The raindrops pattered against the window tenderly, creating a mellow refrain that interspersed with the stringent silence in the room.

Besides the gentle rain outside, the only sounds in the room were coming from the little metronome sitting on top of an oak wood desk, and of course, the ceaseless tapping of a certain mahogany-haired girl's right foot against the tiled floor.

Her hands were resting in her lap idle, while her gaze was dropped down low towards a pair of leopard printed kitten heels just across from her.

"So," Began a ringing voice, "How much sleep would you say you got last night?"

Tahlia looked up towards the middle aged woman's waning face,

"Not enough."

The woman nodded knowingly. Perhaps it was the heavy shade of darkness under Tahlia's puffy eyes that had already given it away to her.

"What happened after you called Campus Security?"

Last night was still pretty much all a blur to Tahlia.

She remembered opening the gift box, peeking inside.

The next thing she knew Wynn was shrieking on top of her lungs in pure horror, rushing to throw up in the toilet.

All while she stood there stupefied, fixated at the little note on top of the blood-covered cadaver.

Him. It's him.

She let out a weedy exhale at the thought, "My roommate and I were shifted with other people for the night while they got rid of..it and sanitized our room."

Next, her sleep deprived eyes landed on the desk behind the couch that the woman sat on in front of her.

Dr. Volger was spelled out in small letters on the reflective metal nameplate just beside the metronome and a tiny succulent plant.

"I called the station immediately and did what Detective Hernandez asked me to do."

Dr. Volger brought her palm up to her face, resting underneath her chin, "And what was it that she asked of you?"

"To set the note aside before anyone saw it, and let the entire thing be dismissed as a prank."

The Doctor nodded again, taking in her decrepit words, "Did they? Consider it a prank, I mean."

"Yes. They've promised to look into it and take strict action." She sputtered, "They wanted Wynn and I to see the counselor today. I told them I already had one."

She looked at the doctor with an emotion inexplicable in her sandy eyes, "I didn't lie, you know. About the counselor part." She paused, breathing in and out rhythmically.

"I saw a shrink regularly for 6 years of my life."

Dr. Volger almost quirked her eyebrows, but as a professional psychologist at Westfield Police Department with the experience of 33 years in the field, she'd mastered the poker face.

But then again, this wasn't one of her regular cases.

When Sergeant Randall told her they were going to bring in a 19 year old girl, involved in the Westfield Ripper investigation for a counseling session, this was not what she expected to walk into her office this evening.

This was a damaged girl who was treading on eggshells of her cracking composure.

"Would you like to talk about it now?"

At that very moment, the loud sound of thunder boomed outside, as lightning flashed in the dark sky, through the window.

Tahlia's breath hitched in her throat, as if. She shook her head acutely to answer no.

That part of her life was a chapter she had long closed. She wasn't going back there. She couldn't go back there.

"That's all right. Is there something else on your mind you want to talk about?" Dr. Volger inquired softly.

She closed her eyes for a second, shaking her head, "There's nothing I want to talk about. I don't need this session..or whatever this is." She surmised vexedly.

The doctor battled her distressed gaze with a tranquil one of her own.

"You were sent a butchered cat by an infamous serial killer. That is not something your mind can just repress that easily." She countered, "You saw a bloodied carcass Ms. Meyers, that has to have some kind of an effect on you. And we want you to work through that."

The tapping of her feet stopped still at that very moment.

"Blood doesn't bother me." She announced feebly. She glanced at the window, just as another trellis of lightning rippled outside.

"Blood doesn't bother you?" Dr. Volger reiterated, an eyebrow raised.

Tahlia was not a strong girl, she'd always known that. She was as scared of spooky stories as she was of confrontational situations.

Dauntless was therefore never a word Tahlia Faith Meyers had ever associated with herself.

But blood however, was a very different story.

She still remembered the grimace on every kid in her grade's face, as they discussed an R- rated movie about cannibals that children of 12 were too young to watch.

The mere thought of such carnage had made the other children's skin crawl.

Not Tahlia though.

She couldn't quite understand why she didn't feel that level of disgust towards blood and gore like normal people. Growing older, she still could not figure out why she was so indifferent to gruesome sights in movies and newspapers.

Perhaps this is why she thought she had a shot at potentially working with criminal psychology.

She remained quiet in response to the doctor's clarification-question.

"Can I please leave now? It's getting late." She urged in a thick voice.

Dr. Volger sighed, "You don't have to put up a front Ms. Meyers. This is the only place you can speak your truth without being questioned, I want you to take that opportunity."

The truth?

Oh, that's right. The chopped up parts of the actual truth that the police thought they knew about.

Would the good doctor continue to treat Tahlia with the same unconditional positive regard if she knew she had harbored feelings for a serial killer who she also inadvertently helped escape from confinement? Would she not go running to the Sergeant with what she had just discovered?

The truth therefore, only exists in different versions of itself.

The plain clock that was hung on the wall ticked as the seconds went by, Volger still waiting expectantly for something, anything from her.

But then again, the part of her that was terrified to her nerves was in no way concealed to anyone.

"He knows where I live." She blurted out quickly. The inner corners of her eyes began to moisten up, as she fluttered her eyes close.

"What you faced Ms. Meyers, was an incredibly frightening situation, but guess what? You're already handling it way better than most people."

If extreme paranoia and crippling anxiety is what the Doctor was talking about, then consider the situation handled.

As the doctor went on about how strong and brave she was, Tahlia found her mind drifting under the heaviness of it all.

She wondered what Logan could be doing right now.

Stalking a prey? Looking for another sinister souvenir to send her?

What does a killer exactly do in his free time?

"..So you should be immensely proud of yourself for th—"

"You know what's funny?" Tahlia interrupted Dr. Volger suddenly.

Volger was positively taken aback for a second, before tilting her head as if to ask 'what?'.

"I don't even know who's going to kill me. Is it going to be Logan, or maybe Ian? I get to pick." She chuckled dryly.

Maybe she had finally lost her mind.

"Ms. Meyers, I assure you, no one is going to kill you." Volger avowed, "You heard Sergeant Randall didn't you? There'll be a patrol car at the campus at all times until Hunt is caught. You have nothing to worry about, really."

As a little tear drop rolled down her cheek, she almost scoffed, "Look at me, I cry more than I breathe these days, it's pathetic. I'm sorry, I don't mean to." She nervously laughed, sniffling at the same tine.

"You don't have to be sorry, tears are what makes us human."

Volger leaned forward in her place imperceptibly,

"Do you know what I do here?"

Tahlia answered as she wiped her cheek with the back of her hand, "Sergeant Randall said you're a consultant."

"Sure, I do consult on some cases, but my regular job description is something else entirely." She divulged, the fine lines and wrinkles on her face becoming more apparent as her face finally held some emotion to it.

"When a police officer shoots someone, among other things, it is mandatory for them to seek at least 5 counseling sessions." She paused, "Everyone goes through tough times, and seeking help or showing emotion to cope with it does not make you pathetic."

She glanced outside, "It is getting late. If you want to leave, you can Miss Meyers."

"Okay." Tahlia nodded, standing up with the Doctor. She mumbled a small thank you, as she turned to leave.

Dr. Volger's office happened to be just adjacent to Sergeant Randall's desk.

As she walked past it, her eyes couldn't miss the little yellow note, now sitting in a plastic bag labeled 'evidence', on top of his vacant desk.

She picked up her pace.

"Miss Meyers?" Came a familiar gruff voice from behind her, just as she approached the elevator.

She turned to face Sergeant Randall,

"I hope Dr. Volger was of help to you. She's pretty good."

"Yeah, thanks." She mumbled, beginning to turn away again.

"Okay, look." He began suddenly, "I'm sorry for bringing up your family yesterday. It was not my place to do so. It's just, I was honest to God frustrated and then when the fingerprints didn't turn up shit, I lost it and—"

"It's okay." She interjected, giving him a meek smile, turning back again, as she waited for the elevator.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could somewhat see the him heave a sigh, as his palm brushed his forehead.

"Okay, again, I'm so sorry. This is probably the worst time to bring this up. But now that you're directly involved in the matter, you have a right to know." He breathed out,

"Another body was found at about 3 pm today, a woman's."

His words were like a thunderclap to Tahlia.

Another person was dead.

Because of her.

"The body was burnt beyond recognition, but her ID was left near the body, true Ripper style."

The doors of the elevator opened, and Tahlia quickly stepped in wordlessly.

She couldn't even dare glimpse at Randall again.

Only one thought went through her head.

Ian.

He had switched to Ian, the more ravenous one.

It was his alternate personality that liked arson, but more importantly, the thrill of a sadistic game.

With a sharp ding, the doors flew open again.

She walked out, dazed.

Even as she strode through the front door, out in the open, her brain could hardly process anything.

The umbrella in her hand was completely forgotten as she strolled through the watery streets, as the heavenly rain dripped down on her body, clinging to her skin.

It was only a few feet that she could make it to, before she fell down to her knees on the street, the water instantly soaking through the denim of her jeans.

Thunder cackled furiously, yet it failed to startle the girl.

The girl who rued her life under the storm brewing sky, as darkness creeped over both her and the lightning filled atmosphere.

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