When she returned to her room, she tossed and turned in bed for a long time, remembering that evening, experiencing mixed feelings. Then she just sat on the windowsill, peering into the night landscape outside the window.

She had already dozed off when she heard a desperate female cry, barking dogs, trampling of feet and obscene shouts. She rubbed her eyes and leaned against the glass, peering out over the floodlit lawns. Alas, what was happening was hidden from me by plantings of coniferous trees.

The crying stopped, and then a sharp bang made me jump on the spot. The barking resumed along with a fading female scream full of...