x
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.390Please respect copyright.PENANAiBxXLG86tt
390Please respect copyright.PENANA6h5Z15LogL
"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?"390Please respect copyright.PENANATtMCGtiYMQ
390Please respect copyright.PENANAat84wv8IsL
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?"390Please respect copyright.PENANAnOLU44cxBo
390Please respect copyright.PENANAwm4gaZrde9
"What?" He was in the process of shredding a napkin up and hadn't heard me.390Please respect copyright.PENANArBwN0MStVI
390Please respect copyright.PENANAhc8wZpyxZF
"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?"390Please respect copyright.PENANA42gp6KbBAw
390Please respect copyright.PENANAgVynlUgplE
"My parents didn't tell her anything. That would be kind of stupid, wouldn't it?"390Please respect copyright.PENANA0zXRtLRgPj
390Please respect copyright.PENANATkbGM2Y1BF
"But didn't your parents have to call her?"390Please respect copyright.PENANAtA0DRTino3
390Please respect copyright.PENANA7U4uCdbqak
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?"390Please respect copyright.PENANAYphzx4S2OH
390Please respect copyright.PENANAdbDyguDYfq
I frowned. "Sorry. Go on."390Please respect copyright.PENANAs9l4YAD7Jg
390Please respect copyright.PENANARF8iy1y5ex
He smiled, but only slightly, like he was silently thanking me for letting him continue.390Please respect copyright.PENANAFabqvJzUtg
390Please respect copyright.PENANAugOkzXLCiv
"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."390Please respect copyright.PENANAKBu3c8UyqI
390Please respect copyright.PENANAwiC9Gf9qsm
I stiffened.390Please respect copyright.PENANAAPsNzPvLAx
390Please respect copyright.PENANARc8LZLsCy2
He blinked at me. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Kendall. I didn't mean it like that."390Please respect copyright.PENANA0gmM02g8Ak
390Please respect copyright.PENANA80kxpy6hCF
"It's okay." But it wasn't. I just didn't want him to know that.390Please respect copyright.PENANA6Pwsd0RpxB
390Please respect copyright.PENANApnekz3UmYa
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.390Please respect copyright.PENANAZMV058wKM7
390Please respect copyright.PENANAU4OdhZhtsk
"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."390Please respect copyright.PENANAwCBpJIanLP
390Please respect copyright.PENANA3oMEdYRFnO
"It's not that simple," I said, though my voice was now tight, small. "If I tell you, you might get hurt."390Please respect copyright.PENANALjYvN1WVgN
390Please respect copyright.PENANA7Bbh3YiI9Y
That was when Jude laughed. When he stopped he said, "Please. How the hell can what's already happened hurt me?"390Please respect copyright.PENANAxRDydS5pbv
390Please respect copyright.PENANAWUvHXbwbsl
"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."390Please respect copyright.PENANAlVuzA8fXBp
390Please respect copyright.PENANAHDplQXnYRE
"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.390Please respect copyright.PENANA5qd71RgmFo
390Please respect copyright.PENANABkec3VrH1I
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.390Please respect copyright.PENANAS6tVsX0s51
390Please respect copyright.PENANAL2AEQQxpaV
"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."390Please respect copyright.PENANAvCSwE6P399
390Please respect copyright.PENANAjpo7CIB3Cc
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.
ns 172.70.135.160da2 390Please respect copyright.PENANA6h5Z15LogL
"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?"390Please respect copyright.PENANATtMCGtiYMQ
390Please respect copyright.PENANAat84wv8IsL
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?"390Please respect copyright.PENANAnOLU44cxBo
390Please respect copyright.PENANAwm4gaZrde9
"What?" He was in the process of shredding a napkin up and hadn't heard me.390Please respect copyright.PENANArBwN0MStVI
390Please respect copyright.PENANAhc8wZpyxZF
"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?"390Please respect copyright.PENANA42gp6KbBAw
390Please respect copyright.PENANAgVynlUgplE
"My parents didn't tell her anything. That would be kind of stupid, wouldn't it?"390Please respect copyright.PENANA0zXRtLRgPj
390Please respect copyright.PENANATkbGM2Y1BF
"But didn't your parents have to call her?"390Please respect copyright.PENANAtA0DRTino3
390Please respect copyright.PENANA7U4uCdbqak
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?"390Please respect copyright.PENANAYphzx4S2OH
390Please respect copyright.PENANAdbDyguDYfq
I frowned. "Sorry. Go on."390Please respect copyright.PENANAs9l4YAD7Jg
390Please respect copyright.PENANARF8iy1y5ex
He smiled, but only slightly, like he was silently thanking me for letting him continue.390Please respect copyright.PENANAFabqvJzUtg
390Please respect copyright.PENANAugOkzXLCiv
"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."390Please respect copyright.PENANAKBu3c8UyqI
390Please respect copyright.PENANAwiC9Gf9qsm
I stiffened.390Please respect copyright.PENANAAPsNzPvLAx
390Please respect copyright.PENANARc8LZLsCy2
He blinked at me. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Kendall. I didn't mean it like that."390Please respect copyright.PENANA0gmM02g8Ak
390Please respect copyright.PENANA80kxpy6hCF
"It's okay." But it wasn't. I just didn't want him to know that.390Please respect copyright.PENANA6Pwsd0RpxB
390Please respect copyright.PENANApnekz3UmYa
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.390Please respect copyright.PENANAZMV058wKM7
390Please respect copyright.PENANAU4OdhZhtsk
"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."390Please respect copyright.PENANAwCBpJIanLP
390Please respect copyright.PENANA3oMEdYRFnO
"It's not that simple," I said, though my voice was now tight, small. "If I tell you, you might get hurt."390Please respect copyright.PENANALjYvN1WVgN
390Please respect copyright.PENANA7Bbh3YiI9Y
That was when Jude laughed. When he stopped he said, "Please. How the hell can what's already happened hurt me?"390Please respect copyright.PENANAxRDydS5pbv
390Please respect copyright.PENANAWUvHXbwbsl
"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."390Please respect copyright.PENANAlVuzA8fXBp
390Please respect copyright.PENANAHDplQXnYRE
"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.390Please respect copyright.PENANA5qd71RgmFo
390Please respect copyright.PENANABkec3VrH1I
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.390Please respect copyright.PENANAS6tVsX0s51
390Please respect copyright.PENANAL2AEQQxpaV
"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."390Please respect copyright.PENANAvCSwE6P399
390Please respect copyright.PENANAjpo7CIB3Cc
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.
390Please respect copyright.PENANAR8HspjUd1f