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.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JhpA8jdS4
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBBS3PRO1O
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.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnj1ZIlkfgT
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OOm9msWmm
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—497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglv2saaPnu
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡad09FZVvs7
“Hello, Dr. Alder,” Kendall said softly. “How are you?”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9aUlUsfC7s
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwqyLJ1qNY
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.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUZysuck1H
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkTHF1LfkH
“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.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0bb54qoyJ
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvV8PVCtxzz
Her boyfriend looked at me and said, “I think that’s her call, Scott.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlNru744ne
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRgp7YxRew
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.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmPCbeynCS
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNo4qkNjdLW
“He should hear what I have to say,” Kendall said.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡul6Thn1DXJ
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8JNwoXdgk
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.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzWAfMrVPX
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPaZsySQNa
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.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEtCviYLVD
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuT1nRn9ui
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.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdAhRWIKe6
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmnWYtSutM
I shrugged. “I guess I’m good at my job.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Y3LjVqk0s
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pD0hWAE80
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.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5V09E3GRSH
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeADwLeMIwm
My eyes widened and I knelt down. “Oh, Kendall. What’s wrong?”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDd4xoYe4F
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5UJ0KgxHh
She shut her eyes and shook her head. “I’m scared,” she whispered.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuh94Bckua9
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡek6t3yM40a
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.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYu3FOrImhV
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSjnRc8AW1
“Dreams?” I asked. “What kind of dreams?”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8Eq3xZx1K
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGwy6Kk68N
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.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcLgIBZX1p
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqoUJT4s84
“Cassie Winters?” I asked, looking up at Christian.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4mylYygXh
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YB404T8Lv
“She went to school with us. My friend’s dad found her body this morning.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVpCcDCHUc
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWONMaz0v1
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.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30cV1cHzhA
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAoLoNxPamJ
“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.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhd5yvLoqTx
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2Wa9uj6w2
“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.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxgDBGTD4A
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtf48HGgTVA
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But I think you should come back next week and we’ll talk more. Is that okay?”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0m456cbiv
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKBJypbcmP
“Okay,” she said.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRCFkeXPAy
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLzhyWaZTy
“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.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvla0YqNkQ
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLG3Di1NfoV
“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.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRh69C2Q6DK
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJagblAdSE
“Nightmares don’t mean that,” I said. I shook my head. “For the record, I don’t think you’re crazy.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsuAz3SVYje
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQdtmvsMsa
“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.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGT1o5Efas
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrmaRjUkkf
“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.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhsjwFvI64
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyiE1QG05Od
I leaned forward and waited for her to finish.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcKLzQLfDG
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrBKNP3yMV
“It means that these dreams, these nightmares, aren’t mine.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1oobvigNyS
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBBS3PRO1O
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.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnj1ZIlkfgT
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OOm9msWmm
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—497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglv2saaPnu
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡad09FZVvs7
“Hello, Dr. Alder,” Kendall said softly. “How are you?”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9aUlUsfC7s
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwqyLJ1qNY
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.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUZysuck1H
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkTHF1LfkH
“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.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0bb54qoyJ
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvV8PVCtxzz
Her boyfriend looked at me and said, “I think that’s her call, Scott.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlNru744ne
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRgp7YxRew
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.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmPCbeynCS
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNo4qkNjdLW
“He should hear what I have to say,” Kendall said.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡul6Thn1DXJ
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8JNwoXdgk
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.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzWAfMrVPX
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPaZsySQNa
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.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEtCviYLVD
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuT1nRn9ui
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.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdAhRWIKe6
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmnWYtSutM
I shrugged. “I guess I’m good at my job.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Y3LjVqk0s
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pD0hWAE80
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.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5V09E3GRSH
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeADwLeMIwm
My eyes widened and I knelt down. “Oh, Kendall. What’s wrong?”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDd4xoYe4F
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5UJ0KgxHh
She shut her eyes and shook her head. “I’m scared,” she whispered.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuh94Bckua9
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡek6t3yM40a
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.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYu3FOrImhV
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSjnRc8AW1
“Dreams?” I asked. “What kind of dreams?”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8Eq3xZx1K
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGwy6Kk68N
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.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcLgIBZX1p
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqoUJT4s84
“Cassie Winters?” I asked, looking up at Christian.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4mylYygXh
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YB404T8Lv
“She went to school with us. My friend’s dad found her body this morning.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVpCcDCHUc
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWONMaz0v1
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.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30cV1cHzhA
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAoLoNxPamJ
“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.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhd5yvLoqTx
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2Wa9uj6w2
“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.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxgDBGTD4A
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtf48HGgTVA
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But I think you should come back next week and we’ll talk more. Is that okay?”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0m456cbiv
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKBJypbcmP
“Okay,” she said.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRCFkeXPAy
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLzhyWaZTy
“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.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvla0YqNkQ
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLG3Di1NfoV
“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.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRh69C2Q6DK
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJagblAdSE
“Nightmares don’t mean that,” I said. I shook my head. “For the record, I don’t think you’re crazy.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsuAz3SVYje
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQdtmvsMsa
“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.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGT1o5Efas
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrmaRjUkkf
“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.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhsjwFvI64
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyiE1QG05Od
I leaned forward and waited for her to finish.497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcKLzQLfDG
497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrBKNP3yMV
“It means that these dreams, these nightmares, aren’t mine.”497Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1oobvigNyS
