Truth Out Of Darkness
Chapter 35
Friday morning.
Marlena slammed the phone down in frustration.
"AAAARGH!" she screamed.
There was a knock on her office door.
"Come in!" she barked. She softened when she saw who it was.
John looked startled. "I can come back later, if you want."
She smiled wickedly. "Oh, no. You come over here." After a few minutes of deliriously wonderful kissing, Marlena was completely relaxed.
"So, what has you so upset?" John asked.
"Oh, just problems with Chloe's case. The orphanage is giving me the run around regarding her personal file. First, they needed Chloe's permission to send it to me. Then I had to send them a copy of my license to prove I am a licensed therapist. And of course, they can't email the file to me because they don't have a computer. And they can't fax it to me because they don't have a fax machine. They finally agreed to FedEx it. I just now was able to confirm that it is on its way."
"I guess the file is really important." he said.
"Yes, it is. Unfortunately, I've hit a brick wall in Chloe's case. We've had four sessions now, and she has told me all she knows - many times. I've gone over everything very carefully. But nothing so far explains the dreams and black outs. The answers I'm looking for lie in a period of time when Chloe was supposedly in a coma. I need the file to find out what really happened."
"Of course," she added slowly, hesitantly, "there is one other option. Hypnosis."
"Hypnosis? Isn't that a little.."
"Risky, dangerous and possibly traumatic? Yes. But the gains far outweigh the risks. It is the only solution. Even if I had the file, I would know what happened, but Chloe still wouldn't necessarily remember. Hypnosis is the best way to uncover these memories and bring them to the surface."
"But it could be dangerous."
"Yes. There are always risks when you're dealing with memories that have been repressed this long. Sometimes the mind can't handle the sudden flow of memory - memory overload - and the mind shuts down. But what are my alternatives? Chloe's nightterrors are getting worse and even the sedative she is on has lost its effectiveness. She needs help, now. I'm going to consult with both Chloe and Craig today on the hypnosis before I decide anything. If I get their approval, I may begin tomorrow with the hypnosis."
She hugged John tightly. "I am so looking forward to tonight's ball."
"I believe Brady is taking Chloe. That will be good for her. They've been spending a lot of time together lately. Practically inseparable."
"Speaking of Brady, I know I don't have to tell you not to tell him or anyone what I've shared with you. I could lose my license for just what I've told you. I'm only doing it because we all know Chloe and care about her, and I need feedback and support from everyone to get her through this."
"Well, if you do lose your license, then I'll just have to support you." John grinned.
"Oh, you will? Just remember I'm used to a certain standard of living. I'd be upset if we had to move."
John chuckled. "I guess that means I better get Basic Black up and running."
Meanwhile…
"I can't believe you waited until the last minute to buy a dress for the Ball." Belle said while sorting through the racks at Ballistix.
"It's not last minute, we have hours before the Ball starts. Besides, Brady only asked me a few days ago and with Marlena's marathon sessions, I haven't had time to get a dress." Chloe replied. "I suppose I could go with somthing I have. But I want to wear something new. A new dress for a new start."
"A new start?" Belle asked. She held up a little red number for Chloe.
Chloe shook her head. "Too Phillip-y. Yeah, now that I finally kicked Phillip out of my life and started therapy, I feel like - well, remember when I told you that life had gotten off track for me? Well, now it's back on track. I know I'm headed in the right direction. It's a great feeling."
"Does Brady have anything to do with this new start?" Belle inquired with an innocent expression on her face. Belle grinned to see Chloe blush.
"Yes. Brady and I have talked... about us. He told me he loved me." Chloe smiled, remembering.
Belle jumped up and down. "He did?!" she squealed. "That's great! How did you feel?"
Chloe smiled wistfully. "It was the most wonderful thing I'd ever heard. It just felt, I don't know, right. I can't describe it." she trailed off.
Belle smiled dreamily. "I know the feeling."
"Well, we aren't in an official relationship or anything. I have to work through this other stuff first."
They both continued rummaging through the racks and racks of dresses. Chloe stopped and frowned slightly. She felt a pair of eyes burning into her. She stole a quick glance around the crowded store, but saw nothing suspicious. She shrugged and went back to scavenging.
Belle had already bought her dress days ago, but in the belief that you can never have too many clothes, she was shopping for herself as well. She held up a blue dress for Chloe. "How's this?"
"Too short."
Belle looked at Chloe's long, tall figure and replied with just a hint of uncharacteristic envy, "Yeah, I guess on you it would be. Anyway, back to topic. How are you dealing with the other stuff?" She was still very worried about her best friend. She hadn't been able to forget Chloe's breakdown Monday night. It still shook her up to think of Chloe looking like that, like a broken doll. Belle noticed that Chloe still looked tired.
"Well, the sedatives I'm on are helping, at least I think they are. Craig and Nancy at least look like they've been able to sleep. So that's good. I feel really bad about what I'm putting them through. And Nancy's been really great. Not smothery or overbearing. She's actually been giving me space. Of course that's probably because Craig and Marlena told her to." Chloe chuckled.
"How are the sessions?"
"Not too bad. It's still hard for me to talk about... things, but your mom makes it easy. I guess she knows what she's doing." Chloe replied with a small smile. "I think she's frustrated by something - we've been going over the same stuff over and over - but still haven't found the reasons for my nightmares." Chloe paused and looked at Belle. "Tomorrow we're going to try hypnosis."
"Hypnosis?"
"Yeah, I know. I hear the word and think of lame lounge acts and people clucking like chickens. But apparently, this is serious. It could be dangerous."
Belle noticed Chloe's apprehension. "Don't worry. My mom has done this many times. In fact, a couple of years ago, Mom hypnotized Hope so she could remember her time as Princess Gina. Of course, she turned out to be Princess Gina pretending to be Hope." She saw Chloe's confusion. "Don't ask. You really don't want to know."
"Anyway, I want to forget about tomorrow and just concentrate on tonight." Chloe said. Her eyes lit up as she grabbed a dress. The dress.
Belle sighed contentedly. "I can't tell you how happy I am! My best friend and my big brother! I know you two aren't together-together, but promise me one thing, okay?" she asked, at once serious.
"What?"
"Whatever you guys do, don't tell me about it. You and my brother doin' stuff? NOT something I need to know, okay?"
"No problem." Chloe laughed.
The girls went and got in line so they could pay for their dresses. As they stood in the slow moving line, Belle noticed a troubled look on Chloe's face. Chloe took a couple of quick glances around the store.
"Chloe, what is it?"
"Oh, it's nothing. For the last few days, I've had this nagging feeling that someone is following me around. The pictures Phillip took of me just have me jumpy, that's all. The idea of him following me, taking pictures - it's really unsettling - and I guess I'm having a hard time letting go of it, even though he's gone."
"And nothing else has happened, right? No phone calls or anything?"
"Nothing." Chloe saw that Belle was deep in concentration. "What is it?"
"I was just thinking of last summer, before we left on our trip. You thought that someone had been following us around. That person turned out to be Paul Mendez."
"The crazed jewel thief who tried to kill you guys."
"Right. That was the worst experience of my entire life and I can't help but think that if we had listened to you in the first place, then we could have avoided the whole thing." She inhaled deeply, pushing aside the pain of the past. "All I'm saying, is I've learned to trust your instincts. If you feel that someone is stalking you, then maybe it's because they are."
Chloe shook her head in denial. She couldn't accept that possibility. "No. Phillip's in Greece. Brady talked to Victor just yesterday and confirmed it. He's gone!" Chloe said with conviction.
Belle paused for a moment. Her voice was deadly quiet.
"Maybe the stalker isn't Phillip."
Chapter 35
Friday morning.
Marlena slammed the phone down in frustration.
"AAAARGH!" she screamed.
There was a knock on her office door.
"Come in!" she barked. She softened when she saw who it was.
John looked startled. "I can come back later, if you want."
She smiled wickedly. "Oh, no. You come over here." After a few minutes of deliriously wonderful kissing, Marlena was completely relaxed.
"So, what has you so upset?" John asked.
"Oh, just problems with Chloe's case. The orphanage is giving me the run around regarding her personal file. First, they needed Chloe's permission to send it to me. Then I had to send them a copy of my license to prove I am a licensed therapist. And of course, they can't email the file to me because they don't have a computer. And they can't fax it to me because they don't have a fax machine. They finally agreed to FedEx it. I just now was able to confirm that it is on its way."
"I guess the file is really important." he said.
"Yes, it is. Unfortunately, I've hit a brick wall in Chloe's case. We've had four sessions now, and she has told me all she knows - many times. I've gone over everything very carefully. But nothing so far explains the dreams and black outs. The answers I'm looking for lie in a period of time when Chloe was supposedly in a coma. I need the file to find out what really happened."
"Of course," she added slowly, hesitantly, "there is one other option. Hypnosis."
"Hypnosis? Isn't that a little.."
"Risky, dangerous and possibly traumatic? Yes. But the gains far outweigh the risks. It is the only solution. Even if I had the file, I would know what happened, but Chloe still wouldn't necessarily remember. Hypnosis is the best way to uncover these memories and bring them to the surface."
"But it could be dangerous."
"Yes. There are always risks when you're dealing with memories that have been repressed this long. Sometimes the mind can't handle the sudden flow of memory - memory overload - and the mind shuts down. But what are my alternatives? Chloe's nightterrors are getting worse and even the sedative she is on has lost its effectiveness. She needs help, now. I'm going to consult with both Chloe and Craig today on the hypnosis before I decide anything. If I get their approval, I may begin tomorrow with the hypnosis."
She hugged John tightly. "I am so looking forward to tonight's ball."
"I believe Brady is taking Chloe. That will be good for her. They've been spending a lot of time together lately. Practically inseparable."
"Speaking of Brady, I know I don't have to tell you not to tell him or anyone what I've shared with you. I could lose my license for just what I've told you. I'm only doing it because we all know Chloe and care about her, and I need feedback and support from everyone to get her through this."
"Well, if you do lose your license, then I'll just have to support you." John grinned.
"Oh, you will? Just remember I'm used to a certain standard of living. I'd be upset if we had to move."
John chuckled. "I guess that means I better get Basic Black up and running."
Meanwhile…
"I can't believe you waited until the last minute to buy a dress for the Ball." Belle said while sorting through the racks at Ballistix.
"It's not last minute, we have hours before the Ball starts. Besides, Brady only asked me a few days ago and with Marlena's marathon sessions, I haven't had time to get a dress." Chloe replied. "I suppose I could go with somthing I have. But I want to wear something new. A new dress for a new start."
"A new start?" Belle asked. She held up a little red number for Chloe.
Chloe shook her head. "Too Phillip-y. Yeah, now that I finally kicked Phillip out of my life and started therapy, I feel like - well, remember when I told you that life had gotten off track for me? Well, now it's back on track. I know I'm headed in the right direction. It's a great feeling."
"Does Brady have anything to do with this new start?" Belle inquired with an innocent expression on her face. Belle grinned to see Chloe blush.
"Yes. Brady and I have talked... about us. He told me he loved me." Chloe smiled, remembering.
Belle jumped up and down. "He did?!" she squealed. "That's great! How did you feel?"
Chloe smiled wistfully. "It was the most wonderful thing I'd ever heard. It just felt, I don't know, right. I can't describe it." she trailed off.
Belle smiled dreamily. "I know the feeling."
"Well, we aren't in an official relationship or anything. I have to work through this other stuff first."
They both continued rummaging through the racks and racks of dresses. Chloe stopped and frowned slightly. She felt a pair of eyes burning into her. She stole a quick glance around the crowded store, but saw nothing suspicious. She shrugged and went back to scavenging.
Belle had already bought her dress days ago, but in the belief that you can never have too many clothes, she was shopping for herself as well. She held up a blue dress for Chloe. "How's this?"
"Too short."
Belle looked at Chloe's long, tall figure and replied with just a hint of uncharacteristic envy, "Yeah, I guess on you it would be. Anyway, back to topic. How are you dealing with the other stuff?" She was still very worried about her best friend. She hadn't been able to forget Chloe's breakdown Monday night. It still shook her up to think of Chloe looking like that, like a broken doll. Belle noticed that Chloe still looked tired.
"Well, the sedatives I'm on are helping, at least I think they are. Craig and Nancy at least look like they've been able to sleep. So that's good. I feel really bad about what I'm putting them through. And Nancy's been really great. Not smothery or overbearing. She's actually been giving me space. Of course that's probably because Craig and Marlena told her to." Chloe chuckled.
"How are the sessions?"
"Not too bad. It's still hard for me to talk about... things, but your mom makes it easy. I guess she knows what she's doing." Chloe replied with a small smile. "I think she's frustrated by something - we've been going over the same stuff over and over - but still haven't found the reasons for my nightmares." Chloe paused and looked at Belle. "Tomorrow we're going to try hypnosis."
"Hypnosis?"
"Yeah, I know. I hear the word and think of lame lounge acts and people clucking like chickens. But apparently, this is serious. It could be dangerous."
Belle noticed Chloe's apprehension. "Don't worry. My mom has done this many times. In fact, a couple of years ago, Mom hypnotized Hope so she could remember her time as Princess Gina. Of course, she turned out to be Princess Gina pretending to be Hope." She saw Chloe's confusion. "Don't ask. You really don't want to know."
"Anyway, I want to forget about tomorrow and just concentrate on tonight." Chloe said. Her eyes lit up as she grabbed a dress. The dress.
Belle sighed contentedly. "I can't tell you how happy I am! My best friend and my big brother! I know you two aren't together-together, but promise me one thing, okay?" she asked, at once serious.
"What?"
"Whatever you guys do, don't tell me about it. You and my brother doin' stuff? NOT something I need to know, okay?"
"No problem." Chloe laughed.
The girls went and got in line so they could pay for their dresses. As they stood in the slow moving line, Belle noticed a troubled look on Chloe's face. Chloe took a couple of quick glances around the store.
"Chloe, what is it?"
"Oh, it's nothing. For the last few days, I've had this nagging feeling that someone is following me around. The pictures Phillip took of me just have me jumpy, that's all. The idea of him following me, taking pictures - it's really unsettling - and I guess I'm having a hard time letting go of it, even though he's gone."
"And nothing else has happened, right? No phone calls or anything?"
"Nothing." Chloe saw that Belle was deep in concentration. "What is it?"
"I was just thinking of last summer, before we left on our trip. You thought that someone had been following us around. That person turned out to be Paul Mendez."
"The crazed jewel thief who tried to kill you guys."
"Right. That was the worst experience of my entire life and I can't help but think that if we had listened to you in the first place, then we could have avoided the whole thing." She inhaled deeply, pushing aside the pain of the past. "All I'm saying, is I've learned to trust your instincts. If you feel that someone is stalking you, then maybe it's because they are."
Chloe shook her head in denial. She couldn't accept that possibility. "No. Phillip's in Greece. Brady talked to Victor just yesterday and confirmed it. He's gone!" Chloe said with conviction.
Belle paused for a moment. Her voice was deadly quiet.
"Maybe the stalker isn't Phillip."