“You could have all the crazy thoughts you wanted, as long as you smiled and kept them to yourself.”

“Dad stepped forward. "Mr. Zelden, I'm Patrick Silver."Zelden Frowned. “It’s Doctor Zelden, if you don’t mind. I do hold a doctorate in theology, you know.”Dad gave him a stiff smile. “Of course.”Both my parents held doctorates in psychology, but they never referred to themselves as doctors. They said that title should be reserved for people who could actually save lives, not just write a thesis.”

“I wanted someone to gaze at me that way, someone to share a truly incredible moment with. I wondered how long I would have to wait.”

“And while people claimed to be creeped out, their smiles suggested that none of this was truly scary. It was like going to see a horror movie with a big group of friends: it was fun to be frightened, but when you were part of a large, noisy group, you knew nothing sinister was going to happen.”

“Who cares what other people think? Don't let the opinions of others define you.”

“My legs felt shaky and I gripped the back of Dad’s chair. The still images on the screen stared back at me. “Do you know what caused it?” I asked. No one said anything. I looked at Mom. “What triggered it?” “You did,” she said gently. “We think you’re the trigger.”

“I froze, my hand on the wall, and listened. Someone was definitely upstairs. I reached into my pocket for my cell phone and took a step back toward the front door. I kept my eyes on the stairs and my hand on the cell phone. A light flashed across the hallway”