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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqLYepUG0H
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgm1y1S8rm
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7HwQBxTHN
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwTaqYpvga
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—463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7MJGn9a4e
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfwXO3iFAkn
“Hello, Dr. Alder,” Kendall said softly. “How are you?”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8heuuu2GM
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlLI3E7Af6
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpnPX96Fzt
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlif7bMWrL
“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.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijjsoIepFD
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAT7cpZ2HCk
Her boyfriend looked at me and said, “I think that’s her call, Scott.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO06jvsnD23
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyim19C8QtR
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.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEb02chdpzY
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKb4NIFuc5
“He should hear what I have to say,” Kendall said.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljUdXQFdkk
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHaBRJk7Pv9
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuI0aUdE4gy
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqovxdgg0QM
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEd2vMX5U0Y
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdxbDj2pMX
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV70XaDmhgo
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8KwKbrqgq
I shrugged. “I guess I’m good at my job.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbLxXJ1tR0
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenmPE3FdZo
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmnSGym4C5
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQg3jWAbZV
My eyes widened and I knelt down. “Oh, Kendall. What’s wrong?”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfz3NidQB3m
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡle0NTxdotC
She shut her eyes and shook her head. “I’m scared,” she whispered.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIiNn8FLhAm
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Tg1waAUkv
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.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX94ISXyAmR
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMAcKQQCK6
“Dreams?” I asked. “What kind of dreams?”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwZBo7A6Wp
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOH1ukBdJTM
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.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6aVEHH5Fzo
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTqwaZBPHK
“Cassie Winters?” I asked, looking up at Christian.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV05RZKyjED
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8MEO4VYAN4
“She went to school with us. My friend’s dad found her body this morning.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOy9encYGE
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8axwCF5AEN
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2SVgVD4WI
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwGoIfcdjT
“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.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMK4bVDGyv
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXaFxo09ZC
“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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRxP1tCzun
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4uHPiHmQD
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But I think you should come back next week and we’ll talk more. Is that okay?”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0QltgR4ROJ
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTjlXhHCT8
“Okay,” she said.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqBfFYSNyD
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyj4qkboLk
“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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgPrmHeAoz
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmXQyeX9Nc
“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.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rtC9tVDvi
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWMNVySAlT
“Nightmares don’t mean that,” I said. I shook my head. “For the record, I don’t think you’re crazy.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaA1uyOyX0B
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtCIrH5r72
“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.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBnBSXduet
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuaFRJkRLz
“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.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7N045a4Ps
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAKfdbH8rn
I leaned forward and waited for her to finish.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFy2h5h3dT
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0RcnLNN1B
“It means that these dreams, these nightmares, aren’t mine.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSn6oqc73e
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgm1y1S8rm
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7HwQBxTHN
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwTaqYpvga
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—463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7MJGn9a4e
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfwXO3iFAkn
“Hello, Dr. Alder,” Kendall said softly. “How are you?”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8heuuu2GM
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlLI3E7Af6
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpnPX96Fzt
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlif7bMWrL
“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.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijjsoIepFD
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAT7cpZ2HCk
Her boyfriend looked at me and said, “I think that’s her call, Scott.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO06jvsnD23
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyim19C8QtR
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.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEb02chdpzY
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKb4NIFuc5
“He should hear what I have to say,” Kendall said.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljUdXQFdkk
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHaBRJk7Pv9
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuI0aUdE4gy
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqovxdgg0QM
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEd2vMX5U0Y
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdxbDj2pMX
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV70XaDmhgo
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8KwKbrqgq
I shrugged. “I guess I’m good at my job.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbLxXJ1tR0
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenmPE3FdZo
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmnSGym4C5
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQg3jWAbZV
My eyes widened and I knelt down. “Oh, Kendall. What’s wrong?”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfz3NidQB3m
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡle0NTxdotC
She shut her eyes and shook her head. “I’m scared,” she whispered.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIiNn8FLhAm
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Tg1waAUkv
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.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX94ISXyAmR
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMAcKQQCK6
“Dreams?” I asked. “What kind of dreams?”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwZBo7A6Wp
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOH1ukBdJTM
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.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6aVEHH5Fzo
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTqwaZBPHK
“Cassie Winters?” I asked, looking up at Christian.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV05RZKyjED
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8MEO4VYAN4
“She went to school with us. My friend’s dad found her body this morning.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOy9encYGE
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8axwCF5AEN
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2SVgVD4WI
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwGoIfcdjT
“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.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMK4bVDGyv
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXaFxo09ZC
“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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRxP1tCzun
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4uHPiHmQD
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But I think you should come back next week and we’ll talk more. Is that okay?”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0QltgR4ROJ
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTjlXhHCT8
“Okay,” she said.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqBfFYSNyD
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyj4qkboLk
“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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgPrmHeAoz
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmXQyeX9Nc
“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.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rtC9tVDvi
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWMNVySAlT
“Nightmares don’t mean that,” I said. I shook my head. “For the record, I don’t think you’re crazy.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaA1uyOyX0B
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtCIrH5r72
“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.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBnBSXduet
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuaFRJkRLz
“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.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7N045a4Ps
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAKfdbH8rn
I leaned forward and waited for her to finish.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFy2h5h3dT
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0RcnLNN1B
“It means that these dreams, these nightmares, aren’t mine.”463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSn6oqc73e
