"I wake up, and my eyes are wide open, only I can't speak or move. It's like part of me is still stuck in the nightmare. But the worst thing, Doc, the very worst thing is that I feel this terrible presence in the room with me. I can feel it. I can hear the echo of its whispers still growling in my head. My skin tingles from it, and my fear… it's so intense that I just have to get out of there."

Dr. Baydo made a few notes, then continued. "Have you ever experienced episodes like these before?"

"No. At least none I can remember."

"But you're not sure?"

"Well, when I was younger, there was a time when I was sleepwalking a lot. It got so bad, my grandmother had to add a dead bolt to her front door."

"Your grandmother?"

"My mom's mother. We moved in with her right after my parents' divorced."

"I see. Out of curiosity, what do you do for fun?"

"Fun? I don't know. Why?"

"You seem wound pretty tight."

"I almost leaped to my death last night, then tossed my cookies in front of a girl that I'd have given my right arm for. Wouldn't that stress you out?"

"I'm sensing something deeper. Let's talk more about your childhood. You said you never got along with your father?"

"I said he enjoyed pushing my buttons. Look, I know it's a Freudian thing with you guys, but do we have to talk about my childhood? What happened in the Sargasso has nothing to do with my father. That was seventeen years ago. I'm a totally different person."

"Maybe. But everyone handles trauma in different ways. Some people repress or block out painful childhood memories that affect us subconsciously on a daily basis throughout our adult years. The near- death experience you suffered in the Sargasso Sea could have forced these childhood memories back to the surface."

"So what do I do now?"

"Discussing your past can often help resolve these conflicts. Do you still feel hatred toward your father?"