No Going Back by Lyndon Stacey

and just ring me.’
    â€˜OK. But before you give your phone number to half the females in Devon, how about putting another log on the fire and then giving me a cuddle?’
    â€˜We-ell.’ Daniel made a show of looking at his watch, pursing his lips and shaking his head – ‘I should really be going . . .’
    â€˜You ain’t going anywhere with half a bottle of wine inside you, mister!’ Tamzin told him. ‘You’re gonna have to stay right here, like it or not!’
    â€˜Well, I suppose I could be a gentleman and pretend to like it,’ he said generously.

THREE
    â€˜ D aniel! Wake up! Dan!’ Tamzin’s urgent tones penetrated the stark horror of Daniel’s dream and finally achieved their aim.
    â€˜What? What is it?’ He scrambled to a sitting position, images from his nightmare mixing confusingly with the unfamiliar reality of Tamzin’s under-the-eaves bedroom. She had put the light on, and in the room below, the dogs were barking, Taz’s deep voice among them.
    Blinking sleep away, Daniel focused on the worried face beside him.
    â€˜What’s the matter?’
    â€˜You tell me,’ Tamzin suggested. ‘You’re the one who woke me up, yelling blue murder. You’ve even upset the dogs.’
    Daniel frowned. ‘Sorry, I must have been dreaming.’
    â€˜Well, I’m glad I don’t have dreams like that. Are you OK?’ she asked. ‘That was pretty full on.’
    â€˜I’m fine. Did I say anything? I mean, anything that made any sense?’
    â€˜Not really. You kept saying “Put it down,” over and over, and then you shouted out.’
    Daniel grimaced. ‘You should have woken me sooner.’
    â€˜I tried, believe me!’ Tamzin reached out a hand and stroked his arm. ‘Do you want to talk?’
    â€˜Not really.’ He wanted to forget it not drag it all out again.
    There was silence for a long moment. Then Tamzin said, ‘Well, the offer’s there. Look, come here and give me a hug and let’s try to get back to sleep, shall we? I’ve got to get up in an hour or two.’
    She switched off the bedside light and obediently Daniel slid over and wrapped his arms round her, laying his cheek against her silky hair and breathing in the warm smell of her. Her closeness was comforting, and after a minute or two of staring into the grainy darkness, he closed his eyes and hoped for peaceful oblivion.
    Tamzin murmured something unintelligible and within moments her deep and steady breathing showed that she had gone back to sleep, but Daniel could only lie awake and envy her. Every time he let his mind relax, fragments of the drama that had been playing in his head rushed back to haunt him. Whirling from the darkness came the wild-eyed teenager with the knife held in his shaking hand and the terrified girl gazing at Daniel – begging, pleading, imploring him to do something . . .
    The minutes dragged by, measured out by the faintly ticking second hand of the alarm clock on Tamzin’s bedside cabinet. Gradually the darkness gave way to pre-dawn grey and Daniel was able to make out the contours of her sleeping face. Her long, blonde hair was tumbled across the pillow and with his free hand he smoothed aside a lock that lay across her eyes.
    Stirring at his touch, she rolled away from him, and unable to bear the inactivity any longer, Daniel slid out of bed, pulled on his clothes and trod quietly down the spiral staircase to the snug.
    He was met by four sleepy dogs, who nevertheless happily followed him out into the lightly frosted garden when given the option, showing no surprise at the oddness of the hour. Locking the door behind him, Daniel crossed the yard, where one or two of the horses whickered in anticipation of an early breakfast, and set off for a walk across the fields, the sharp air clearing his mind and raising his spirits.
    When he returned, he found