Dr. Bradshaw peered over her horn-rimmed glasses at her four patients. Each sat in a chair along one side of a long table. They all had the same posture– back straight, rigid neck. On their shoulders sat little fears. Some looked benign, others like demons.

The doctor smiled superciliously at the group. "Today we will look at our anxieties with a technique called 'cognitive defusion'."

Brain Barnes looked to the left and right, turning his head and shoulders together. As he did so a little demon on his shoulder ducked avoiding his line of sight each time.

"I function pretty well without seeing my fears," he said. "Isn't it better not to look at them?"

"If we don't face our fears," said Dr. Bradshaw showing all of her unnaturally white teeth, "they will eat us alive."

Samantha Sears, looked like she might vomit. Admittedly the ghoul on her shoulder was gastly. It had large green horns and yellow fangs. "I'mm...mmm...not so sure that's a good idea," she stammered staring straight ahead, not even daring to move her eyes towards the monster.

"You need to trust the process," tutted Dr. Bradshaw. "Can you do that for me?" Reluctantly all four patients nodded their head, though Samantha looked faint.

Brian led the group by drawing his fear with some paper and a pencil that Dr. Bradshaw supplied. After a few moments the demon jumped off his shoulder to get a closer look at his portrait.

"There you are little fella," said Brian. "You aren't that big or scary after all." The demon grinned and ran off. Brian gave a sigh of relief.

Bonny Sanders was next. She wrote a poem about her fear and a serpentine creature slid off her shoulder and under the table.

"And to think I was afraid of the dark for all those years," she said a smile spreading across her face. Brain and Dr. Bradshaw clapped for her.

Next a young Marty McMillan reached up with both hands and grabbed his phobia off his shoulder and held it up to his face.

"I see you," he screamed at it, "I see you! What are you going to do now!"

The fear, a rather plump one, screamed back, wriggled free and disappeared from view.

"Just one last patient to cure," said Dr. Bradshaw in a sing-song voice that sounded nearly giddy. "Samantha?" She turned to the other three. "Did anyone see what happened to Samantha?"

Dr. Bradshaw looked under the table. The sight that met her eyes was more gruesome than any she had ever encountered in her medical training, but, being a professional, she remained calm.

"This concludes today's session," she said, voice steady. "Please leave my office immediately."

Brian, Bonny, and Marty looked nervous. Bonny Sander's began to try to try to sneak a peak under the table, but Dr. Bradshaw interrupted her and steered her out the door by the arm.

"Please, don't look," said Dr. Bradshaw, "This can unfortunately happen from time to time. Like I said, your fears can eat you alive." She glanced back over her shoulder while she ushered her patients out into the hall.

"I've just never seen other people's fears eat someone alive before," she muttered to herself. "What a shame."