Nervous Compulsion

You know this moment. You have already locked the door. You know it. You turned the key, pressed the handle down, checked. And still you go back. And perhaps once more. The stove is off — you have checked it three times — and still you are standing in the kitchen again. Your hands do not feel properly clean, even though you just washed them. The arrangement of objects on the desk is not quite right — and only when it is right can you continue working. The number you are counting must be even. The word you are saying must be pronounced in a very particular way — otherwise you have to repeat it.