The prince of darkness

rried himself with a confidence that belied his youth. As he turned the corner onto Mulberry Street, he saw something that made his blood run cold. A man lay sprawled on

is your emergency?" she asked. "There's been a shooting," Antonio said, his voice shaking. "A man has been shot. He needs help, please." "Can you tell me your location?" t

ked around and saw a group of people gathered on the other side of the street, watching the scene unfold. "Someone call an ambulance!" he yelled. "Please!" The people on the other s

n on the ground. "Help him!" he yelled. Two police officers jumped out of the car, and two paramedics jumped out of the ambulance. Antonio backed away, giving them space to work. The paramedics

sked. Antonio nodded. "I was walking down the street, and I saw a car pull up," he said. "A man got out of the car and shot the victim." "Can you describe the shooter?" the

dows were tinted, and I couldn't see inside." "Did you get a license plate number?" the officer asked. Antonio shook his head. "I'm sorry, I di

o help." The officer nodded. "Thank you," he said. "I'll give you a ride to the station." As they drove, Antonio's mind was racing. He kept thinking about the man wh

r everything he could remember, trying to be as specific as possible. The officer took notes as he spoke. After about an hour, the officer finished taking his statement. "Thank yo

ad. "No," he said. "I'd never seen him before." "Are you sure?" the officer asked. "It's important that we have all the information we can." Antonio hes

usiness suit, and she had a serious look on her face. "Mr. Marcello?" she asked. "Yes, that's me," he said. "Can I help you?" "I'm Detective Jones," s

ng to ask you some questions, and I need you to be honest with me," she said. "Can you do that?" Antonio nodded. "Of course," he said. "I hav

y 9:00." "Did you notice anything unusual on your way to the bus stop?" Detective Jones asked. Antonio thought for a moment. "No, not really,

one else on the street?" "There were a few people walking around," Antonio said. "But I didn't really pay attention to them. I was just trying to get to the bus stop on time." "And then, "And then I heard a gunshot," Antonio said. "I turned around, and I saw a man lying on the ground. I ran over to him, and I tried to help him.

m glad I could help." With that, Detective Jones left the room, and Antonio was free to go. He headed home, his mind still racing with thoughts about what had happened that m

at something else bad was about to happen. He started to feel jumpy and anxious, and he found himself avoiding going out at all. Finally, he decided that he needed to talk to someone about

id. "This is the first time I've ever felt like this. But I just can't seem to get over it." The therapist nodded. "It's normal to feel this wa

herapy that helps you identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. It can be really helpful for people who have experienced trauma." "What would that look like?" Antonio asked. "It would involve

ention, maybe I could have stopped it." "So you're blaming yourself for what happened," the therapist said. "Is that a fair assessment?" "I don't know," Antonio said. "I just, "I want to suggest something," the therapist said. "What if we looked at this situation from a different perspective? Instead of thinking about what you could have done differently, what if you focused on the

" the therapist said. "So that thought isn't helpful. It's just making you feel worse. Let's try a different thought. How about 'I did my best in a difficult situation'

it. Are you ready to try another thought?" Antonio nodded. "Absolutely." "Great," the therapist said. "How about this thought: 'The shooting was a horrible event, but

on relaxation and stress reduction techniques, so that you can cope with difficult situations in a more healthy way. Does that sound okay?" "Yes, that sounds really good," Antonio said. "I'm r

. Let your breath be slow and even. Do you feel more relaxed?" Antonio took a few deep breaths, focusing on the feeling of the air moving in and out of h

ves. Choose any place that feels calming and peaceful to you." Antonio took a few more deep breaths. Then, he started to imagine a forest, with tall trees and a canopy of green

nt moment. Can you feel your body in your chair? Can you hear my voice?" Antonio opened his eyes and looked around the room. He could see the therapist sitting across from him, and he

'. When you start to feel anxious or upset, I want you to say to yourself, 'Stop'. You can also imagine a stop sign in your mind. Then, bring yourself back to the present moment. Do

hing you want." Antonio thought for a moment. "Okay," he said. "I'll imagine a job interview. That makes me feel very anxious."

unding, and my palms are sweating." "Good," the therapist said. "Now, I want you to say to yourself, 'Stop'. And then bring yourself back to the present moment." An

to think of a different situation that makes you feel anxious." Antonio thought for a moment. "Okay," he said. "I'll imagine a traffic jam. That alway

k a deep breath. "Stop," he said. He opened his eyes and looked around the room. "I'm back in the room with you," he said. "It feels good to be here, instead of in that traffic jam." ""You're doing a great job," the therapist said. "Now, let's do one more practice run. This time, I want you to imag