I was standing outside taking a drag from a cigarette when a car came into the parking lot, and since I didn’t have any other appointments today but this one, I knew exactly who it was. When Kendall got out, she looked up at me, her golden eyes glassy.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IeshaBn7X
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡno2IILl3VZ
I watched Christian take her hand and they walked toward me. For a split second I was envious of this teenage romance, but I was glad she had something stable in her life. Though I’d barely talked to Kendall for more than a few minutes, I knew she was troubled.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzzP1ZxjaO
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxfWM2KHTW
Then she got that phone call in my office and everything changed. I had met John Monroe once or twice in my life, but I liked him, and I’m sure Kendall did too. Now that he was gone, and I was here to help her, I wondered if—406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXVQeNWnBd
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ650HBuBIe4
“Hello, Dr. Alder,” Kendall said softly. “How are you?”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGnKHJvjDf
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPat74sqvs
I looked at her face and saw how drained of color it was. She looked like she hadn’t slept in a few days, as well, because of the dark circles under her eyes. I frowned and dropped the cigarette onto the ground, stomping it out with the heel of my shoe.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQSME3Am64
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qTCxMlnAc
“I didn’t know you smoked,” was all she said to me before she looked at Christian. “You can come in or wait, if you want.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgkQE4syb0
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OA3OywtHq
Her boyfriend looked at me and said, “I think that’s her call, Scott.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5q11Hudpo4
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLicqXKaMzm
I saw Kendall bristle at his use of her last name. I didn’t understand her reaction, but I didn’t gauge it either. Instead I said to Christian, “You can do whatever you’d like. If she feels comfortable enough for you to sit in, I think it would be okay.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6pPZiNaLD
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYE4JPPukKq
“He should hear what I have to say,” Kendall said.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9dfzsUQyl
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjsckmj2qww
As I turned around to head into the building, I heard her say something quietly to him. She told him that he was free to leave if he couldn’t handle this. Whether it was to leave the session or her, I wasn’t sure.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cnQAZbeVy
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoBRkl6R2t
The door shut behind me and I turned to see Kendall staring around at the waiting room like she’d never seen it before. I didn’t say anything. I took out of keys and unlocked my office door, standing aside so they could come in.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfZ2INH9JJ
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkOviw4gBT
Christian took a seat on the couch and whistled softly. “That’s a lot of awards,” he said, smiling, as he admired all of the plaques on the wall.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wjJTso3AY
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FboIK7bib
I shrugged. “I guess I’m good at my job.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9ImFyMn75
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG73Pxv6uqq
Kendall sat in the chair across from my desk. She didn’t look at anyone, just straight ahead at the empty chair. When she started to shake, I came forward and touched her shoulder. She lifted her head, her eyes filled with tears.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCldw7bJ00
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CQnx7Umih
My eyes widened and I knelt down. “Oh, Kendall. What’s wrong?”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GEGgqHB3u
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TnefMMDbv
She shut her eyes and shook her head. “I’m scared,” she whispered.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSeXw1CQOu
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKwHolVdxD
Christian stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders. He leaned his head down toward her ear and said, “You’ve got to tell her about the dreams.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPTNdwzNxs
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3YvOCduOs
“Dreams?” I asked. “What kind of dreams?”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6pt0OWTHU
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0akxykNsTD
Kendall opened her eyes. They were clear and sharp and deep golden. She exhaled slowly and muttered softly, “I have these dreams where I’ve done awful things. I’ve killed people, Dr. Alder, in my dreams. I’ve killed them and they’re all dying around me for real. First John Monroe, then Cassie Winters.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQf7ka9wPW
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeqfcCvXfuV
“Cassie Winters?” I asked, looking up at Christian.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9YKEiW1hT
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHndBvOa2yb
“She went to school with us. My friend’s dad found her body this morning.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslgxCGH9rc
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2XjyWossUC
He didn’t say how she died, which I was thankful for. I didn’t know if he was sparing the details for my sake or Kendall’s. My guess was both.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJn402dpq2f
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYmynHF5M7
“Kendall,” I said, “you can’t possibly think you’re capable of taking a human life, do you? They’re only dreams. They’re not real.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjS4BQfJNrZ
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBIgR3KAGQ
“Then what is going on?” she hissed. She put her hands on her face and brought her knees to her chest. “What’s wrong with me?” she mumbled.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdpBLHvaVC
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBagbPHa0L
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But I think you should come back next week and we’ll talk more. Is that okay?”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59LHWMqgLx
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JK9PKigJU
“Okay,” she said.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9O7fMt5bfo
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZk5czmOdz
“Do you want to tell me about when the dreams started?” I asked, standing and taking a seat at my desk. I grabbed a notepad and a pen and leaned back in the chair.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqRAcM0RFW
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiRYqypYaM
“It’s been a few months,” Kendall said, looking at me. She dropped her legs so they hit the floor. “I didn’t understand the first one and I hate labeling them as a nightmare. I don’t want people to think I’m crazy.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgahRxAGEW
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35prBv6yTH
“Nightmares don’t mean that,” I said. I shook my head. “For the record, I don’t think you’re crazy.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHUXc2NIG9
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tAus0KHBz
“I don’t either,” Christian said, squeezing her hand. He looked at me and smiled from behind Kendall. Then he gazed down at her. “You’ve always been the one with the wild imagination.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNHQFsj2ec
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmVyq1jvjX
“It’s more than that,” Kendall said quietly. She was becoming more comfortable, which was good. “If I didn’t do this, if I didn’t kill anyone, then that means one thing.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BBNfcMEEI
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4agFBRvqJ
I leaned forward and waited for her to finish.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukRk5X6ShM
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZ5CBZuACA
“It means that these dreams, these nightmares, aren’t mine.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdRob2dUbU
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡno2IILl3VZ
I watched Christian take her hand and they walked toward me. For a split second I was envious of this teenage romance, but I was glad she had something stable in her life. Though I’d barely talked to Kendall for more than a few minutes, I knew she was troubled.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzzP1ZxjaO
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxfWM2KHTW
Then she got that phone call in my office and everything changed. I had met John Monroe once or twice in my life, but I liked him, and I’m sure Kendall did too. Now that he was gone, and I was here to help her, I wondered if—406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXVQeNWnBd
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ650HBuBIe4
“Hello, Dr. Alder,” Kendall said softly. “How are you?”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGnKHJvjDf
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPat74sqvs
I looked at her face and saw how drained of color it was. She looked like she hadn’t slept in a few days, as well, because of the dark circles under her eyes. I frowned and dropped the cigarette onto the ground, stomping it out with the heel of my shoe.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQSME3Am64
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qTCxMlnAc
“I didn’t know you smoked,” was all she said to me before she looked at Christian. “You can come in or wait, if you want.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgkQE4syb0
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OA3OywtHq
Her boyfriend looked at me and said, “I think that’s her call, Scott.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5q11Hudpo4
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLicqXKaMzm
I saw Kendall bristle at his use of her last name. I didn’t understand her reaction, but I didn’t gauge it either. Instead I said to Christian, “You can do whatever you’d like. If she feels comfortable enough for you to sit in, I think it would be okay.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6pPZiNaLD
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYE4JPPukKq
“He should hear what I have to say,” Kendall said.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9dfzsUQyl
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjsckmj2qww
As I turned around to head into the building, I heard her say something quietly to him. She told him that he was free to leave if he couldn’t handle this. Whether it was to leave the session or her, I wasn’t sure.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cnQAZbeVy
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoBRkl6R2t
The door shut behind me and I turned to see Kendall staring around at the waiting room like she’d never seen it before. I didn’t say anything. I took out of keys and unlocked my office door, standing aside so they could come in.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfZ2INH9JJ
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkOviw4gBT
Christian took a seat on the couch and whistled softly. “That’s a lot of awards,” he said, smiling, as he admired all of the plaques on the wall.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wjJTso3AY
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FboIK7bib
I shrugged. “I guess I’m good at my job.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9ImFyMn75
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG73Pxv6uqq
Kendall sat in the chair across from my desk. She didn’t look at anyone, just straight ahead at the empty chair. When she started to shake, I came forward and touched her shoulder. She lifted her head, her eyes filled with tears.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCldw7bJ00
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CQnx7Umih
My eyes widened and I knelt down. “Oh, Kendall. What’s wrong?”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GEGgqHB3u
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TnefMMDbv
She shut her eyes and shook her head. “I’m scared,” she whispered.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSeXw1CQOu
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKwHolVdxD
Christian stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders. He leaned his head down toward her ear and said, “You’ve got to tell her about the dreams.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPTNdwzNxs
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3YvOCduOs
“Dreams?” I asked. “What kind of dreams?”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6pt0OWTHU
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0akxykNsTD
Kendall opened her eyes. They were clear and sharp and deep golden. She exhaled slowly and muttered softly, “I have these dreams where I’ve done awful things. I’ve killed people, Dr. Alder, in my dreams. I’ve killed them and they’re all dying around me for real. First John Monroe, then Cassie Winters.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQf7ka9wPW
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeqfcCvXfuV
“Cassie Winters?” I asked, looking up at Christian.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9YKEiW1hT
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHndBvOa2yb
“She went to school with us. My friend’s dad found her body this morning.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslgxCGH9rc
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2XjyWossUC
He didn’t say how she died, which I was thankful for. I didn’t know if he was sparing the details for my sake or Kendall’s. My guess was both.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJn402dpq2f
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYmynHF5M7
“Kendall,” I said, “you can’t possibly think you’re capable of taking a human life, do you? They’re only dreams. They’re not real.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjS4BQfJNrZ
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBIgR3KAGQ
“Then what is going on?” she hissed. She put her hands on her face and brought her knees to her chest. “What’s wrong with me?” she mumbled.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdpBLHvaVC
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBagbPHa0L
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But I think you should come back next week and we’ll talk more. Is that okay?”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59LHWMqgLx
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JK9PKigJU
“Okay,” she said.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9O7fMt5bfo
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZk5czmOdz
“Do you want to tell me about when the dreams started?” I asked, standing and taking a seat at my desk. I grabbed a notepad and a pen and leaned back in the chair.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqRAcM0RFW
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiRYqypYaM
“It’s been a few months,” Kendall said, looking at me. She dropped her legs so they hit the floor. “I didn’t understand the first one and I hate labeling them as a nightmare. I don’t want people to think I’m crazy.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgahRxAGEW
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35prBv6yTH
“Nightmares don’t mean that,” I said. I shook my head. “For the record, I don’t think you’re crazy.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHUXc2NIG9
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tAus0KHBz
“I don’t either,” Christian said, squeezing her hand. He looked at me and smiled from behind Kendall. Then he gazed down at her. “You’ve always been the one with the wild imagination.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNHQFsj2ec
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmVyq1jvjX
“It’s more than that,” Kendall said quietly. She was becoming more comfortable, which was good. “If I didn’t do this, if I didn’t kill anyone, then that means one thing.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BBNfcMEEI
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4agFBRvqJ
I leaned forward and waited for her to finish.406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukRk5X6ShM
406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZ5CBZuACA
“It means that these dreams, these nightmares, aren’t mine.”406Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdRob2dUbU
