x
After Jude had finished telling me he was also a patient of Dr. Alder's, I asked why he was there, like it was the most normal question in the world. Even though I hadn't answered him when he asked, he still gave me some insight to who he was.383Please respect copyright.PENANAQHVArDs4ux
383Please respect copyright.PENANAIEvwzUE6JL
"My dad thought there was something wrong with me because I didn't like spending all of my free time with him. I wanted to go out with my friends and go to parties, and when I came home drunk once, he said he'd had enough. He called my mom the next morning and they both agreed that I should go see someone. Unfortunately for me, Dallas is an old friend of the family. Doesn't that make my visits all the more special?"383Please respect copyright.PENANAUgN9ZYSoS3
383Please respect copyright.PENANAmn10C8xze8
It struck me as odd that he'd call his psychiatrist by her first name, but I didn't say anything about it. Instead I asked, "Does that make it weird?"383Please respect copyright.PENANANye79bzkLK
383Please respect copyright.PENANA6EezDh65zX
"What?" He was in the process of shredding a napkin up and hadn't heard me.383Please respect copyright.PENANA3ZI7Kf48aD
383Please respect copyright.PENANAk5TO3HsH6T
"With her being a family friend. Isn't it strange? I mean, if she's so close, wouldn't she have known your problems before you got an appointment with her?"383Please respect copyright.PENANAhi0K3ZOe1e
383Please respect copyright.PENANAEbQGAz5jGC
"My parents didn't tell her anything. That would be kind of stupid, wouldn't it?"383Please respect copyright.PENANA29n0UVokCz
383Please respect copyright.PENANAKfH4hHs3AZ
"But didn't your parents have to call her?"383Please respect copyright.PENANAjBdKV4qfSa
383Please respect copyright.PENANACXb1ZpowQ5
Jude looked at me, the torn napkin forgotten. His eyes held mine for a minute before he said, "Are you trying to ruin my explanation or something? You're the one who asked for it, remember?"383Please respect copyright.PENANAplI9KxOtGw
383Please respect copyright.PENANAj27vhOKv6N
I frowned. "Sorry. Go on."383Please respect copyright.PENANAauqGHeYBRZ
383Please respect copyright.PENANAzCC41apBKm
He smiled, but only slightly, like he was silently thanking me for letting him continue.383Please respect copyright.PENANAY8ujYXYL4n
383Please respect copyright.PENANA67HEJqKzmH
"Anyway, you should have seen her face when I walked into her office. She looked like she forgot who was coming in that day. But when we started talking, she understood things very quickly. I was actually surprised, but I guess in her line of work, she got a lot of nut jobs."383Please respect copyright.PENANAdn8L3rkQfs
383Please respect copyright.PENANAeCbj4kHdxS
I stiffened.383Please respect copyright.PENANAR539rnqOyn
383Please respect copyright.PENANAnOtJg2RlMe
He blinked at me. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Kendall. I didn't mean it like that."383Please respect copyright.PENANAHEsYjsvy9h
383Please respect copyright.PENANA6smitoVjwx
"It's okay." But it wasn't. I just didn't want him to know that.383Please respect copyright.PENANAQ7xJ8qvA36
383Please respect copyright.PENANAukdG8RR5af
Jude looked at me, his head tilted slightly, like he was trying to figure me out. He was going to fail with that one. Then he let out a long sigh and picked up his mug, draining his coffee.383Please respect copyright.PENANA5rVooNlT5m
383Please respect copyright.PENANA2qXptEDt07
"Listen," he said after he finished, "I'm not going to judge you or anything if you tell me your secret. It's not a big deal, really. I bet you're normal compared to some of the patients Dallas gets."383Please respect copyright.PENANAEHD7BfrdwX
383Please respect copyright.PENANAa5u3Fu3Fdb
"It's not that simple," I said, though my voice was now tight, small. "If I tell you, you might get hurt."383Please respect copyright.PENANAYx3EMcuhiM
383Please respect copyright.PENANAaiuYA5dudy
That was when Jude laughed. When he stopped he said, "Please. How the hell can what's already happened hurt me?"383Please respect copyright.PENANAbnItACKd5J
383Please respect copyright.PENANAA9WPYp2W2Y
"You don't understand!" I practically shouted in his face, my vision blurring. "I can't tell you what happens because then you're going to go away."383Please respect copyright.PENANAhUdsNrbDko
383Please respect copyright.PENANAsq1y2HCe0N
"Wait." His eyes widened and he leaned forward. "What do you mean 'happens'? Kendall, what's going on?" He reached across the table for my hand, and I let him take it. He squeezed my fingers.383Please respect copyright.PENANA1h3YIW07EY
383Please respect copyright.PENANAWnUEQtCoYL
I looked up at him. I could feel the tears running down my cheeks now. I took a breath and finally told him. Then I wished I hadn't opened my mouth.383Please respect copyright.PENANAFK9HhD1HrS
383Please respect copyright.PENANArkDsnEVhyR
"I have dreams almost every night about killing people, only they aren't my dreams, and now I'm afraid you're going to die, too."383Please respect copyright.PENANARRlc96cS6f
383Please respect copyright.PENANAOjgHReAOdr
Before he could reply, I stood up and ran out. But something stopped me halfway out of the shop. The window, there was something taped to it. I wiped my eyes and looked at the white piece of paper. The words MISSING PERSON were typed in big, bold letters on the top of the page, and underneath was a picture. A picture of someone I knew.
ns 15.158.61.55da2 383Please respect copyright.PENANAIEvwzUE6JL
"My dad thought there was something wrong with me because I didn't like spending all of my free time with him. I wanted to go out with my friends and go to parties, and when I came home drunk once, he said he'd had enough. He called my mom the next morning and they both agreed that I should go see someone. Unfortunately for me, Dallas is an old friend of the family. Doesn't that make my visits all the more special?"383Please respect copyright.PENANAUgN9ZYSoS3
383Please respect copyright.PENANAmn10C8xze8
It struck me as odd that he'd call his psychiatrist by her first name, but I didn't say anything about it. Instead I asked, "Does that make it weird?"383Please respect copyright.PENANANye79bzkLK
383Please respect copyright.PENANA6EezDh65zX
"What?" He was in the process of shredding a napkin up and hadn't heard me.383Please respect copyright.PENANA3ZI7Kf48aD
383Please respect copyright.PENANAk5TO3HsH6T
"With her being a family friend. Isn't it strange? I mean, if she's so close, wouldn't she have known your problems before you got an appointment with her?"383Please respect copyright.PENANAhi0K3ZOe1e
383Please respect copyright.PENANAEbQGAz5jGC
"My parents didn't tell her anything. That would be kind of stupid, wouldn't it?"383Please respect copyright.PENANA29n0UVokCz
383Please respect copyright.PENANAKfH4hHs3AZ
"But didn't your parents have to call her?"383Please respect copyright.PENANAjBdKV4qfSa
383Please respect copyright.PENANACXb1ZpowQ5
Jude looked at me, the torn napkin forgotten. His eyes held mine for a minute before he said, "Are you trying to ruin my explanation or something? You're the one who asked for it, remember?"383Please respect copyright.PENANAplI9KxOtGw
383Please respect copyright.PENANAj27vhOKv6N
I frowned. "Sorry. Go on."383Please respect copyright.PENANAauqGHeYBRZ
383Please respect copyright.PENANAzCC41apBKm
He smiled, but only slightly, like he was silently thanking me for letting him continue.383Please respect copyright.PENANAY8ujYXYL4n
383Please respect copyright.PENANA67HEJqKzmH
"Anyway, you should have seen her face when I walked into her office. She looked like she forgot who was coming in that day. But when we started talking, she understood things very quickly. I was actually surprised, but I guess in her line of work, she got a lot of nut jobs."383Please respect copyright.PENANAdn8L3rkQfs
383Please respect copyright.PENANAeCbj4kHdxS
I stiffened.383Please respect copyright.PENANAR539rnqOyn
383Please respect copyright.PENANAnOtJg2RlMe
He blinked at me. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Kendall. I didn't mean it like that."383Please respect copyright.PENANAHEsYjsvy9h
383Please respect copyright.PENANA6smitoVjwx
"It's okay." But it wasn't. I just didn't want him to know that.383Please respect copyright.PENANAQ7xJ8qvA36
383Please respect copyright.PENANAukdG8RR5af
Jude looked at me, his head tilted slightly, like he was trying to figure me out. He was going to fail with that one. Then he let out a long sigh and picked up his mug, draining his coffee.383Please respect copyright.PENANA5rVooNlT5m
383Please respect copyright.PENANA2qXptEDt07
"Listen," he said after he finished, "I'm not going to judge you or anything if you tell me your secret. It's not a big deal, really. I bet you're normal compared to some of the patients Dallas gets."383Please respect copyright.PENANAEHD7BfrdwX
383Please respect copyright.PENANAa5u3Fu3Fdb
"It's not that simple," I said, though my voice was now tight, small. "If I tell you, you might get hurt."383Please respect copyright.PENANAYx3EMcuhiM
383Please respect copyright.PENANAaiuYA5dudy
That was when Jude laughed. When he stopped he said, "Please. How the hell can what's already happened hurt me?"383Please respect copyright.PENANAbnItACKd5J
383Please respect copyright.PENANAA9WPYp2W2Y
"You don't understand!" I practically shouted in his face, my vision blurring. "I can't tell you what happens because then you're going to go away."383Please respect copyright.PENANAhUdsNrbDko
383Please respect copyright.PENANAsq1y2HCe0N
"Wait." His eyes widened and he leaned forward. "What do you mean 'happens'? Kendall, what's going on?" He reached across the table for my hand, and I let him take it. He squeezed my fingers.383Please respect copyright.PENANA1h3YIW07EY
383Please respect copyright.PENANAWnUEQtCoYL
I looked up at him. I could feel the tears running down my cheeks now. I took a breath and finally told him. Then I wished I hadn't opened my mouth.383Please respect copyright.PENANAFK9HhD1HrS
383Please respect copyright.PENANArkDsnEVhyR
"I have dreams almost every night about killing people, only they aren't my dreams, and now I'm afraid you're going to die, too."383Please respect copyright.PENANARRlc96cS6f
383Please respect copyright.PENANAOjgHReAOdr
Before he could reply, I stood up and ran out. But something stopped me halfway out of the shop. The window, there was something taped to it. I wiped my eyes and looked at the white piece of paper. The words MISSING PERSON were typed in big, bold letters on the top of the page, and underneath was a picture. A picture of someone I knew.
383Please respect copyright.PENANAZNSjtiQ4PO