Page 72 of Even in the Dark

Dylan:Yeah.

Dr. Morley:Alright… First, can I ask where you are right now?

Dylan:Huh?

Dr. Morley:Where are you? Are you at home or somewhere else?

Dylan:In my room. Why?

Dr. Morley:Just want to get some context, to make sure—

Dylan:What’s “context”?

Dr. Morley:I just want some idea of where you are. If you’re off alone somewhere or—

Dylan:Christ, you guys with this need to know where I am all the time.

Dr. Morley:We care about your safety, that’s all.

Dylan:I’m in my room. That safe enough for you?

Dr. Morley:Sounds safe enough, yes. So, tell me what’s going on?

Dylan:This girl. My neighbor. Scarlett. I think she’s messing with me. Or…Shit.I don’t know. I don’t know what the hell is going on.

Dr. Morley:What happened that makes you think she’s messing with you?

Dylan:Everything about her.

Dr. Morley:Tell me one thing specifically.

Dylan:She’s like… she’s this—one of those popular girls like you see in movies. Totally hot. Has an agenda all the time. Usually bossy, cold… just always kind of mean to people. But then, with me, she’s kind of….nice.

Dr. Morley:Okay… Tell me more.

Dylan:I think she’s trapping me.

Dr. Morley:Explain what you mean by “trapping you”.

Dylan:She’s fucking playing me, man.

Dr. Morley:Because she’s being nice to you, when she’s mean to everyone else?

Dylan:She’s not mean to everyone. She’s got a couple people she’s normal with.

Dr. Morley:Okay… And when you say she’s ‘normal’ with them, do you mean ‘nice’?

Dylan:Yeah. Sort of. Nicer. But also, like she’s not playing a game with them, like she plays with everyone else. She pretends to be tough shit with everyone else, but then with a couplepeople, she doesn’t.

Dr. Morley:So, she has different masks she wears with different people?

Dylan:Yeah. Exactly like that.

Dr. Morley:And when she’s with you, does it feel like she’s playing a game or wearing a mask?

Dylan:That’s the thing—I don’t know…I don’t fucking know.

Dr. Morley:And is that what makes you feel like she’s messing with your head?

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