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.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcNAfOz4Qh
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2XOEiJv3x
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.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBaOaqtoHN
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRhMHJKGcV
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—427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY83VZOXdZG
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4Y13DRYUs
“Hello, Dr. Alder,” Kendall said softly. “How are you?”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqiy897btK
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4fYfIinbG
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.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeuLGCtnWr
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbDFyB7IPg
“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.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiu2d0qdroz
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIayIJ6SA0
Her boyfriend looked at me and said, “I think that’s her call, Scott.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb74rwiqPBQ
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3vHxBi6eCU
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.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgbKvDwWEW
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYuydxo2YFo
“He should hear what I have to say,” Kendall said.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebB5kq1At6
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLijRtt3Hi
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.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6SC7XwunM
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhfvOJ305B
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.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2enD0m1At
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdR4PB2KVaS
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.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Y0uS643Hs
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMebtZpNBLn
I shrugged. “I guess I’m good at my job.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCflA3ZzSA
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfgXgJwtS5
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.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRZe7QSgip
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWm6HVsLBb
My eyes widened and I knelt down. “Oh, Kendall. What’s wrong?”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipac2I8hAP
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5X0LANYB5
She shut her eyes and shook her head. “I’m scared,” she whispered.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4b5Bm0ep8e
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWVTw3pTs2
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.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHGpDOq2fu
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpupTftZvv
“Dreams?” I asked. “What kind of dreams?”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rNVpN0dre
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIs8GKWgdD
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.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBcYQypp2e
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCBJAQwA1L
“Cassie Winters?” I asked, looking up at Christian.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDlNNrOZh5
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSUHR0xXHi
“She went to school with us. My friend’s dad found her body this morning.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1Sd8jZcAM
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAq7S8sIdM
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.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kTLCPusGx
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Ju8qNeIpr
“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.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Xh6Ld3qEw
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBpikczAp9
“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.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDADYRIds8
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVD2LpWIZQT
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But I think you should come back next week and we’ll talk more. Is that okay?”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhglCTViv8B
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3FwKFpSRq
“Okay,” she said.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMugnYef2qP
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FaSpdRoYo
“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.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0lBaxYTsW
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3qXDhlmw3d
“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.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfdIF2nDSN
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwS2oT4aYy
“Nightmares don’t mean that,” I said. I shook my head. “For the record, I don’t think you’re crazy.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ109I1Buo9H
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvEqLApxs4
“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.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWZTJUv1bF
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwobBgWTP8
“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.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhgjDi5Nco
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzW9somNwwx
I leaned forward and waited for her to finish.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMED4VHl8Gc
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfp5jraGZqH
“It means that these dreams, these nightmares, aren’t mine.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcyCiWKJ1v
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2XOEiJv3x
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.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBaOaqtoHN
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRhMHJKGcV
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—427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY83VZOXdZG
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4Y13DRYUs
“Hello, Dr. Alder,” Kendall said softly. “How are you?”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqiy897btK
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4fYfIinbG
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.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeuLGCtnWr
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbDFyB7IPg
“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.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiu2d0qdroz
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIayIJ6SA0
Her boyfriend looked at me and said, “I think that’s her call, Scott.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb74rwiqPBQ
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3vHxBi6eCU
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.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgbKvDwWEW
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYuydxo2YFo
“He should hear what I have to say,” Kendall said.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebB5kq1At6
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLijRtt3Hi
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.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6SC7XwunM
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhfvOJ305B
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.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2enD0m1At
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdR4PB2KVaS
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.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Y0uS643Hs
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMebtZpNBLn
I shrugged. “I guess I’m good at my job.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCflA3ZzSA
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfgXgJwtS5
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.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRZe7QSgip
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWm6HVsLBb
My eyes widened and I knelt down. “Oh, Kendall. What’s wrong?”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipac2I8hAP
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5X0LANYB5
She shut her eyes and shook her head. “I’m scared,” she whispered.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4b5Bm0ep8e
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWVTw3pTs2
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.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHGpDOq2fu
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpupTftZvv
“Dreams?” I asked. “What kind of dreams?”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rNVpN0dre
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIs8GKWgdD
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.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBcYQypp2e
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCBJAQwA1L
“Cassie Winters?” I asked, looking up at Christian.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDlNNrOZh5
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSUHR0xXHi
“She went to school with us. My friend’s dad found her body this morning.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1Sd8jZcAM
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAq7S8sIdM
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.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kTLCPusGx
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Ju8qNeIpr
“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.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Xh6Ld3qEw
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBpikczAp9
“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.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDADYRIds8
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVD2LpWIZQT
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But I think you should come back next week and we’ll talk more. Is that okay?”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhglCTViv8B
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3FwKFpSRq
“Okay,” she said.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMugnYef2qP
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FaSpdRoYo
“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.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0lBaxYTsW
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3qXDhlmw3d
“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.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfdIF2nDSN
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwS2oT4aYy
“Nightmares don’t mean that,” I said. I shook my head. “For the record, I don’t think you’re crazy.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ109I1Buo9H
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvEqLApxs4
“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.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWZTJUv1bF
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwobBgWTP8
“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.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhgjDi5Nco
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzW9somNwwx
I leaned forward and waited for her to finish.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMED4VHl8Gc
427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfp5jraGZqH
“It means that these dreams, these nightmares, aren’t mine.”427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcyCiWKJ1v
