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.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySy2VirRe9
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoSSPvuXKA
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.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwFkdAG7DW
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEyv2wU1TO
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—264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqf6GAOTV3R
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02CtANIxo4
“Hello, Dr. Alder,” Kendall said softly. “How are you?”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIAmF28vlh
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOiMdkv9oTU
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.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAppFiYYF0J
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlrOgfTAbT
“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.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8hHP6blQE
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAMWpbdlmo
Her boyfriend looked at me and said, “I think that’s her call, Scott.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡououDoHg0t
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNO8F9EtJe
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.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIK0LiK6Epi
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaJp4dLtwb
“He should hear what I have to say,” Kendall said.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyXxQxGcreM
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0yk7Q4ijdC
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.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaRX0TzJaH
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92w5i7Gfwe
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.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWcjFR8QJT
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahx9CPGxJV
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.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWlmdQFddt
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBHZUYGw9Z
I shrugged. “I guess I’m good at my job.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20IhtYvNiI
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkV59ebdZ2
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.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uS53u2ZxM
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2AKyMCylp
My eyes widened and I knelt down. “Oh, Kendall. What’s wrong?”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPTizoFzYP
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwN6VFf0PqM
She shut her eyes and shook her head. “I’m scared,” she whispered.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmYgwWXc6Q
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzQOoEchqx
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.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrD81pYch4
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqiqXgDYB2L
“Dreams?” I asked. “What kind of dreams?”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmZiIUxAO6
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghRbqIHfxC
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.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVEos4TwnY
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxExu7jB4F
“Cassie Winters?” I asked, looking up at Christian.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvACpZrY33J
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkwqGP8x8E
“She went to school with us. My friend’s dad found her body this morning.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTQDPVNC38
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyyMMgSaLA
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.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotFhNCwoRB
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0GPJEBJOd
“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.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaacf7asv6Y
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡluQ06OPN59
“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.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFlopJc5me
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXeFdI3fcPd
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But I think you should come back next week and we’ll talk more. Is that okay?”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVbpToQR2m
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85jFWsVoSV
“Okay,” she said.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwYDnAKUen
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzEhmF2Vxb
“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.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55pI0XK9Ub
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3MhWh3qph
“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.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkrJCHyCmG
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWoogEJcb1c
“Nightmares don’t mean that,” I said. I shook my head. “For the record, I don’t think you’re crazy.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfQizo90Ec
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JR8W4WlPd
“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.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtN6x836jH
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKt1siQTqK
“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.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUaqbjQYk3
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCk9xfqbpN
I leaned forward and waited for her to finish.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pVYPmdqId
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmWEsJ3OLU
“It means that these dreams, these nightmares, aren’t mine.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9lkEHo6az8
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoSSPvuXKA
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.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwFkdAG7DW
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEyv2wU1TO
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—264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqf6GAOTV3R
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02CtANIxo4
“Hello, Dr. Alder,” Kendall said softly. “How are you?”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIAmF28vlh
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOiMdkv9oTU
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.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAppFiYYF0J
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlrOgfTAbT
“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.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8hHP6blQE
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAMWpbdlmo
Her boyfriend looked at me and said, “I think that’s her call, Scott.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡououDoHg0t
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNO8F9EtJe
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.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIK0LiK6Epi
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaJp4dLtwb
“He should hear what I have to say,” Kendall said.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyXxQxGcreM
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0yk7Q4ijdC
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.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaRX0TzJaH
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92w5i7Gfwe
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.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWcjFR8QJT
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahx9CPGxJV
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.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWlmdQFddt
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBHZUYGw9Z
I shrugged. “I guess I’m good at my job.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20IhtYvNiI
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkV59ebdZ2
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.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uS53u2ZxM
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2AKyMCylp
My eyes widened and I knelt down. “Oh, Kendall. What’s wrong?”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPTizoFzYP
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwN6VFf0PqM
She shut her eyes and shook her head. “I’m scared,” she whispered.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmYgwWXc6Q
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzQOoEchqx
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.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrD81pYch4
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqiqXgDYB2L
“Dreams?” I asked. “What kind of dreams?”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmZiIUxAO6
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghRbqIHfxC
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.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVEos4TwnY
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxExu7jB4F
“Cassie Winters?” I asked, looking up at Christian.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvACpZrY33J
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkwqGP8x8E
“She went to school with us. My friend’s dad found her body this morning.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTQDPVNC38
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyyMMgSaLA
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.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotFhNCwoRB
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0GPJEBJOd
“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.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaacf7asv6Y
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡluQ06OPN59
“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.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFlopJc5me
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXeFdI3fcPd
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But I think you should come back next week and we’ll talk more. Is that okay?”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVbpToQR2m
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85jFWsVoSV
“Okay,” she said.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwYDnAKUen
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzEhmF2Vxb
“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.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55pI0XK9Ub
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3MhWh3qph
“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.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkrJCHyCmG
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWoogEJcb1c
“Nightmares don’t mean that,” I said. I shook my head. “For the record, I don’t think you’re crazy.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfQizo90Ec
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JR8W4WlPd
“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.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtN6x836jH
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKt1siQTqK
“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.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUaqbjQYk3
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCk9xfqbpN
I leaned forward and waited for her to finish.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pVYPmdqId
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmWEsJ3OLU
“It means that these dreams, these nightmares, aren’t mine.”264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9lkEHo6az8
