They had driven to his office in silence. Adam hadn’t wanted to leave Faith, but she had angrily shooed him away when he put his head round the studio door. There was no question of conducting the session at home, with Faith in earshot, so Adam had tipped Kassie into his Lexus and set off for Lincoln Park.
Climbing the stairwell to the top floor, Adam had been struck by the silence in the building. He had no clients scheduled for today of course, but where were all the other people, the office workers and couriers who he regularly passed as he climbed the stairs? Nothing seemed normal today. Everything seemed slightly off.
Five minutes later, they were seated opposite each other in his client space, Kassie sitting bolt upright on one of the comfy chairs. She had refused the offer of a drink, with something akin to impatience. There was a clear sense that, now the decision had been made to do this, she just wanted to get on with it. Adam, for his part, was more circumspect, but had concluded that there was nothing to be gained by rejecting Kassie. If he really wanted to get to the bottom of this, if he really wanted to help, then he had to engage.
‘Distancing techniques work in a number of ways,’ Adam found himself saying. ‘But they all have the same purpose. They allow the subject to relive a trauma from a safe space, so they know they can’t be hurt or affected by the experience. Like an outsider looking in. So we need to find something that will work for you as an individual. Some people like to imagine they are in a comfy living room, watching their experiences on a TV. You are in control, you can turn it on or off at any time. Other people like to put themselves back in the experience directly, but this time they are in a bubble. They cannot be touched or hurt and nobody in the original experience can see the –’
‘The bubble,’ Kassie interrupted quickly. ‘We’ll do the bubble.’
Adam paused, unsure whether he should unpack this decision or let it slide. Seeming to sense his doubt, Kassie said:
‘It’ll be the best fit for me. There’s no point discussing other options.’
She seemed confident, assured, so Adam continued:
‘Now I’m going to put you under hypnosis, but remember you will be in your bubble at all times, totally safe and secure.’
Kassie nodded, so Adam got her to count to fifty as he slowly began to hypnotize her. Once he was confident she was properly under, he began to guide her back in time.
‘I want you to empty your mind, Kassie. Imagine you’re floating through a blank space. It has no colour, no markings, nothing. It is empty, clean, pure. You’re soaring gently through it, happy, relaxed, weightless.’
Adam paused to let his words register. Kassie appeared to be responding to his words, so he continued:
‘Now in the distance you see something. It looks like a light, something real, something tangible. Now you’re moving towards it at a steady speed, slowly it’s getting bigger and bigger, clearer and clearer. Now you can see what it is. It’s your therapy group and you’re there with Rochelle, Simone and the others. Can you see it, Kassie?’
‘You’re in the room with them, but you’re safe. You’re secure. Watching them from inside your bubble. Now, Kassie, slowly, I want you to look up. I want you to look into Rochelle’s eyes. Can you do that for me?’
The effect on her was immediate. Kassie gasped, then spit flew from the teenager’s mouth, as she screamed:
‘Oh, God, no. Please don’t hurt me. I don’t want to … PLEASE …’
The final word erupted from her, as she fell forward off her chair, landing in a heap on the floor. Adam was on his feet at once, hurrying to her, lifting her up off the carpet. She was conscious, out of hypnosis now, but still Adam was amazed by the transformation in her. She was sweating profusely and her face was deathly pale.
‘It’s ok, Kassie,’ he said gently, guiding her back to a chair. ‘You’re quite safe. You’re here with me, Dr Brandt, in my office and –’
‘It’s ok. I’m ok …’
She whispered the words, breathless but coherent. Even as she spoke a tiny bit of colour came back to her cheeks.
‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that,’ she said quietly.
‘You’ve nothing to apologize for, Kassie.’
‘I was just so scared …’
‘I understand. You just sit there. I’m going to get you a glass of water, then we’ll think about getting you a cab home.’
‘I want to try again.’
‘Absolutely not.’
‘We need to try again.’
‘No. I wouldn’t be doing my duty if I –’
‘Please,’ she countered. ‘Just one more time. I know what to expect this time, I can handle it.’
After further discussion, Adam eventually conceded, insisting, however, that they take a fifteen-minute break to get some fresh air and a glass of water. The quarter-hour on the balcony passed quickly and before long they were facing each other once more. Despite some fairly serious misgivings, Adam put Kassie under hypnosis once more.
As before, he guided her towards the therapy room and as previously he asked her to look directly at Rochelle. Kassie, who had been slouching slightly, sat up sharply and began to make quiet, keening noises. Her body was rigid, her face contorted, the muscles twitching around the side of her mouth. She didn’t fall this time; instead she seemed to be fighting something, perhaps fighting to keep herself in the experience.
‘He wants to hurt me,’ she suddenly blurted, her voice tight, rising in pitch with each word. ‘He’s going to kill me. I can feel his hand on my neck –’
She broke off, screaming long and loud, before stopping abruptly. Her breathing was feverish, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
Adam’s instinct was to break off the session, but suddenly Kassie spoke again:
‘He’s right on top of me, I can smell him. And –’
She suddenly went quiet again and the colour drained from her cheeks.
‘What is it, Kassie?’
‘He’s going to cut my throat.’
She half gasped, half groaned. Despite himself, Adam actually shivered, as if he could feel Rochelle’s throat being cut.
‘Is it just him there?’
‘Yes … no … I can hear laughter … It sounds like female laughter …’
‘Can you see this woman? Is she there?’
‘No … I can’t see … anyone any more,’ she breathed, still seeming to struggle for breath. ‘I’m staring up at the ceiling. I can see the moon. A big, pink moon …’
Kassie started to choke now, greedily gasping for oxygen, while clawing at the air, so Adam intervened, bringing her swiftly out of her hypnosis. She looked extremely shaken and Adam had an inkling of how she felt – he had never had a distancing session where the patient had been able to feel trauma so keenly.
‘Am I as pale as you?’
Kassie’s question punctured his introspection – Adam was surprised to see the trace of a rueful smile in Kassie’s expression.
‘Worse,’ Adam replied, as lightly as he could.
‘So, what now?’
‘Now … if you’re up to it … tell me everything you saw.’
He sat opposite her, pen poised to write down her account. He had done this many times before, but never had his hand shaken so.
‘I was in a hut or an outbuilding.’
‘Was this the same place as last time?’
‘Yes.’
‘But you said Jacob was in a basement.’
‘I was wrong, it’s definitely above ground. When I looked up … I could see through the broken rafters. I could see the moon, a big pink moon …’
Adam noted down ‘pink moon’. These celestial rarities happened in spring, so Kassie’s timing was right. But whether this was by accident or design, he couldn’t say.
‘Could you see who was with you? This man?’
‘Not really, it was dark. But I could smell cigarettes on his breath. I could hear his voice. He was close by, taunting her, enjoying himself.’
‘Did he have an accent?’
‘He’s from the Midwest, I think, but it’s hard to say.’
‘And the woman?’
Kassie shook her head.
‘I just heard her laughter. It was high-pitched and cruel … so cruel … like she couldn’t stop.’
Kassie shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself.
‘And she was in there with you?’
‘Yes … no … I don’t know. It sounded more distant, but it was very clear.’
‘And did you recognize her? Her voice, I mean?’
‘No,’ Kassie replied firmly, as if irritated by the suggestion.
‘Were you clothed?’
‘No … definitely not. I was so cold …’
‘And did you see the blade?’
‘No, I just felt it on my skin. It was long and thin – I could feel it digging into my throat, cutting me …’
Now Kassie started to weep, low scared sobs. Adam called time on the session, taking time to comfort her, before settling her down to watch TV, so he could write up his notes. Though she appeared to contradict some of her earlier testimony, Kassie’s thoughts today had been clear, concise and detailed. But the question remained – was any of it even remotely real?