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you to be happy, would want you to move on with your life?”
    I laughed bitterly. “I’m sure he would—just like I want him to be alive. Looks like neither of us are getting what we want. I’m willing to compromise, but God hasn’t responded to my proposal yet—See there, doc, make a note. Check ‘bargaining’ off that chart of yours. I’m almost through all the phases now.”
    Dr. Livingston ignored my rant. “You still believe a ghost did it?”
    “I never said it was a ghost.”
    “What was it?”
    “Why do I constantly have to justify myself? I didn’t ask for any of this.”
    “Other people have been there. What do they say? You aren’t the only person to have lived in that house—why does no one else see what you see?”
    “Are you feeling hostile today?”
    “Why? Do you feel as if I am attacking you? You said you don’t feel like you’re getting anything out of this—”
    I nodded.
    “Well then you need to talk to me.  Even if you’re not ‘crazy’ you will soon be if you keep holding everything inside.” Dr. Livingston is totally an air quotes type of person who watches too much Dr. Phil.
    I closed my eyes and strained to maintain patience. “I don’t care what other people think or feel. I felt this from the moment I stepped into that house two years ago—something there is evil.”
    “It’s just a house.”
    “I’m at its mercy.”
    “Weren’t you at its mercy before Daniel died?”
    “No, it’s gotten worse. Now things are happening every day, every night. I never have a break. When Danny was around it was less frequent; the situation is escalating.”
    “Ella, have you reconsidered a stay in the hospital. Just for a while, give yourself time to work out some of your grief and anger.”
    “A hospital will not help me anymore than those antipsychotics you put me on did, because I’m not crazy. I’m telling the truth, but you aren’t listening.”
    “I think we need to increase the frequency with which we meet.”
    “No. I don’t want to come any more than I already do. You cannot help me. I’m not fixated. This is not a delusional break. I simply have to figure it out on my own.”
    Dr. Livingston’s egg timer went off in his head. He looked up at me. “We’ll discuss this further next week.” He tore my prescriptions off from his note pad and handed them to me. “And please consider upping your sessions to twice a week. I think we’ve started to make some progress today. You spoke more this afternoon than you have in your last three appointments.”
    Outside his office I felt myself being pulled away into another memory. These memories were like land mines in my imagination. If I wasn’t careful, I’d drift away into the past and never come back. Sometimes I lost hours when that happened.
    It was too late to stop this one, however.

 

    Chapter Five

     
     
“Ella.” I felt a finger rub the end of my nose. “Ella,” the voice said again.
    I opened my eyes to see Danny leaning over me. “What time is it?” I asked groggily.
    He shrugged. “You’re having a nightmare.”
    My dream came back to me. It was horrible. There was a strange man in our house and he wanted to kill me. I was running and running, but could not get away. He found me everywhere I hid. I was hiding when Danny woke me up.
    Similar nightmares had plagued me since we moved in, but this was the first night my dream woke him up.
    I tried telling Danny about the dreams, but he only teased me later. He didn’t understand because he didn’t feel the uncomfortable vibe the house gave off. He was so happy to be starting fresh and doing something he loved. I never knew how handy he was until we started renovating. It appeared I’d married a person who was absolutely wonderful at everything he did.
    “Do you want to talk about it?”
    “No, I hardly remember it.” I lied.
    “It must have been violent—you were kicking and crying for help.”
    “I really don’t remember