Page 135 of Konstantin

Glancing down at my phone again, I refresh my messages, hoping for one from Riley, maybe telling me she was wrong. But there’s nothing there.

At least I can count on Konstantin showing me exactly who he is.He never hides from it, and there’s some honor in that.

I throw my head back, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts of him offering a strange comfort. His strong arms, the way he makes me feel safe despite everything I should fear about him. His touch is gentle, even though I know what he’s capable of. Yet with me, he becomes someone entirely different.

There’s something in him that makes me want to believe in the impossible, even when everything around me is falling apart. And when he holds me close, I feel… I feel like maybe, just maybe, everything will be okay.

But that’s not true, is it? Because nothing will ever be the same.

The hypnotherapist’s door opens, snapping me out of my spiral. I stand quickly and stride toward the entrance, stepping into her quaint space filled with a hint of lavender and the soft music I recall from last time.

I sit in the chair across from her, the burden of everything I’m holding in sitting heavy in my chest. She starts the session by asking how I’m feeling, if I’ve had a dream of the vision, and I have. What I told Konstantin wasn’t a lie.

“Are you ready to try again?” she asks.

With a nod, I close my eyes as she gets me to relax, guiding me into a trance, the familiar darkness creeping around the edges of my consciousness.

I’m not sure how long passes before I’m back in that closet, the same place I’ve been stuck in for what feels like a lifetime. My chest tightens, my breath shallow. That same fear and helplessness is back, but this time, my senses are sharper.

“I can hear them better,” I tell her.

“Good. Now tell the little girl it’s okay to listen, to look at the man.”

My body buzzes with this weird feeling, but I find myself taking the girl’s hand.

Don’t be afraid,I tell her, and it’s as though she hears me because she looks my way.They can’t hurt you, I promise.

She throws her arms around me, holding on tight, and I wrap mine around her in return, a strange sense of relief settling deep within me. As though she now knows it’s okay, she removes her palms from her ears, inching closer to the door as one of the men speaks.

“You’re threatening me?” He pauses. “You just never learn, do you?”

And I know what comes before it does.

A shot rings out, and the little girl shuts her eyes. My palm lowers to her shoulder.

It’s okay. Remember, he can’t hurt you.

She nods, and when the door rattles, she gasps, grabbing my hand.

Don’t worry. I’ll be here the whole time. Just look at him. That’s all you need to do.

She doesn’t want to. I can taste her fear—my fear. But something inside compels me to stare at the door as it starts to creak open.

At first, all I find is a tall shadow, but as the light creeps in and my vision adjusts…

“No, it-it can’t be—I…”

My heart rate intensifies, my head spinning, my body like it’s out of sync.

“You’re okay,” my therapist says. “Tell me what you see.”

My body stiffens, the strain in my chest growing unbearable. The man steps forward, his hand reaching for the little girl.

She glances back at me as he takes her hand, but my eyes are pinned to his. I want to run, but I can’t. I’m frozen in place, as if I’m being held captive by the memories I’ve been too terrified to face.

His hand is warm and steady as he pulls her out of the closet.

“It’s alright,” he tells her. “Come on out now.”