“I’m glad you got some answers. Do you think you’ll get more with another session?”
Mallory looked toward the hypnotherapist. “Will I?”
“You might. Especially since it won’t be new to you next time. You can enter the trance state more easily when you know what to expect and trust that you’ll be completely safe.”
“What I really want to know is if we can stop the spirits from visiting except when I want them to.”
“I can add a posthypnotic suggestion to that effect.”
“You can? Why didn’t you?”
“We didn’t discuss it. I wouldn’t add something like that unless you were completely aware that that’s what I was going to do. Mental health is trickier than hypnosis for losing weight or giving up cigarettes.”
“I thought you said I wasn’t crazy.”
He leaned forward. “You’re not. Mental health is different than abnormal psychology. Everyone wants mental health. I know it’s just semantics, but the difference is important. I wish more emphasis was put on that difference. Society hears the words ‘mental health’ and automatically jumps to the conclusion that the lack of it is being discussed.”
“Oh. So, I’m mentally healthy?”
“Until proven otherwise.”
“All of this is good news,” Dante said, “except for one thing.Whyis she being haunted, for lack of a better word? Is there a proper word for what’s happening to her?”
The hypnotherapist took a deep breath and looked as if he had to take a moment to think. At last, he said, “Not that I can think of. I haven’t had a case like this before, but mediums might have a better handle on the lingo. If she were schizophrenic, that would be one thing, but I don’t think she is.”
Mallory shot to her feet. “You don’tthink?”
“Relax. I’m quite sure, but I have to allow for the fact that I’m human. I believe in a spirit world, even though my education is rooted in science. I could be wrong, even though I’m confident.”
“Oh. I was almost confident too. Confident that I was crazy,” she said with a frown.
Dante quickly changed the subject to making another appointment.
Mallory looked at him imploringly. “I’d need a ride. Would you be willing to bring me, Dante?”
“Of course I will,” he said. He rose and held out his hand. This relationship was still new and undefined. He’d be thrilled when he could say she was his. Happily, she placed her hand in his and didn’t let go.
“If it’s any consolation,” the therapist said as they were leaving, “the spirits haven’t given you any commands. They seem to be benevolent.”
“Well, crap. I never thought about what would happen if they told me to do something evil. What if one of them tells me to run into traffic?”
“Would you run into traffic?”
“Of course not.”
“Then I wouldn’t worry about it.”
Dante sucked in a deep breath. How frightening would it be if a voice told someone to run into traffic and that person believed they had to do it? He was grateful Mallory was well aware of the difference.
