The Writer by Amy Cross Page A

guess. Probably felt like you were trying to get rid of her.”
    “My…” I pause as I realize that in all this chaos, I’ve barely had time to come to terms with everything else that happened tonight. Making my way over to the table, I take a seat and stare into space for a moment. “My friend died,” I say after a moment. “Jacqui, the one from the other night. Her house burned down.”
    “Jesus Christ,” he mutters.
    “And my psychiatrist,” I continue. “He was attacked by a patient. Do you think…” I turn to him. “Do you think this can all be a coincidence?”
    He stares at me, as if he doesn’t know how to respond.
    “It’s me, isn’t it?” I add. “I’m somehow causing all of this to happen.”
    Walking over to the window, he looks out at the truck for a moment, before finally turning back to me.
    “Here’s what we’re going to do, Beth. I think maybe… maybe it’s better if I go back to your house and take a look around, but I should do it alone. I don’t want you to be there right now, not if this thing is getting out of hand. You’ll be totally safe up here -”
    “No way,” I reply. “I’m not staying here without you.”
    “There’s nothing that can hurt you,” he says firmly. “Please, just let me help. I want to go to your house and see what’s happening. I’ll only be gone a few hours, and then when I get back we can make a decision. You trust me, don’t you?”
    “Of course I trust you, but -”
    “Then let me do this.”
    “You’re going to -”
    “I’ve owned this cabin for twenty years,” he continues, “and I swear to you, there’s no place on the planet where you’ll be safer right now. You’ve got your phone, so you can keep in touch with me, and I’ll let you know how things are going.”
    “That’s insane,” I tell him. “If you leave me here -”
    “It’s for your own safety,” he says firmly. “Beth, I realize that you’re panicking, but you’re not in a fit state to make decisions. If you come back to the house with me, it could all kick off again. It needs to be someone objective and rational, and…” He pauses, as if he’s still struggling to come to terms with everything that has happened. “Please, Beth. Even if you’re not entirely convinced that it’s a good idea, just trust me. Have I ever let you down before?”
    “No, but -”
    “Then trust me now, one last time. You’re not seeing things clearly.” He pauses. “I’m going to make everything right again. God, do you seriously think I’d do anything other than the best for you? I just… I’ve done a lot of research into this kind of thing, and now that I can see some of it’s true… You’ve become a focal point for whatever’s happening, and that means I can’t risk taking you with me when I go back to the house. I need you to be brave again, Beth, and wait here until I get back. Can you do that for me?”
    Sighing, I realize that there’s no way I can argue with him. The thought of being in this cabin alone is terrifying, but at the same time I figure I should take John’s advice. He’s never let me down yet, and I do trust him.
    “Don’t be too long,” I tell him finally.
    “I won’t,” he replies, coming over to me. With a smile, he leans down and plants a gentle kiss on the top of my head, before heading to the door. “I’ll drive there, go inside, take a poke around and then come straight back. I’ll be contactable by phone the whole time.” Opening the door, he turns back to me. “This is uncharted territory, Beth. I never, ever thought I’d believe in this sort of thing.”
    “But you really saw them, didn’t you?” I continue, close to tears again. “You’re not just saying that to make me feel better, are you? You’re not driving off to call a psychiatric hospital and have me committed?”
    “I would never do that to you,” he replies. “I saw them, I promise, and now I’m helping you the only way I know how. Trust me, by