New patient. Female, 20 years old. The appointment was made by her mother, a woman I met while in graduate school, and the first A-typical I ever worked with.

She didn't say much about her daughter on the phone, simply that she has been in therapy for quite some time, but is only getting worse.

You must be Chloe. Why don't you come in?

Please, take a seat.

Hello, Chloe. My name is Dr. Bright. I'm glad you've come to see me. How are you feeling?

I'm feeling a little drained, but okay. Optimistic, even. Maybe cautiously optimistic.

I'm glad to hear that. As I understand it, you've been in therapy before, but have been finding it frustrating. Could you tell me a little bit about that?

No one believes me. No one believes you about what? About any of it. Keep telling me I need medication and they're wrong.

Why don't we start from the beginning? What made you seek therapy in the first place?

I started to hear things. What kinds of things?

At first I wasn't sure. It was just a quiet murmuring, you know, like being next to a beehive, like that steady hum.

And then things started to break through the hum, and that's when they started talking to me.

Who started talking to you? The Angels.

You believe that Angels are speaking to you? I don't believe it. It's true.

None of the others believe me, and now you don't either. You are supposed to be different.

I didn't say I didn't believe you, Chloe. I'm just trying to understand.

Your mother sent you to me. Do you know why? She said you would be able to help me like you helped her.

That's my hope. I met your mother when I was getting my masters. She was working at the university at the time, and we became good friends.

She was dealing with a special ability.

Has she ever told you about it?

Yes. I didn't think anyone else knew.

Yes, well, I think I was the first person she ever confided in about it. And she was one of my first patients. I helped her learn to control it.

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