"Olivia?" Dr. Wheeler calls out.
I walk into the office and take my spot on the sofa.
"How are you feeling?" he asks.
"Hurting but it's supposed to get better as the bruises fade and they're an ugly yellow now so…" I trail off.
He nods. "And the nightmares?"
"Still happening."
"Every night?" he asks.
"Not every night, but often," I admit.
"That's normal under the circumstances. It's your brain's way of dealing with what happened to you emotionally and physically. Do you want to talk about those nightmares?" he asks.
"Sure. They're usually the same every time. I head toward the old concession stand like the text instructed and when I get there, I find the note. Then I get attacked from behind, exactly like what happened to me and when I'm turned around the attacker keeps going," I tell him, swallowing the fear.
"After a few minutes of being assaulted, I hear a high-pitch laugh and when I look up, it's Alison. But it's not her hitting me. It's still the masked man."
"Is the man ever revealed?" Dr. Wheeler asks.
I nod, swallowing hard, unsure of what I feel.
"And who did it reveal?"
"Uh," I hedge, picking at my leggings again. "Cameron."
Dr. Wheeler just nods.
"You don't seem surprised," I say.
"Truthfully, I'm not. Cameron's bullied you as a child and in high school, and he's been making you very unhappy lately."
"Plus, he's betrayed me by hanging out with the psycho."
"Exactly. That is the piece of the puzzle that ties your nightmare to Cameron. You know it's not really him who attacked you, right?" he asks.
"I do. He's hurt me emotionally, but not physically," I tell him with a frown.
"Sometimes we tie one form abuse with another and in dreams, or nightmares, we put the abuser into the place of the one who's really doing the attacking," he explains. "In this case, I'd suspect it's because both the past and the present tie Cameron to Alison and she's the one who—allegedly—had someone do this to you. Plus, you feel betrayed by Cameron's continued association with Alison so your subconscious thrusts him into the place of the attacker."
"Man. I am so fucked up," I breathe, dismayed at how screwed up I am in my head and heart when it comes to Cameron and Alison.
The doc just waits for me.
"They really did a number on me," I admit.
He inclines his head.
"How do I know I'm not this messed up about everyone else?" I ask, needing to know if I can trust myself.
"None of this has to do with anyone else. You nightmares are only about these people, this situation along with other situations where Cameron and Alison are present, correct?" he asks.
"Yes."
"Then rest assured, you're only trying to cope with the enormity of what's happened. The nightmares will lessen and eventually stop the more you talk about things and rationalize them in your head. But you're not ready for that yet. It's too fresh—the trauma. It will take time for you to recover and be able to even attempt to make sense of what's happened," Dr. Wheeler explains.
