Closure

For Dr. Arianna Troy, it was another day full of sessions; she definitely had a sense of feeling when it came to helping her patients with any and all problems they had. Just as she was about to all it another day, Arianna was informed that she had one more patient scheduled. This drew confusion, as Arianna didn't recall a scheduled appointment, but before she could protest, her unexpected last patient of the day made a beeline for her office.

"Make it quick," Arianna said succinctly, which was met with a raised eyebrow from her latest patient. "I'm sorry, I just didn't expect you to appear, Mrs..."

"Miss," the young woman replied. "Just call me Katie."

"OK, Katie," said Arianna. "What are you struggling with?"

"Nightmares," said Katie. "Actually, one recurring nightmare: my brother's death."

"I'm so sorry," said Arianna. "When did your brother pass?"

"About a year ago," replied Katie. "I still can't get over it. I mean, the doctors said it was a heart attack, which is impossible. He was only 39!"

"Well, it is possible for even young people to have heart problems, Katie," said Arianna.

"Not my brother!" exclaimed Katie. "He was as healthy as a horse. Always ate right, never had any vices. Well, except one."

"What, exactly, was your brother's vice?" asked Arianna.

"Not what...who," replied Katie. "Her name was Janice. At least that's the name I got after I went to the police about my brother. I never even saw her. Every attempt to contact my brother was always blocked by this...Janice. I think she was trying to keep him from us, his loving family. She claimed that he was sick and was taking care of him. I don't buy it." Katie took a deep breath after venting, as she had never had the opportunity to talk about her loss in the year that passed.

"I'm sorry, I'm taking up your time," said Katie. "I'll let you be on your way."

"Wait a minute," said Arianna. "You haven't told me...what was your brother's name?"

"Jacob," Katie said as she was at the office door. "His name was Jacob."

* * *

Later that evening, Katie was sound asleep, which was her first sound sleep in a good while. The session really appeared to help Katie's well being, but at around 1:30AM, that bliss was abruptly interrupted by a hand being placed over her nose and mouth. Katie suddenly woke up as she struggled to breathe, but fortunately for her, she was swinging her arms at the time, and she managed to actually deck her masked attacker. Katie regained herself and pursued her attacker, which was followed by a scuffle that ended with Katie removing the assailant's mask and being shocked to see who her attacker was.

"Dr. Troy?"

"Sorry, sweetheart," Arianna snickered before plunging a syringe into Katie, "but that's not my name. Those who know me call me by my middle name: Janice."

The next time that Katie opened her eyes, she found herself tied up to a chair inside a house that wasn't hers, as she saw various photos of different men--each one with a red "X" covering them. Katie gasped over the last "X," as it was her brother, Jacob, standing next to the very woman who killed him, and the others, and abducted Katie: Arianna Janice Troy, who walked up to Katie while possessing a folder.

"My, my, Katie," Arianna said coyly, "you have been doing your homework, haven't you?"

"You killed my brother!" shouted Katie. "And you killed all of those men?!"

"Guilty," Arianna said with sadistic glee. "I mean, I did them a favor. I freed them from a life of obsessing over their earthly possessions. I was there for them, I loved them, and then I saved them from a life of toxic narcissism. And if I benefit from it, well, that's simply a reward for my services." Arianna put down the Katie's file on her, and later picked up a knife as she continued her fiendish boast.

"Jacob...was different," Arianna continued, "the others weren't much, but Jacob...he was actually sweet. Even so, he needed my help. He needed me to save him from himself."

"There was nothing wrong with Jacob!" exclaimed Katie.

"Only because I did something about it," Arianna said as she waved her knife in Katie's face. "If it makes you feel better, Katie, your brother's death was quick and painless, just like all of the others. I can't say the same about yours, though."

"You're insane!" said Katie. "You won't get away with this!"

"I've been getting away with it for this long, honey," the sinister Arianna laughed. "What's one more? It'll be easy. Poor young Katie, could no longer deal with her big brother's death, so she decided to slit her wrists and end it all." Just as Arianna was about to kill Katie, she suddenly heard the sound of sirens, and they were getting closer and closer by the second.

"What?! How did they find me?!"

"You broke in to my house one too many times," said Katie. "I had known that someone had been entering my home at night, so I told one of my neighbors from across the street to watch the house and call the police if any break-in noises are heard. Looks like they got your license plate number as well. You're done, bitch!"

A group of officers arrived at what was revealed to be Arianna's home, and after Katie was rescued, Arianna Janice Troy was handcuffed and arrested. Arianna stood trial and was officially charged with the murders of Jacob Richman and five other men, as well as the attempted murder of Katie Richman. She expected her profession as a therapist to help her get a successful insanity plea, but the evidence against her was far too much, and in the end, Arianna was convicted and received the death penalty. For Katie, her long nightmare was over. Jacob could rest in peace, as well as Arianna's other victims, and for the first time in over a year, Katie's closure allowed her to fully enjoy a good night's sleep--uninterrupted by nightmares and intruders.

* * *

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