MINDCHANGER

tonight, tonight (7)

[WICHITA, KANSAS]

"Honey," Dennis' wife yells for him. "Can you come to the kitchen real quick?"

"Yes dear." He gets up off the couch and approaches her. "What do you need?"

She has her arms behind her back, clearly hiding something. "I need to know why."

"Why what?" he slowly begins tilting his head to the left, trying to peer behind her back. "What'cha got there?"

She extends her hands to the front, holding multiple ropes tied in different knots. "I thought you changed-" her voice cracks as she begins shaking. "What is this? What are you doing!"

"Oh, honey! It's nothing!" he quickly defends himself. "Stay right here! Don't move!"

She is paralyzed in fear as he runs to their bedroom. He opens his nightstand drawer and grabs a book. 'KNOTS: The Complete Visible Guide.' it reads. He runs back to the kitchen to show her. "You see, I've picked it up as a hobby. Keeps my hands busy, dear."

She releases the tension in her body and puts the ropes down. She takes a big sigh of relief. "I'm so sorry-" she begins as she reaches in to hug him.

He quickly embraces her in return, holding her close. "It's okay, you have every right to have worried. I'm fine."

"You have been on better behavior," she begins, as she backs out of the hug. "I just saw it and I jumped to conclusions, I need to work on that."

He leans in to kiss her forehead. "You're okay, dear. I understand."

As she turns back around to begin washing the dishes, he grabs the rope and walks down the hallway. He reaches in his pockets for his keys. He keeps the closet with the water heater locked, so that way his wife and child can not enter and potentially harm themselves. As he unlocks it and slowly opens the door, it is exposed that the closet has more than just the water heater. His mask, skirt, handcuffs, tape, and much more rope are inside. He places the rope in the corner, closes the door, and locks it behind him.

[CROWN POINT, INDIANA]

Bill wakes up in his hotel bed, and immediately hops into the shower. He is covered in sweat from another night of restless sleep. He is thinking of what happened to Holden, and how he's growing more concerned. 'I can't stand him,' he begins to think. 'I can barely keep an eye out on him, why do I care so much? Is he going crazy? That kid needs to get some damn help.'

As he is rinsing his hair, there is a knock on the door. "Ugh," he grunts in frustration. "Just a minute!"

He turns the shower knob all the way left, shutting off the water. He grabs a towel and wraps it around his waistline. As he opens the bathroom door to walk towards the entry to the room, steam peers through the entire space. He cracks the door gently, and leans only his head into the opening. 

"Tench!" Holden grins. "Good morning! Coffee?"

Holden extends his hand to give Bill the cup. Bill accepts it. "What are you doing?"

"I couldn't sleep, I can't stop thinking about last night!"

"You were probably just tipsy, kid." Bill takes a sip of his coffee. "Just calm yourself."

"I know I saw him-" Holden watches Bill's head disappear as the door is slammed. He sighs. "So much for leaning on each other." he mumbles to himself.

He turns, slowly walking away. He hears the sound of the door open again behind him, Bill has gotten dressed. "C'mon in kid."

Holden smiles and enters the hotel room. "I hate to have interrupted you," he pauses. "Not sharing a room anymore means I don't quite know what you're doing."