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.307Please respect copyright.PENANARMPbbMgVnP
307Please respect copyright.PENANApBkSB96FNS
"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?"307Please respect copyright.PENANAM9KDCbdiwA
307Please respect copyright.PENANAmH8EvwDT4l
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?"307Please respect copyright.PENANANAN7ybpguf
307Please respect copyright.PENANAE0YkPFLP9n
"What?" He was in the process of shredding a napkin up and hadn't heard me.307Please respect copyright.PENANAmvdyl02gJm
307Please respect copyright.PENANA26GZOsCtvZ
"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?"307Please respect copyright.PENANAJEzrYDcVGv
307Please respect copyright.PENANAhHflJgYkYm
"My parents didn't tell her anything. That would be kind of stupid, wouldn't it?"307Please respect copyright.PENANAP3ksWnWWup
307Please respect copyright.PENANANWrgMmbEVd
"But didn't your parents have to call her?"307Please respect copyright.PENANAjKo4FV91I8
307Please respect copyright.PENANAyJ6OtcP3iv
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?"307Please respect copyright.PENANAz5VPu9Q1O6
307Please respect copyright.PENANAiAxstbBJT1
I frowned. "Sorry. Go on."307Please respect copyright.PENANA3xoQ6HbUru
307Please respect copyright.PENANAbvwfudZQXU
He smiled, but only slightly, like he was silently thanking me for letting him continue.307Please respect copyright.PENANAPpFClNsHiV
307Please respect copyright.PENANAYnUQBXWCD1
"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."307Please respect copyright.PENANALNQL5tYbLq
307Please respect copyright.PENANAp0CFEdKaTu
I stiffened.307Please respect copyright.PENANAb7oC3igGRL
307Please respect copyright.PENANA1OF1quQLDK
He blinked at me. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Kendall. I didn't mean it like that."307Please respect copyright.PENANAI6arLJnDTC
307Please respect copyright.PENANAVMoB2vNcGm
"It's okay." But it wasn't. I just didn't want him to know that.307Please respect copyright.PENANAF3UiWvJhEX
307Please respect copyright.PENANA6z9lMwfd4v
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.307Please respect copyright.PENANAF5G5TrP9W1
307Please respect copyright.PENANAA5atIY1MaK
"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."307Please respect copyright.PENANAzhzCir2bhR
307Please respect copyright.PENANAsQ5m7BtifS
"It's not that simple," I said, though my voice was now tight, small. "If I tell you, you might get hurt."307Please respect copyright.PENANAcaLisWCPcP
307Please respect copyright.PENANAtvXvSutwKj
That was when Jude laughed. When he stopped he said, "Please. How the hell can what's already happened hurt me?"307Please respect copyright.PENANApYQJ582v0s
307Please respect copyright.PENANAAOD4FYV3kM
"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."307Please respect copyright.PENANA7VWky9RdFc
307Please respect copyright.PENANAunG5EQZALs
"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.307Please respect copyright.PENANA5Ru0VcOBHA
307Please respect copyright.PENANAaZl7Ha6hTM
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.307Please respect copyright.PENANAvDFne36m7l
307Please respect copyright.PENANAEbZs4QZ1en
"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."307Please respect copyright.PENANA5o1wX2WKi6
307Please respect copyright.PENANA9rk39mXTi2
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 172.70.38.137da2 307Please respect copyright.PENANApBkSB96FNS
"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?"307Please respect copyright.PENANAM9KDCbdiwA
307Please respect copyright.PENANAmH8EvwDT4l
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?"307Please respect copyright.PENANANAN7ybpguf
307Please respect copyright.PENANAE0YkPFLP9n
"What?" He was in the process of shredding a napkin up and hadn't heard me.307Please respect copyright.PENANAmvdyl02gJm
307Please respect copyright.PENANA26GZOsCtvZ
"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?"307Please respect copyright.PENANAJEzrYDcVGv
307Please respect copyright.PENANAhHflJgYkYm
"My parents didn't tell her anything. That would be kind of stupid, wouldn't it?"307Please respect copyright.PENANAP3ksWnWWup
307Please respect copyright.PENANANWrgMmbEVd
"But didn't your parents have to call her?"307Please respect copyright.PENANAjKo4FV91I8
307Please respect copyright.PENANAyJ6OtcP3iv
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?"307Please respect copyright.PENANAz5VPu9Q1O6
307Please respect copyright.PENANAiAxstbBJT1
I frowned. "Sorry. Go on."307Please respect copyright.PENANA3xoQ6HbUru
307Please respect copyright.PENANAbvwfudZQXU
He smiled, but only slightly, like he was silently thanking me for letting him continue.307Please respect copyright.PENANAPpFClNsHiV
307Please respect copyright.PENANAYnUQBXWCD1
"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."307Please respect copyright.PENANALNQL5tYbLq
307Please respect copyright.PENANAp0CFEdKaTu
I stiffened.307Please respect copyright.PENANAb7oC3igGRL
307Please respect copyright.PENANA1OF1quQLDK
He blinked at me. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Kendall. I didn't mean it like that."307Please respect copyright.PENANAI6arLJnDTC
307Please respect copyright.PENANAVMoB2vNcGm
"It's okay." But it wasn't. I just didn't want him to know that.307Please respect copyright.PENANAF3UiWvJhEX
307Please respect copyright.PENANA6z9lMwfd4v
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.307Please respect copyright.PENANAF5G5TrP9W1
307Please respect copyright.PENANAA5atIY1MaK
"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."307Please respect copyright.PENANAzhzCir2bhR
307Please respect copyright.PENANAsQ5m7BtifS
"It's not that simple," I said, though my voice was now tight, small. "If I tell you, you might get hurt."307Please respect copyright.PENANAcaLisWCPcP
307Please respect copyright.PENANAtvXvSutwKj
That was when Jude laughed. When he stopped he said, "Please. How the hell can what's already happened hurt me?"307Please respect copyright.PENANApYQJ582v0s
307Please respect copyright.PENANAAOD4FYV3kM
"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."307Please respect copyright.PENANA7VWky9RdFc
307Please respect copyright.PENANAunG5EQZALs
"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.307Please respect copyright.PENANA5Ru0VcOBHA
307Please respect copyright.PENANAaZl7Ha6hTM
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.307Please respect copyright.PENANAvDFne36m7l
307Please respect copyright.PENANAEbZs4QZ1en
"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."307Please respect copyright.PENANA5o1wX2WKi6
307Please respect copyright.PENANA9rk39mXTi2
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.
307Please respect copyright.PENANA7GjocH4asp