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.492Please respect copyright.PENANALBspfhzdoa
492Please respect copyright.PENANAn7kngtanpk
"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?"492Please respect copyright.PENANADvb2WpM5WQ
492Please respect copyright.PENANA0F1Sv9sLlY
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?"492Please respect copyright.PENANA2Vicez8ItV
492Please respect copyright.PENANAi97oJLG5VC
"What?" He was in the process of shredding a napkin up and hadn't heard me.492Please respect copyright.PENANAl5Iz8Lh4Jp
492Please respect copyright.PENANAtL2amebiFa
"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?"492Please respect copyright.PENANAEUQCORlzlg
492Please respect copyright.PENANASIoVfweJ6q
"My parents didn't tell her anything. That would be kind of stupid, wouldn't it?"492Please respect copyright.PENANAzcte0q9g3h
492Please respect copyright.PENANATLHWYG7oEK
"But didn't your parents have to call her?"492Please respect copyright.PENANAPchOP62dfY
492Please respect copyright.PENANAyzooLDElix
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?"492Please respect copyright.PENANANdjyDgGyCC
492Please respect copyright.PENANApsHrqwF3P3
I frowned. "Sorry. Go on."492Please respect copyright.PENANAL0dLe9PI59
492Please respect copyright.PENANAmuwGD9tJF7
He smiled, but only slightly, like he was silently thanking me for letting him continue.492Please respect copyright.PENANAmZ2c12DD8h
492Please respect copyright.PENANA8OvXNyBKLW
"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."492Please respect copyright.PENANAriOVZqI6HT
492Please respect copyright.PENANALpYhOg7Ghw
I stiffened.492Please respect copyright.PENANAFQOx1HCLFg
492Please respect copyright.PENANA6PNwToJjQO
He blinked at me. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Kendall. I didn't mean it like that."492Please respect copyright.PENANAVWES9ubrMX
492Please respect copyright.PENANAxpNvkGTJlw
"It's okay." But it wasn't. I just didn't want him to know that.492Please respect copyright.PENANAgrXLD05PC1
492Please respect copyright.PENANAv3ehBCcwda
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.492Please respect copyright.PENANAn4P3N2gms6
492Please respect copyright.PENANAEllyIvFGHk
"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."492Please respect copyright.PENANAPOZpPLSh7r
492Please respect copyright.PENANAR8XQQkUewg
"It's not that simple," I said, though my voice was now tight, small. "If I tell you, you might get hurt."492Please respect copyright.PENANASc14GjqhQ3
492Please respect copyright.PENANA3Y61v4rZht
That was when Jude laughed. When he stopped he said, "Please. How the hell can what's already happened hurt me?"492Please respect copyright.PENANAODZ1F9gBF1
492Please respect copyright.PENANAAcrSd4SDVW
"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."492Please respect copyright.PENANABspseoCxcO
492Please respect copyright.PENANAIEwsU6DBLz
"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.492Please respect copyright.PENANANebYLO5U3q
492Please respect copyright.PENANAJ6Ny7T49hc
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.492Please respect copyright.PENANAlohXS5Mke8
492Please respect copyright.PENANAfa9PSYBMJ3
"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."492Please respect copyright.PENANA0QnNu98wOQ
492Please respect copyright.PENANATRf2onj6Zf
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.
ns216.73.216.0da2 492Please respect copyright.PENANAn7kngtanpk
"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?"492Please respect copyright.PENANADvb2WpM5WQ
492Please respect copyright.PENANA0F1Sv9sLlY
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?"492Please respect copyright.PENANA2Vicez8ItV
492Please respect copyright.PENANAi97oJLG5VC
"What?" He was in the process of shredding a napkin up and hadn't heard me.492Please respect copyright.PENANAl5Iz8Lh4Jp
492Please respect copyright.PENANAtL2amebiFa
"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?"492Please respect copyright.PENANAEUQCORlzlg
492Please respect copyright.PENANASIoVfweJ6q
"My parents didn't tell her anything. That would be kind of stupid, wouldn't it?"492Please respect copyright.PENANAzcte0q9g3h
492Please respect copyright.PENANATLHWYG7oEK
"But didn't your parents have to call her?"492Please respect copyright.PENANAPchOP62dfY
492Please respect copyright.PENANAyzooLDElix
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?"492Please respect copyright.PENANANdjyDgGyCC
492Please respect copyright.PENANApsHrqwF3P3
I frowned. "Sorry. Go on."492Please respect copyright.PENANAL0dLe9PI59
492Please respect copyright.PENANAmuwGD9tJF7
He smiled, but only slightly, like he was silently thanking me for letting him continue.492Please respect copyright.PENANAmZ2c12DD8h
492Please respect copyright.PENANA8OvXNyBKLW
"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."492Please respect copyright.PENANAriOVZqI6HT
492Please respect copyright.PENANALpYhOg7Ghw
I stiffened.492Please respect copyright.PENANAFQOx1HCLFg
492Please respect copyright.PENANA6PNwToJjQO
He blinked at me. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Kendall. I didn't mean it like that."492Please respect copyright.PENANAVWES9ubrMX
492Please respect copyright.PENANAxpNvkGTJlw
"It's okay." But it wasn't. I just didn't want him to know that.492Please respect copyright.PENANAgrXLD05PC1
492Please respect copyright.PENANAv3ehBCcwda
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.492Please respect copyright.PENANAn4P3N2gms6
492Please respect copyright.PENANAEllyIvFGHk
"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."492Please respect copyright.PENANAPOZpPLSh7r
492Please respect copyright.PENANAR8XQQkUewg
"It's not that simple," I said, though my voice was now tight, small. "If I tell you, you might get hurt."492Please respect copyright.PENANASc14GjqhQ3
492Please respect copyright.PENANA3Y61v4rZht
That was when Jude laughed. When he stopped he said, "Please. How the hell can what's already happened hurt me?"492Please respect copyright.PENANAODZ1F9gBF1
492Please respect copyright.PENANAAcrSd4SDVW
"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."492Please respect copyright.PENANABspseoCxcO
492Please respect copyright.PENANAIEwsU6DBLz
"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.492Please respect copyright.PENANANebYLO5U3q
492Please respect copyright.PENANAJ6Ny7T49hc
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.492Please respect copyright.PENANAlohXS5Mke8
492Please respect copyright.PENANAfa9PSYBMJ3
"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."492Please respect copyright.PENANA0QnNu98wOQ
492Please respect copyright.PENANATRf2onj6Zf
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.
492Please respect copyright.PENANAZ7k8YvzOju