Chapter 2

It was three o’clock in the morning when Angela’s usual nightmare came to an end. Once again she had narrowly escaped death by asphyxiation. Her terrifying dream had followed her, even in Dinah’s house. She woke up sweating with her heart pounding and her mouth dry. The room was cold and she was shivering. She felt the need for a hot, reassuring drink. She quickly put on her dressing gown and, barefoot so as not to wake up the others, quietly went down the stairs towards the kitchen.

To her great surprise she saw the dim light of a small lamp illuminating the room. In the shadow she recognised Dinah. With an abandoned look on her face she was slowly and gently lulling herself in a rocking chair. Dinah perceived her movements, turned her face towards her and gently said, “What’s wrong, Angela? Why aren’t you sleeping?”

Angela didn’t answer immediately. Big warm tears were running down her cheeks. Anguished she found the voice to whisper, “Dinah, it’s months now that I am tormented by the same old nightmare. Often, ever more often, I have to go through this horrible dream.”

She told her the circumstances of her incubus. Dinah was listening attentively.

She inquired about all the details of the dream and finally, as if she had reached a conclusion, she got up from the rocking chair and said, “Come on,