I should.

  Humphrey: Right then… do you think you know what’s causing your stress?

  Gary: [chuckling] Oh, I have no idea, um… y’know, maybe I’m just naturally-

  Humphrey: The biggest cause of stress is work-stress, tell me about your course here. Do you feel as if you’re being overworked?

  Gary: [nervous] I-I feel like I’m being overlooked! You keep interrupting.

  Humphrey: You were about to tell me you thought it was natural. The only natural thing I believe it could possibly been is the Storm, do you think so? If we’re blaming nature.

  [Gary gives him a glare, more confused.]

  Gary: I… are you a real counsellor?

  Humphrey: I am, I… I apologise, I’m definitely being rude. If you’ll allow me, can we start from the beginning? I do want to help, I swear.

  [Gary sighs, leaning back in the chair.]

  Gary: I just don’t want to be here, honestly, I feel like this was a mistake. I’m just… I’m stressed! That’s it!

  Humphrey: There’s always more to it.

  Gary: There really isn’t.

  Humphrey: Okay… okay, one moment.

  [Humphrey reaches over and grabs the Russian doll, holding it in front of Gary.]

  Humphrey: Try and personify your stress in the russian dolls.

  Gary: [confused] Oh… okay then.

  Humphrey: Now consider that this is the surface level, okay? This is your stress as you see it, simple enough. Now if we were to look deeper into it…

  [Humphrey very quickly starts to open up the Russian dolls and lay them out in front of Gary, facing him. Each face on the doll shows different emotions with a smile, frown, snarl, cry and gasp. The dolls are presented in order of biggest to smallest.]

  Humphrey: You will see that there are multiple factors in creating, fueling and maintaining stress.

  Gary: [confused] But there’s still another doll, the one that doesn’t have anything in it.

  Humphrey: I’m working on it, but you see my point! Yes?

  Gary: I… I guess I do.

  Humphrey: Good. Now… this smallest one. This represents the… the heart of the problem.

  [He taps on the head of the small one with the gasping face.]

  Humphrey: This is where we want to get by the end of these sessions. We want to deal with the things currently encompassing it until…

  [He picks it up and chucks it to Gary, who fumbles a bit as he catches it. Humphrey then pushes the rest of the dolls off the table.]

  Humphrey: We can understand it and we can resolve it. Understand?

  Gary: Um… yes?

  Humphrey: Good. You can keep that.

  Gary: [concerned] Is this yours?

  Humphrey: No, but I don’t like the Russian dolls so you can entirely keep it if you want.

  Gary: I… will! Okay then!

  [He pockets the small doll, Humphrey smiling.]

  Humphrey: Now… I apologise for being rude earlier. I apologise if my methods are… well you can see them as improper or wrong, really. But understand that I do want to help you, okay? Your stress is, as ridiculous as you may think, a serious issue that we will work together to help. Okay Mister Gray?

  [Gary hesitantly nods.]

  Humphrey: And you’re sure? Completely and fully sure?

  Gary: Yeah… yeah, of course I am.

  Humphrey: Great.

  [Humphrey smiles and leans in closer to Gary.]

  Humphrey: Now then… what’s been bothering you?