Max opened his eyes quickly, only to find that it wasn’t real. He glanced around the room, seeing nothing out of the ordinary except the furniture that sat on the floor.

After a few moments passed by, Max turned to face his father. His father met his gaze and gave him a small smile.

“Everything is fine now, Max.”

Max smiled back at his father as he slowly began to realise why everything had been different since his mother’s funeral.

For the first time in years, he felt completely content.

As Max awoke the following morning, he could feel his body trembling.

For a brief instant, he wondered whether the...