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