Fear gradually receded back into the darkness.

It's just a bad dream...

Jess drank coffee and listened to her fiancé, who spoke in a cheerful tone about the symposium and colleagues, not forgetting about the stove, and in front of her eyes was a bloodied translucent image of Brent lying unconscious by her bed.

At some point, Eric wanted to kiss her, leaned over, resting his hand on the table, but the image of Brent in Jess's head suddenly became so vivid that a fit of disgust and irrational horror washed over her. Eric's hands felt like someone else's. The aroma of cinnamon and vanilla is sugary-suffocating. And everything around...