Three
Nancy still couldn't figure out how she had let Frank talk her into seeing a psychologist. The last thing she wanted to do was to sit in an oversized chair, telling some stranger about her deepest fears and how she was unable to move on. She didn't want to relive the horror of her time with Wesley, especially when she had worked so hard to put it in the back of her mind, locked safely away in a reinforced steel box.
To dare open it would be equivalent to opening Pandora's Box.
Nancy wasn't sure if she would be able to survive it again.
Maybe that was why she'd refused to get out of her car, even though her appointment was only ten minutes away. She knew as soon as she stepped out of her car and into the doctor's office, there would be no turning back. She would have to face the demons that haunted her head on.
And while there was a big part of her that knew she needed to reclaim her life and move on, there was still that small part of her that was afraid. What if she managed to finally take a step forward, only to have something else happen? What would she do then?
Would she even be able to survive mentally?
Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Nancy released a long winded breath. She needed to get a grip and start taking control. She needed to take the first step and she wasn't going to do that by sitting in the relative safety of her car.
Reaching for the handle, Nancy opened the door and got out of the car, shivering slightly as a strong breeze rustled through the parking lot. Pulling her jacket tighter around her body, she locked her car and walked through the entrance, relishing the heat from the heater blasting through the waiting room.
The receptionist smiled as Nancy made her way to the check-in desk. "Hi. Can I help you?"
Nancy smiled timidly as she tucked her hair behind her left ear. "I have an eleven o'clock appointment with Doctor McHan."
Typing in a few keys, the receptionist nodded. "You're Nancy Drew?"
Nancy nodded.
"I just need you to fill out some paperwork and then the doctor will see you." Picking up a clipboard with a couple of sheets of paper on it, she handed it to Nancy. "Just bring this back to me when you finish, okay?"
"Sure." Taking the clipboard, Nancy found a seat in the corner of the room away from the other people in the waiting room. Ever since her time with Wesley, she hadn't felt comfortable around people.
Yet another issue she was sure would be addressed by the psychologist.
Nancy finished the paperwork in about five minutes and brought it back to the receptionist before taking her seat once more. As she waited for the doctor, she took her cell phone out of her purse and saw that she had a missed call and voicemail.
Frank.
A twinge of guilt ran through her as she remembered her refusal to let him come to the appointment with her. It was obvious that all he wanted was to help her, but she kept pushing him away. It hurt her to do so because she loved him with all her heart. But Frank still represented what her life was like before Wesley. And she refused to do anything to tarnish that.
Bringing up the voicemail, Nancy brought the phone up to her ear to listen to his message. "Hey, Nan. I know you're probably heading into your appointment. I wanted to let you know that Joe and I are headed to Madison, Wisconsin to follow up a lead on one of our cases. We think we should be home sometime tonight. I'll let you know, either way." Frank took a deep breath before he spoke again. "I just want you to know that I'm proud of you, Nan. I love you."
Nancy smiled softly, blinking back tears as she hung up her phone and slid it back into her purse. As angry as she was at Frank for pushing her to see a psychologist, it was done out of his love for her. She really was lucky to have someone who cared so deeply for her.
"Nancy Drew?"
Jerking her head up, Nancy saw a petite woman with shoulder length blonde was smiling warmly at her. She was dressed professionally in a gray pencil skirt with a silk baby blue blouse that brought out the blue in her eyes. She was holding a file folder in her hands.
My file, Nancy thought as she stood up and approached the other woman.
"I'm Doctor Anna McHan," she said holding out a hand for Nancy to shake.
"Hi," Nancy said, shaking her hand, feeling comforted by the warm, friendly grip.
"Why don't we head to my office and we'll get started?" She stepped back and let Nancy walk in front of her, closing the door behind them. "Would you rather have a seat on the sofa or the chair?"
"Chair," Nancy answered as her eyes slowly took in Anna's office. The room was full of warm, vibrant colors lending a comforting environment to the patients who walked in. The walls were painted a neutral beige while the furniture was black. The pops of color came from the accents—pillows, throw rugs, and paintings that hung on the wall. There were a few vases of flowers around the office containing daisies, calla lilies, and tulips.
Already, Nancy was starting to feel a little more at ease and she hadn't even begun talking to the doctor yet.
Anna went around to her desk and took a seat before opening Nancy's file. "I know this is probably scary for you, Nancy, but I want you to feel comfortable with me. I want you to be able to feel as if you can speak freely to me about anything. I'm not here to judge you or try to tell you how to live your life. Also, keep in mind that anything you say to me is kept strictly confidential."
Nancy nodded, licking her lips nervously.
Slipping on a pair of black rimmed glasses, Anna picked up a pen. "Now, let's start with why you're here to see me today."
"My fiancé wouldn't stop begging me to until I finally agreed."
"Why would he do that?"
"He's worried about me."
"Does he have a valid reason for worrying about you?"
Nancy shrugged. "Probably."
"Would you care to elaborate?" Anna asked, her gaze locking onto Nancy's. She actually looked as if she genuinely cared about Nancy.
"Do you remember the serial murders that happened around Halloween of last year?"
"Of course. It was all over the news."
"I was one of his victims, but I somehow managed to survive," Nancy said softly, wringing her hands together in her lap.
Recognition dawned in Anna's eyes as she slowly removed her glasses. "You were rescued by your partners."
Nancy nodded.
"From what I gathered from the press, it was a miracle you even pulled through after what he did to you."
Nancy closed her eyes, swallowing hard as she remembered the spider that Wesley had made bite her over and over again.
Anna frowned as she took in Nancy's expression. "Have you talked to anyone about what happened to you, Nancy?"
"Just the police when I gave them my statement."
"You've spoken to no one else in the three months since Agent Levine tried to kill you?"
"No."
"May I ask why not?"
"Because I was sure if I just somehow managed to push it away from my thoughts, I could get past it."
"And have you?"
"No."
Putting her glasses back on, Anna sat back in her chair. "Let's start at the beginning, Nancy. Tell me what happened the night you were taken."
Nancy lifted her eyes to meet Anna's, a shiver racing down her spine. She didn't know if she could do this, feeling the beginning of a panic attack forming in her chest. It was starting to become hard to even take a breath as she thought about reliving what she had gone through all those months ago.
"It's okay, Nancy," Anna said, coming around her desk to kneel in front of Nancy. She took Nancy's hands in hers, squeezing gently. "Nothing can hurt you in here. I know you're afraid, but the only way you can move on is if you start to let go. You don't have to face this alone anymore, Nancy."
"I—I—" Nancy was still having a hard time catching her breath.
"Breathe, Nancy." Anna began breathing deeply, coaching her along. "In. Out. In. Out."
After a few moments, Nancy finally felt her heart returning to a steady beat, her breathing becoming easier. Anna slowly released her hands to stand up and grab her chair, bringing it so she was sitting directly across from Nancy.
"We'll just take things slowly," Anna said softly. "At any time, if you feel like you no longer want to talk, we'll stop and pick it up another day. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Okay, let's start with the day you were taken. Tell me what happened."
Taking another deep, cleansing breath, Nancy sat up straighter in her chair. The oversized cushions brought a sense of comfort to her, almost as if they were hugging her. "I work as a private detective, along with my fiancé and his brother. The police asked for our help with the serial killer case, even though we didn't particularly like dealing with murders."
"So, why did you agree to help them?"
"We wanted to put a stop to him, just as badly as the police did," Nancy answered with a shrug. "We were tired of everyone having to live in fear, unsure of where he would strike next."
"Seems reasonable to me," Anna said with a nod. "Looking back, do you regret agreeing to offer your assistance?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because it's what we do." Nancy felt a swell of pride at the sound of conviction to her voice. She wasn't lying when she said she didn't regret her decision about joining the investigation. Even if she had known what she was getting into, she knew, without a doubt, that she would still agree to help.
It was who she was.
Nancy instantly felt a wave of anger wash over her, hating that Wesley had managed to take that away from her.
"What are you feeling right now, Nancy."
"Anger."
"Towards whom?"
"Wesley."
"Why?"
"Because he took something away from me."
"What did he take away from you, Nancy?"
"My confidence and determination," Nancy said, clenching her fists tightly. "He made me afraid to do what I love."
"And that makes you angry?"
"Yes."
Anna made a note on Nancy's file. "Is it only Agent Levine who you're angry with?"
Nancy didn't say anything for a few moments as she thought about what the doctor was asking her. Was she just angry at Wesley? Or should her anger also be pointed in another direction?
Namely at herself.
"No," Nancy said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Who else are you angry with, Nancy?"
"Myself."
"Why?"
"Because I let him have this amount of control over me, even after three months." Nancy swallowed hard as she looked up at Anna. "I'm still letting him dictate my life when I should be taking it back, putting him behind me."
"And why can't you do that?"
"Because I'm afraid."
There. She admitted it. Nancy Drew was afraid.
Nodding her head, Anna closed Nancy's file and stood up. Taking off her glasses, Ann placed the items on her desk before walking to the door.
Nancy was confused as Anna opened the door. "Wait. That's it?"
"Our hour is up," Anna said with a smile. "We'll pick up on your next appointment on Thursday. You did really well, Nancy."
Gathering her purse, Nancy stood up and walked to the door. "I don't feel as if I did anything. I don't feel any different."
Anna let out a chuckle. "I never promised you would be better in an hour, Nancy. This isn't something we can fix with a shot and a Band-aid. It's going to take some time so don't get discouraged."
"Thank you, Doctor McHan," Nancy said, feeling optimistic at her words. Maybe there was hope for her, after all.
"You're very welcome, Nancy. I'll see you again in a couple of days."
Nancy felt as if a small weight had been lifted off of her shoulders as she unlocked the door to her apartment and put her keys and purse down. Frank had been right all along—talking to a psychologist had been a good idea. It felt good to get her feelings out into the open with a stranger, especially since she wasn't quite ready to confide in Frank or Joe yet.
She hoped with time, it would be easier. But she knew she was taking a step in the right direction.
For the first time in quite a while, she actually felt human.
Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her phone and dialed Frank's number, smiling when he answered on the first ring.
"Nancy?"
"Hey. You busy?"
"I'm never too busy to talk to you, Nan," Frank said softly. "How did it go?"
"It went well," Nancy answered. "I think I'm really going to like her."
"That's good, Nan. I'm really proud of you."
"That's what I gathered from the message you left me. So, have you and Joe made it to Madison yet?"
"We're about an hour out."
"And you'll be home tonight?" Nancy didn't want to sound so needy, but she really didn't want to spend a night away from Frank. Ever since she'd been rescued, there wasn't a night that went by that he wasn't by her side.
"That's the plan. We just need to follow up on a lead, but it shouldn't take us more than a few hours. Are you going to be okay by yourself?"
"Yeah," Nancy said, a little too quickly. "I'll be fine. I'm just going to clean the apartment."
"The place it spotless, Nancy. I don't think it's possible for you to clean it anymore."
Nancy shrugged even though Frank couldn't see it. "Maybe I'll read a book instead."
"Or you could always get some sleep," Frank argued. "You need to get some sleep, Nan."
"Don't worry about me, Frank. I'll be fine," Nancy said, getting slightly annoyed with the mother henning from Frank. "Call me when you're on your way home. And tell Joe to stop by—I'll cook us something for dinner."
"I'll let him know. I love you, Nan."
"I love you, too."
Hanging up, Nancy tossed the phone on the couch and walked to her bedroom. She wanted nothing more than to take a long, relaxing bath and maybe read the book she'd been trying to get to for weeks now. She felt as if she could actually get into it now, after her appointment with Doctor McHan.
Walking to her dresser, she pulled out a pair of sweats and a black tank top. As she was walking to the bathroom, a box on her bed caught her attention. It was a small white box, tied together with a red bow. Smiling to herself, she figured it was a gift from Frank.
Putting her clothes down, Nancy picked the box up and sat down on her bed. Gently tugging to bow free, she lifted the lid. A scream lodged in her throat as she caught a glimpse of the large tarantula before she threw it across the room, where it bounced with a loud thud against the wall.
Scurrying up the bed, Nancy peered at the spider, seeing that it wasn't moving. Just because it wasn't moving, didn't make it any less scary.
She knew without a doubt that it wasn't a gift from Frank. But she also knew that it couldn't be from Wesley. Frank had assured her that he was locked away in jail, awaiting trial. It had to be someone's idea of a sick joke.
But the question was, how in the hell did it end up on her bed?
She remembered locking the door and activating the alarm. And the only reason she remembered that was because she was so OCD about making sure both things were done, even when she went down to the lobby to grab the mail.
Looking past the spider, Nancy spied a sheet of paper sticking out from the box. Taking a deep breath, she slowly eased herself off the bed and picked it up. She opened the folded sheet of paper with shaking hands.
"My new parlor awaits you, Nancy. Are you ready to play a new game?"
Thank you so much for everyone who is reading, and especially those who are reviewing: Michelle Gallichio (I'm glad I can keep you reading—I'm trying to keep the spiders to a minimum!), max2013 (Aw, thanks—I take my membership to the evil writer's guild very seriously), Caranath (Yep, plenty of Nancy torture—because I love doing it), Guest (I do love to torture her—does that make me a bad person?), Cupcake (Yeah, the name of the agency of cheesy, but I do love me some cheese. I am so happy you love Wesley—he's a fun nut to write!), SC15 (Glad you like my Wesley!), Xdaisy chainX (I'm sorry that I have to end the chapters, but that just makes you want more!), and SarahE7191 (Glad you love it!).
I apologize for any mistakes and let me know what you think!
