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.272Please respect copyright.PENANAFjqwnOBHkI
272Please respect copyright.PENANAZA00fucrDv
"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?"272Please respect copyright.PENANAKowDuurR7b
272Please respect copyright.PENANAXRI5SK23RY
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?"272Please respect copyright.PENANAdLflKfzHrE
272Please respect copyright.PENANAcPW0iyzGRi
"What?" He was in the process of shredding a napkin up and hadn't heard me.272Please respect copyright.PENANAjpGzKS2IgB
272Please respect copyright.PENANA274S86bn31
"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?"272Please respect copyright.PENANAx1oaag47e5
272Please respect copyright.PENANALA4DHFX61w
"My parents didn't tell her anything. That would be kind of stupid, wouldn't it?"272Please respect copyright.PENANADnFH5MbjyI
272Please respect copyright.PENANADDmbmCDeCp
"But didn't your parents have to call her?"272Please respect copyright.PENANAGBGSvlrP6e
272Please respect copyright.PENANAI3QyydBmwA
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?"272Please respect copyright.PENANAEadkE8ora8
272Please respect copyright.PENANACyw8X6vqAj
I frowned. "Sorry. Go on."272Please respect copyright.PENANAQJzTFPE8WA
272Please respect copyright.PENANAOymItHKmFb
He smiled, but only slightly, like he was silently thanking me for letting him continue.272Please respect copyright.PENANAF1Ro1WUs4u
272Please respect copyright.PENANAWZiaGvQ8wB
"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."272Please respect copyright.PENANAToY4E5lObY
272Please respect copyright.PENANA5RKdjvJhjb
I stiffened.272Please respect copyright.PENANAhtggrQAYax
272Please respect copyright.PENANALa6i6ksdXB
He blinked at me. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Kendall. I didn't mean it like that."272Please respect copyright.PENANAv8BG0m63wu
272Please respect copyright.PENANApNvBEYrUDi
"It's okay." But it wasn't. I just didn't want him to know that.272Please respect copyright.PENANAChsZ2MgUC5
272Please respect copyright.PENANAWpeDbgvxTQ
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.272Please respect copyright.PENANAvsrDOeZSvY
272Please respect copyright.PENANAkjd2fHnpFA
"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."272Please respect copyright.PENANAhnCxoibIc6
272Please respect copyright.PENANA8C9YkRIaF0
"It's not that simple," I said, though my voice was now tight, small. "If I tell you, you might get hurt."272Please respect copyright.PENANAFoWa9g8e6o
272Please respect copyright.PENANAGSH2wY3uXM
That was when Jude laughed. When he stopped he said, "Please. How the hell can what's already happened hurt me?"272Please respect copyright.PENANAPTo3DHTWL9
272Please respect copyright.PENANAT7vfqWyc17
"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."272Please respect copyright.PENANAsegQDwj4D5
272Please respect copyright.PENANAPoOa2uYCED
"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.272Please respect copyright.PENANAWRiEM5P7pR
272Please respect copyright.PENANAcguwc5zzG5
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.272Please respect copyright.PENANATi8uP2Sr4E
272Please respect copyright.PENANAZ6wNBroFtV
"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."272Please respect copyright.PENANAvpcnWcxFLU
272Please respect copyright.PENANAmTNNtH6q9p
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.
ns3.233.217.106da2 272Please respect copyright.PENANAZA00fucrDv
"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?"272Please respect copyright.PENANAKowDuurR7b
272Please respect copyright.PENANAXRI5SK23RY
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?"272Please respect copyright.PENANAdLflKfzHrE
272Please respect copyright.PENANAcPW0iyzGRi
"What?" He was in the process of shredding a napkin up and hadn't heard me.272Please respect copyright.PENANAjpGzKS2IgB
272Please respect copyright.PENANA274S86bn31
"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?"272Please respect copyright.PENANAx1oaag47e5
272Please respect copyright.PENANALA4DHFX61w
"My parents didn't tell her anything. That would be kind of stupid, wouldn't it?"272Please respect copyright.PENANADnFH5MbjyI
272Please respect copyright.PENANADDmbmCDeCp
"But didn't your parents have to call her?"272Please respect copyright.PENANAGBGSvlrP6e
272Please respect copyright.PENANAI3QyydBmwA
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?"272Please respect copyright.PENANAEadkE8ora8
272Please respect copyright.PENANACyw8X6vqAj
I frowned. "Sorry. Go on."272Please respect copyright.PENANAQJzTFPE8WA
272Please respect copyright.PENANAOymItHKmFb
He smiled, but only slightly, like he was silently thanking me for letting him continue.272Please respect copyright.PENANAF1Ro1WUs4u
272Please respect copyright.PENANAWZiaGvQ8wB
"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."272Please respect copyright.PENANAToY4E5lObY
272Please respect copyright.PENANA5RKdjvJhjb
I stiffened.272Please respect copyright.PENANAhtggrQAYax
272Please respect copyright.PENANALa6i6ksdXB
He blinked at me. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Kendall. I didn't mean it like that."272Please respect copyright.PENANAv8BG0m63wu
272Please respect copyright.PENANApNvBEYrUDi
"It's okay." But it wasn't. I just didn't want him to know that.272Please respect copyright.PENANAChsZ2MgUC5
272Please respect copyright.PENANAWpeDbgvxTQ
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.272Please respect copyright.PENANAvsrDOeZSvY
272Please respect copyright.PENANAkjd2fHnpFA
"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."272Please respect copyright.PENANAhnCxoibIc6
272Please respect copyright.PENANA8C9YkRIaF0
"It's not that simple," I said, though my voice was now tight, small. "If I tell you, you might get hurt."272Please respect copyright.PENANAFoWa9g8e6o
272Please respect copyright.PENANAGSH2wY3uXM
That was when Jude laughed. When he stopped he said, "Please. How the hell can what's already happened hurt me?"272Please respect copyright.PENANAPTo3DHTWL9
272Please respect copyright.PENANAT7vfqWyc17
"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."272Please respect copyright.PENANAsegQDwj4D5
272Please respect copyright.PENANAPoOa2uYCED
"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.272Please respect copyright.PENANAWRiEM5P7pR
272Please respect copyright.PENANAcguwc5zzG5
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.272Please respect copyright.PENANATi8uP2Sr4E
272Please respect copyright.PENANAZ6wNBroFtV
"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."272Please respect copyright.PENANAvpcnWcxFLU
272Please respect copyright.PENANAmTNNtH6q9p
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.
272Please respect copyright.PENANAQfyfjfYsTZ