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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFA7KuWmaVF
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qJPQpmxrv
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡON2j8XdQL5
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2TRhJViNIf
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—494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sVm4CGhUH
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jydbOqg8s
“Hello, Dr. Alder,” Kendall said softly. “How are you?”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPok67lyc4J
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGs1TxCzkMY
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3shrIOcW2b
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiB0fWs5WOF
“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.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFNXzewHuC
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiun3tgtv7d
Her boyfriend looked at me and said, “I think that’s her call, Scott.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7GKmePX6B
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxpP6PvuKw
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.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zBPclURQI
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYoJCFbyAty
“He should hear what I have to say,” Kendall said.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUhEiHbsoW
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrurZ4KAfC
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAtsTBAuo2
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEaKrdCBNR
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxrj6Bygamk
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjri1j0tLi
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NieG1FaHE
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPQTPSXtgf
I shrugged. “I guess I’m good at my job.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfD0SWoG83
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NUmLdQVgS
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOKGrcuSPr
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOnCR62hUa
My eyes widened and I knelt down. “Oh, Kendall. What’s wrong?”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡethnPZ0pfk
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdn1UsHD7v
She shut her eyes and shook her head. “I’m scared,” she whispered.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCybZNd0st8
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWg15lAyJq3
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.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTJfiCQTWW
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsalysKnNia
“Dreams?” I asked. “What kind of dreams?”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxlagEJmz6
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9C8aM0iBuX
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.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi41MB0HsSI
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuKBCILQXY
“Cassie Winters?” I asked, looking up at Christian.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRylSZWbtq
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡre95qejPs0
“She went to school with us. My friend’s dad found her body this morning.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVRY3hEgEg
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPww8u4BiM
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUGzKHZNS6
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJMB8Hw3HW
“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.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCq1EGXgO9
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotOnynJgm8
“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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuOauuG8VK
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4SgvsxBaI
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But I think you should come back next week and we’ll talk more. Is that okay?”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8T1IMG9X0
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb01lBMfNm7
“Okay,” she said.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoI4Gt7esNY
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfN9ufBN6Tl
“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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVauBAq4TC8
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVQDrCGNCC
“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.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4ldJbeweP
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIeijN3wpT
“Nightmares don’t mean that,” I said. I shook my head. “For the record, I don’t think you’re crazy.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6zoMOG354
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzb8Q6HyZRK
“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.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rJJ0jNQRr
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA43rqbaaPw
“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.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7de2mt2wh
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMOjndnVty
I leaned forward and waited for her to finish.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJmwVymdUT
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRJodSuBsx
“It means that these dreams, these nightmares, aren’t mine.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2A53hXIIWx
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qJPQpmxrv
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡON2j8XdQL5
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2TRhJViNIf
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—494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sVm4CGhUH
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jydbOqg8s
“Hello, Dr. Alder,” Kendall said softly. “How are you?”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPok67lyc4J
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGs1TxCzkMY
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3shrIOcW2b
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiB0fWs5WOF
“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.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFNXzewHuC
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiun3tgtv7d
Her boyfriend looked at me and said, “I think that’s her call, Scott.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7GKmePX6B
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxpP6PvuKw
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.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zBPclURQI
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYoJCFbyAty
“He should hear what I have to say,” Kendall said.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUhEiHbsoW
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrurZ4KAfC
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAtsTBAuo2
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEaKrdCBNR
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxrj6Bygamk
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjri1j0tLi
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NieG1FaHE
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPQTPSXtgf
I shrugged. “I guess I’m good at my job.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfD0SWoG83
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NUmLdQVgS
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOKGrcuSPr
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOnCR62hUa
My eyes widened and I knelt down. “Oh, Kendall. What’s wrong?”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡethnPZ0pfk
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdn1UsHD7v
She shut her eyes and shook her head. “I’m scared,” she whispered.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCybZNd0st8
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWg15lAyJq3
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.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTJfiCQTWW
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsalysKnNia
“Dreams?” I asked. “What kind of dreams?”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxlagEJmz6
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9C8aM0iBuX
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.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi41MB0HsSI
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuKBCILQXY
“Cassie Winters?” I asked, looking up at Christian.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRylSZWbtq
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡre95qejPs0
“She went to school with us. My friend’s dad found her body this morning.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVRY3hEgEg
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPww8u4BiM
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUGzKHZNS6
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJMB8Hw3HW
“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.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCq1EGXgO9
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotOnynJgm8
“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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuOauuG8VK
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4SgvsxBaI
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But I think you should come back next week and we’ll talk more. Is that okay?”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8T1IMG9X0
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb01lBMfNm7
“Okay,” she said.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoI4Gt7esNY
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfN9ufBN6Tl
“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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVauBAq4TC8
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVQDrCGNCC
“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.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4ldJbeweP
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIeijN3wpT
“Nightmares don’t mean that,” I said. I shook my head. “For the record, I don’t think you’re crazy.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6zoMOG354
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzb8Q6HyZRK
“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.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rJJ0jNQRr
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA43rqbaaPw
“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.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7de2mt2wh
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMOjndnVty
I leaned forward and waited for her to finish.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJmwVymdUT
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRJodSuBsx
“It means that these dreams, these nightmares, aren’t mine.”494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2A53hXIIWx
