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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVA74JQJc9t
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDg4MAhDcg
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERzVT1RHxm
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZZ9jd1caE
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—299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstu6DHflQz
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstgJqCRvar
“Hello, Dr. Alder,” Kendall said softly. “How are you?”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNh1DTMhqGX
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVeyvTGBM6b
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCibjZwKZg
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaCTk6c0aR
“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.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGhimGXv2x
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs465xYzxqf
Her boyfriend looked at me and said, “I think that’s her call, Scott.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4gviOt0PA
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLTIfhTKt4
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.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14CtNXgsvG
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4FVif7rZU
“He should hear what I have to say,” Kendall said.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVpaBsrwK8E
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssOBMpdev5
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYFZzoh68F
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgDrd30RHg
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2b7omdnBl
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ArZopxBuq
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJ4BeKWLFd
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cfgVkP0kQ
I shrugged. “I guess I’m good at my job.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rdumF0onu
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfg9wcUDTQi
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqme4fo0KjE
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjjphYJbWG
My eyes widened and I knelt down. “Oh, Kendall. What’s wrong?”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJT3cnKzgtO
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIi4c9wDvGT
She shut her eyes and shook her head. “I’m scared,” she whispered.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6b1cri3Xs
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmZFJoS5uR
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.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB51sAwPAri
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjZei9mlfu
“Dreams?” I asked. “What kind of dreams?”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡID3HZ4BS0y
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBM8jDhtnb
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.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsnt6ymo23
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSKsvmSVXW
“Cassie Winters?” I asked, looking up at Christian.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVILrCPkPhw
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNvRDFGADY
“She went to school with us. My friend’s dad found her body this morning.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVNKtXIPAg
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnuqpN12l5V
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVR5JrRy6q
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCbgwTnVWl
“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.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDKUREJyV3
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwRgELMFdC
“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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsG75yw9mo
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzP2ftFRg22
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But I think you should come back next week and we’ll talk more. Is that okay?”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5JfmrQXuN
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeF1jyAyyRa
“Okay,” she said.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhS0JCTHtU
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVOBLM7UEU
“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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMGYaqKS4H
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctpSu6O5a9
“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.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxX6o3qrBp
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9PkRzrZmZ
“Nightmares don’t mean that,” I said. I shook my head. “For the record, I don’t think you’re crazy.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPBpDU46yi
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRiOrFOQDL
“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.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNG3vTlCALN
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirD1yZa5yj
“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.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbznvbMZdB
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzMzY0QxN1
I leaned forward and waited for her to finish.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxba7oM0SH
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgXum5LCuY
“It means that these dreams, these nightmares, aren’t mine.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwarozABxEj
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDg4MAhDcg
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERzVT1RHxm
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZZ9jd1caE
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—299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstu6DHflQz
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstgJqCRvar
“Hello, Dr. Alder,” Kendall said softly. “How are you?”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNh1DTMhqGX
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVeyvTGBM6b
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCibjZwKZg
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaCTk6c0aR
“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.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGhimGXv2x
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs465xYzxqf
Her boyfriend looked at me and said, “I think that’s her call, Scott.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4gviOt0PA
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLTIfhTKt4
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.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14CtNXgsvG
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4FVif7rZU
“He should hear what I have to say,” Kendall said.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVpaBsrwK8E
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssOBMpdev5
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYFZzoh68F
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgDrd30RHg
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2b7omdnBl
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ArZopxBuq
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJ4BeKWLFd
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cfgVkP0kQ
I shrugged. “I guess I’m good at my job.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rdumF0onu
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfg9wcUDTQi
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqme4fo0KjE
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjjphYJbWG
My eyes widened and I knelt down. “Oh, Kendall. What’s wrong?”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJT3cnKzgtO
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIi4c9wDvGT
She shut her eyes and shook her head. “I’m scared,” she whispered.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6b1cri3Xs
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmZFJoS5uR
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.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB51sAwPAri
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjZei9mlfu
“Dreams?” I asked. “What kind of dreams?”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡID3HZ4BS0y
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBM8jDhtnb
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.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsnt6ymo23
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSKsvmSVXW
“Cassie Winters?” I asked, looking up at Christian.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVILrCPkPhw
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNvRDFGADY
“She went to school with us. My friend’s dad found her body this morning.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVNKtXIPAg
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnuqpN12l5V
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVR5JrRy6q
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCbgwTnVWl
“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.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDKUREJyV3
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwRgELMFdC
“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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsG75yw9mo
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzP2ftFRg22
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But I think you should come back next week and we’ll talk more. Is that okay?”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5JfmrQXuN
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeF1jyAyyRa
“Okay,” she said.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhS0JCTHtU
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVOBLM7UEU
“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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMGYaqKS4H
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctpSu6O5a9
“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.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxX6o3qrBp
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9PkRzrZmZ
“Nightmares don’t mean that,” I said. I shook my head. “For the record, I don’t think you’re crazy.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPBpDU46yi
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRiOrFOQDL
“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.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNG3vTlCALN
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirD1yZa5yj
“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.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbznvbMZdB
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzMzY0QxN1
I leaned forward and waited for her to finish.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxba7oM0SH
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgXum5LCuY
“It means that these dreams, these nightmares, aren’t mine.”299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwarozABxEj
