x
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.360Please respect copyright.PENANAxY3hpAa9Is
360Please respect copyright.PENANA6KJsI8Rp7V
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.360Please respect copyright.PENANAUQGZDE9XqW
360Please respect copyright.PENANAzt3uuJNy70
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—360Please respect copyright.PENANAxHpUwFVIwY
360Please respect copyright.PENANA3ZlHSsWpNf
“Hello, Dr. Alder,” Kendall said softly. “How are you?”360Please respect copyright.PENANAEiIjcXp8JF
360Please respect copyright.PENANA2FdWsMXLV1
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.360Please respect copyright.PENANAWMY40JOZiZ
360Please respect copyright.PENANA4hfLpHAnG7
“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.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAxMQInYyx5y
360Please respect copyright.PENANAPyf61i4xSv
Her boyfriend looked at me and said, “I think that’s her call, Scott.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAVXDEyIap9Z
360Please respect copyright.PENANAmP2AOan7eV
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.”360Please respect copyright.PENANABdovLj1Lia
360Please respect copyright.PENANAzhT1MlY7hW
“He should hear what I have to say,” Kendall said.360Please respect copyright.PENANAcNRgW8gqM6
360Please respect copyright.PENANAPMJ8YeDu3Q
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.360Please respect copyright.PENANA5hKNCEDU6t
360Please respect copyright.PENANATNVmGkrhDj
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.360Please respect copyright.PENANAGNTLVNMRPI
360Please respect copyright.PENANANd15yqZmvk
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.360Please respect copyright.PENANAH2GxDjuepo
360Please respect copyright.PENANA64llyN4VTl
I shrugged. “I guess I’m good at my job.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAbPe91QfxBs
360Please respect copyright.PENANA7WBmy4s4jo
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.360Please respect copyright.PENANAVRuk7FJ5op
360Please respect copyright.PENANAtTK9EloI5a
My eyes widened and I knelt down. “Oh, Kendall. What’s wrong?”360Please respect copyright.PENANAmkhZzRH17f
360Please respect copyright.PENANAP0k1zt12Fw
She shut her eyes and shook her head. “I’m scared,” she whispered.360Please respect copyright.PENANAyHObazDSqO
360Please respect copyright.PENANA8d4xml1E8k
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.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAntTzlANmbs
360Please respect copyright.PENANAJBmF2ze6uU
“Dreams?” I asked. “What kind of dreams?”360Please respect copyright.PENANA5lygUUXEo4
360Please respect copyright.PENANAxBck9o4uHo
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.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAPC67TrWjPD
360Please respect copyright.PENANA6WVbf7Udkv
“Cassie Winters?” I asked, looking up at Christian.360Please respect copyright.PENANA11UJ2cSaWj
360Please respect copyright.PENANAbmPYRJzvGB
“She went to school with us. My friend’s dad found her body this morning.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAFezBgCfSrN
360Please respect copyright.PENANAwekjUfjxZw
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.360Please respect copyright.PENANAIVVK4oBEmf
360Please respect copyright.PENANAJUQsp4bNla
“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.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAPr4ZxY9BEB
360Please respect copyright.PENANAnmwEmaFrkP
“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.360Please respect copyright.PENANAenwEJBU1UW
360Please respect copyright.PENANAktbWVGWyl6
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But I think you should come back next week and we’ll talk more. Is that okay?”360Please respect copyright.PENANAx2EJvWK50W
360Please respect copyright.PENANAuKcnLn5uAO
“Okay,” she said.360Please respect copyright.PENANAbHT0viNGol
360Please respect copyright.PENANAZuSTXczqoG
“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.360Please respect copyright.PENANAF1i3THPYDR
360Please respect copyright.PENANAq36nQ2iG7W
“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.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAEQg7WEU4TD
360Please respect copyright.PENANA1WDYUGw7lo
“Nightmares don’t mean that,” I said. I shook my head. “For the record, I don’t think you’re crazy.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAJXZQ5S4yMG
360Please respect copyright.PENANAgb5zsHVq0y
“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.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAj15P9RqbBX
360Please respect copyright.PENANAi7Lmc5r99d
“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.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAN2oi4bHHwG
360Please respect copyright.PENANAWygwJjIfDU
I leaned forward and waited for her to finish.360Please respect copyright.PENANArqaMP3k4N8
360Please respect copyright.PENANAx0CGLIIrjl
“It means that these dreams, these nightmares, aren’t mine.”360Please respect copyright.PENANA9vL03X1TPG
360Please respect copyright.PENANA6KJsI8Rp7V
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.360Please respect copyright.PENANAUQGZDE9XqW
360Please respect copyright.PENANAzt3uuJNy70
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—360Please respect copyright.PENANAxHpUwFVIwY
360Please respect copyright.PENANA3ZlHSsWpNf
“Hello, Dr. Alder,” Kendall said softly. “How are you?”360Please respect copyright.PENANAEiIjcXp8JF
360Please respect copyright.PENANA2FdWsMXLV1
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.360Please respect copyright.PENANAWMY40JOZiZ
360Please respect copyright.PENANA4hfLpHAnG7
“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.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAxMQInYyx5y
360Please respect copyright.PENANAPyf61i4xSv
Her boyfriend looked at me and said, “I think that’s her call, Scott.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAVXDEyIap9Z
360Please respect copyright.PENANAmP2AOan7eV
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.”360Please respect copyright.PENANABdovLj1Lia
360Please respect copyright.PENANAzhT1MlY7hW
“He should hear what I have to say,” Kendall said.360Please respect copyright.PENANAcNRgW8gqM6
360Please respect copyright.PENANAPMJ8YeDu3Q
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.360Please respect copyright.PENANA5hKNCEDU6t
360Please respect copyright.PENANATNVmGkrhDj
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.360Please respect copyright.PENANAGNTLVNMRPI
360Please respect copyright.PENANANd15yqZmvk
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.360Please respect copyright.PENANAH2GxDjuepo
360Please respect copyright.PENANA64llyN4VTl
I shrugged. “I guess I’m good at my job.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAbPe91QfxBs
360Please respect copyright.PENANA7WBmy4s4jo
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.360Please respect copyright.PENANAVRuk7FJ5op
360Please respect copyright.PENANAtTK9EloI5a
My eyes widened and I knelt down. “Oh, Kendall. What’s wrong?”360Please respect copyright.PENANAmkhZzRH17f
360Please respect copyright.PENANAP0k1zt12Fw
She shut her eyes and shook her head. “I’m scared,” she whispered.360Please respect copyright.PENANAyHObazDSqO
360Please respect copyright.PENANA8d4xml1E8k
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.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAntTzlANmbs
360Please respect copyright.PENANAJBmF2ze6uU
“Dreams?” I asked. “What kind of dreams?”360Please respect copyright.PENANA5lygUUXEo4
360Please respect copyright.PENANAxBck9o4uHo
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.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAPC67TrWjPD
360Please respect copyright.PENANA6WVbf7Udkv
“Cassie Winters?” I asked, looking up at Christian.360Please respect copyright.PENANA11UJ2cSaWj
360Please respect copyright.PENANAbmPYRJzvGB
“She went to school with us. My friend’s dad found her body this morning.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAFezBgCfSrN
360Please respect copyright.PENANAwekjUfjxZw
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.360Please respect copyright.PENANAIVVK4oBEmf
360Please respect copyright.PENANAJUQsp4bNla
“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.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAPr4ZxY9BEB
360Please respect copyright.PENANAnmwEmaFrkP
“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.360Please respect copyright.PENANAenwEJBU1UW
360Please respect copyright.PENANAktbWVGWyl6
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But I think you should come back next week and we’ll talk more. Is that okay?”360Please respect copyright.PENANAx2EJvWK50W
360Please respect copyright.PENANAuKcnLn5uAO
“Okay,” she said.360Please respect copyright.PENANAbHT0viNGol
360Please respect copyright.PENANAZuSTXczqoG
“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.360Please respect copyright.PENANAF1i3THPYDR
360Please respect copyright.PENANAq36nQ2iG7W
“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.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAEQg7WEU4TD
360Please respect copyright.PENANA1WDYUGw7lo
“Nightmares don’t mean that,” I said. I shook my head. “For the record, I don’t think you’re crazy.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAJXZQ5S4yMG
360Please respect copyright.PENANAgb5zsHVq0y
“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.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAj15P9RqbBX
360Please respect copyright.PENANAi7Lmc5r99d
“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.”360Please respect copyright.PENANAN2oi4bHHwG
360Please respect copyright.PENANAWygwJjIfDU
I leaned forward and waited for her to finish.360Please respect copyright.PENANArqaMP3k4N8
360Please respect copyright.PENANAx0CGLIIrjl
“It means that these dreams, these nightmares, aren’t mine.”360Please respect copyright.PENANA9vL03X1TPG