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.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpisDDSH6eu
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6kY5lnCVx
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.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNGoKkzLgg
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9NSMmJQLV
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—446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgYlJQO5pI
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHffqFyDa3H
“Hello, Dr. Alder,” Kendall said softly. “How are you?”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVH1M9PFTl
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYEzGDLRDS
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.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRqjfwe3h2
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqfTwYIU9S
“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.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbeyC80DZl
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gZuJPZ8tX
Her boyfriend looked at me and said, “I think that’s her call, Scott.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzmk4QJwDw
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMGJnh2NGh
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.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIN0zYar4So
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvbp6hxpGp
“He should hear what I have to say,” Kendall said.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63pIYYOYrp
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcM0CdcWQFC
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.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvZJNVQVpm
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrwMWzmmq2
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.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GWnOl9jx0
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKqvTjblGB
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.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvduAeL9N8
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSXkoKrhjN
I shrugged. “I guess I’m good at my job.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9tgwySyED
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7TTqwjesE
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.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKawc2OlHda
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4PaI8eo7c
My eyes widened and I knelt down. “Oh, Kendall. What’s wrong?”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhNRAdSAQV
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGn2x53DT52
She shut her eyes and shook her head. “I’m scared,” she whispered.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXzWjQzZnA
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13sadTjsjI
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.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVjd5vfly9
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnyuxbTPK3
“Dreams?” I asked. “What kind of dreams?”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6utRhli3kb
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEnItrYOWb
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.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe43vesQXYx
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjAicyxInI
“Cassie Winters?” I asked, looking up at Christian.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkYK13Rr0M
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7qCEHu6dD
“She went to school with us. My friend’s dad found her body this morning.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDApjJLEPF
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIOsjBxeHr
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.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ599irqbgP5
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAn76QxH3A1
“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.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLP0qrEsse
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnFLgZrpKS
“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.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajAtxb3Tr7
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRT3kSJztqz
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But I think you should come back next week and we’ll talk more. Is that okay?”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBsFVGJ7Ec
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe97VAGCsZ3
“Okay,” she said.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtMJBmu0FQ
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuSqnG6NDv
“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.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4s1pf92IS
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WIPyKNhnm
“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.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIoYi5O9lzR
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX65cRyuddc
“Nightmares don’t mean that,” I said. I shook my head. “For the record, I don’t think you’re crazy.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXnDDgQH29
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡli21hlDMYi
“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.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkY2O3JNRk
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOFpZIA6r4
“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.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOnhfXKZoO
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡio1ZfGovn6
I leaned forward and waited for her to finish.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSWzXaKihL
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFG3qsluig7
“It means that these dreams, these nightmares, aren’t mine.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2C9uFHYPR
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6kY5lnCVx
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.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNGoKkzLgg
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9NSMmJQLV
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—446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgYlJQO5pI
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHffqFyDa3H
“Hello, Dr. Alder,” Kendall said softly. “How are you?”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVH1M9PFTl
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYEzGDLRDS
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.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRqjfwe3h2
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqfTwYIU9S
“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.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbeyC80DZl
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gZuJPZ8tX
Her boyfriend looked at me and said, “I think that’s her call, Scott.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzmk4QJwDw
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMGJnh2NGh
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.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIN0zYar4So
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvbp6hxpGp
“He should hear what I have to say,” Kendall said.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63pIYYOYrp
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcM0CdcWQFC
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.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvZJNVQVpm
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrwMWzmmq2
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.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GWnOl9jx0
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKqvTjblGB
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.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvduAeL9N8
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSXkoKrhjN
I shrugged. “I guess I’m good at my job.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9tgwySyED
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7TTqwjesE
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.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKawc2OlHda
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4PaI8eo7c
My eyes widened and I knelt down. “Oh, Kendall. What’s wrong?”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhNRAdSAQV
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGn2x53DT52
She shut her eyes and shook her head. “I’m scared,” she whispered.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXzWjQzZnA
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13sadTjsjI
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.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVjd5vfly9
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnyuxbTPK3
“Dreams?” I asked. “What kind of dreams?”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6utRhli3kb
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEnItrYOWb
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.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe43vesQXYx
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjAicyxInI
“Cassie Winters?” I asked, looking up at Christian.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkYK13Rr0M
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7qCEHu6dD
“She went to school with us. My friend’s dad found her body this morning.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDApjJLEPF
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIOsjBxeHr
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.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ599irqbgP5
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAn76QxH3A1
“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.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLP0qrEsse
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnFLgZrpKS
“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.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajAtxb3Tr7
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRT3kSJztqz
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But I think you should come back next week and we’ll talk more. Is that okay?”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBsFVGJ7Ec
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe97VAGCsZ3
“Okay,” she said.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtMJBmu0FQ
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuSqnG6NDv
“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.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4s1pf92IS
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WIPyKNhnm
“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.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIoYi5O9lzR
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX65cRyuddc
“Nightmares don’t mean that,” I said. I shook my head. “For the record, I don’t think you’re crazy.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXnDDgQH29
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡli21hlDMYi
“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.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkY2O3JNRk
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOFpZIA6r4
“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.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOnhfXKZoO
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡio1ZfGovn6
I leaned forward and waited for her to finish.446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSWzXaKihL
446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFG3qsluig7
“It means that these dreams, these nightmares, aren’t mine.”446Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2C9uFHYPR
