I try desperately to control my sobs, the cold reality of what I'd nearly done sinking in like a frost in the winter, chilling me. I glance up at him, so relieved he's alive, and his expression softens as he takes in my tears.

Settling down on the carpet beside me and gathering me in his arms, he tries to wipe them away with his fingers but they continue coming too fast. "Tin-Tin, what's going on?" He murmurs quietly, the hard tone I'd heard moments before gone from his voice.

I swallow and hiccup, trying to bring in air to fill my lungs, closing my eyes briefly to try and shut off the tears. "I don't. . .I don't know."

He pauses for a moment, rubbing my back to try and soothe me. He has no idea what has just taken place, no idea that his would-be murderer is the one in his embrace. "You do know," he responds quietly, not pressing for details until I've calmed down enough to speak.

"I do know," I repeat, the last couple minutes covered in fog yet still visible to me in my mind.

He stands, pulling me up with him, and leads me back to the bed. Feeling helpless, I allow him to tuck me back in and pull me close beneath the thick blanket he's laid over both of us. "Calm down," he says next to my ear, oblivious. "Tell me what happened. Everything, Tin-Tin."

I don't answer for what seems like an eternity to the both of us. It takes time for me to decide what to tell him and what not to. Should I come clean about all of it, including the fact that I'm part of an evil scheme to kill him? It's one of the hardest decisions I've ever made. I risk everything I have if I tell the complete truth. The silence continues as I keep on pondering.

"Did it have anything to do with these attacks you've been suffering?" He asks gently, trying to coax answers out of me.

I nod and sniffle, moving closer to him in an effort to perhaps scare my thoughts and memories away.

"Tell me what happened," he urges carefully. "I have to know if I'm to help."

I say what he least is expecting. "There's a man. . ." I begin, my voice trembling quietly. "There's a man i-inside my head."

"Inside your head? Tin-Tin, I'm not kidding about all this, and neither should you be. What is going on?"

"It's the truth, Virgil!" I cry, feeling everything I've been wanting to tell him welling up in my throat. "There's - there's someone there, controlling me, taking over my thoughts."

He narrows his eyes. "There's someone in your head?" It didn't seem to be making sense to him. But who could blame him, in all honesty? It sounded farfetched, even to me.

I nod vigorously, trying to make him understand. "He speaks to me, Virgil. He tries to make do things I don't want to do."

"Such as?" He pries, wanting to get to the bottom of this.

"He - He wanted me to kill you."

I can feel his body stiffen against mine. "Kill me?" He repeats softly.

I nod again, more tears falling down my cheeks and a sob escaping my throat. "He said that. . .that if I didn't kill you, he'd kill me."

"Tin-Tin, you must have dreamed all this," he concludes rationally.

"No!" I protest loudly, hating to be thought of as some kind of foolish girl. "I didn't dream any of it. In the pool, when I nearly drowned, it was because he was holding me there under the water. He was, Virgil, he really was!"

Despite it all, he continues to try and make me feel better. "You're getting yourself worked up, Tin-Tin. You're not thinking clearly."

"I am thinking clearly!" I pull away from him roughly, eyes angry as I look at him. "Do you think I'd make something like this up?" It's difficult to keep my voice down, unable to comprehend the fact he doesn't believe me.

"Tin-Tin, please calm down. Are you really serious that there's a man using. . .some form of psychological power on you?"

"Yes, Virgil! Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying! I was lying awake and he came and took over, and the next thing I knew I was standing at the foot of the bed holding a knife!" My body racks with sobs but I won't allow him to comfort me any more. Only when he sees the truth - and this is it.

"That knife?" He looks across the room at the one driven so forcefully into the wall. "You were holding that knife?" Slowly the pieces seem to be coming together but he still appears to be a state of disbelief. "With what intent?" He glances back at me, already knowing the answer but not willing to accept it.

"He was controlling everything I did; I couldn't stop it. He wanted me to kill you. . .with that knife."

His lips set in a firm line as he contemplates this information. "But you didn't. Why didn't you kill me, Tin-Tin?"

"I couldn't do it, Virgil. I saw you lying there and - and I just couldn't do it. His strength began to loosen and he let me go, and I threw the knife at the wall. Virgil, please, you must believe me," I pleaded urgently, begging him with my eyes. "You must believe me."

He nodded faintly, silence falling over us as he thought. "I don't know what to say," he murmured finally, his gaze searching mine. "You swear this is the truth?"

"I promise it is, Virgil. I promise it is!" I reply, my voice breaking as I try to wipe away the rest of my tears. "I would never dream of making it up, or doing anything to hurt you. Please, Virgil, I promise it's the truth. I couldn't control any of my actions."

He sighs, blinking for a moment, letting this sink in. "Tin-Tin, you do realize how crazy it sounds, don't you?"

I nod reluctantly, knowing it and hating it all the same.

"But I believe you."

I've never been more relieved to hear those four words than I was then. "You do?"

"Yes. But before we speak of this any more, there's one thing you should do."

"What's that?" I wipe my eyes with my robe, taking a deep breath to steady myself.

"Call your father - and ask him if he suffered the same thing."

"You mean if his attacks had a man talking to him too?"

Virgil nods. "That's exactly what I mean. If it ties together, it'll be easier on all of us."

"Easier to believe, you mean?" I venture quietly.

He sighs once more and nods again. "Yes, easier to believe. For everyone."

"Oh, but Virgil, how can I possibly tell my father what I tried to do?" I ask, pulling the blanket closer around myself to try and chase my shivers away.

"Don't. Just simply ask; try to find out as much about his attacks as you can. He's never told anyone. Now that it's happening to someone else, maybe we can get to the bottom of this."

I could only hope he's right.