has a sudden and intense desire to flee, but she cannot run away from the man beside her. Instead, she freezes rigid on the spot, unable to move a limb, unable to make sense of anything happening around her. She reaches for the back of her neck, certain that someone or something is about to grab her.
After a time, and she cannot say how long, her limbs loosen and she begins to wobble. A man holds her arm.
“Stella?”
Slowly, she turns her head. She recognizes the man beside her; his name is Dr. Bridge. But she cannot remember how it is that she knows him.
“What happened to you?” he asks.
She shakes her head. She does not understand. “I was afraid,” she says.
“Of whom? Of what?”
“Something was behind me, and I knew that I had to get away. But I understood I couldn’t get away. It felt as if I were frozen.”
“I think you had a kind of seizure,” the doctor says quietly. “There was no one behind you.”
“How long did it last?”
“Almost ninety seconds by my watch.”
“Ninety seconds!” Stella cries. Ninety incomprehensible seconds. “You have to help me,” she pleads, turning to face him. “You have to help me fix this.”
“I’ll try. But right now I think we should get you home.”
“Home,” she repeats. “I have no home.”
“You have one temporarily,” he says.
“Am I getting worse?” she asks.
“I don’t know,” he answers.
A man wrestles with Stella, a man of ferocious strength. He pins her arms up beside her face on the pillow. She pushes as hard as she can with her legs, throwing off her blanket. She kicks the man in the stomach, and he makes a sound of pain. He is going to hurt her, she knows it. She tries to scream.
“Stella!” a man says in a firm voice. “Stella!”
She opens her eyes. Illuminated by the crack of light coming through the open bedroom door are the stern features of a man she knows, and for a second, she is not sure if he means to harm her or not.
“Stella,” he says again.
Dr. Bridge gradually lessens the pressure on her wrists, as if testing whether or not she will strike out.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, breathing fast.
He lets go of her wrists and steps away from the bed. A wildness moves through her. She reaches down for her covers.
“A cry woke me,” he explains, and she notices that he is in his dressing gown, colorless in the dim light. “At first I couldn’t tell whether it was inside the house, but when I heard it again, I knew it was coming from upstairs. You were thrashing about and making frightened sounds.” He gazes at her. “Awful sounds, as if you were being attacked. I was afraid you would hurt yourself, so I tried to wake you up.”
Her body is shaking.
Dr. Bridge’s hair is mussed and has drawn itself into a peak.
“Thank you,” she says.
“Do you recall your dream? It must have been a nightmare.”
“All I can remember is that a man was going to hurt me.”
“You thought I was he when I tried to wake you.”
Stella remembers the kick in the stomach. “I kicked you, didn’t I?”
“Let’s just say you gave it your all,” he says and smiles. “I’ll find Iris to bring you hot tea and clean sheets.”
Stella does not protest.
“This man,” Dr. Bridge asks. “Did you think he was going to kill you?”
Once again, she tries to recall. “I’m not sure. The man was on top of me. He meant to overpower me.”
“I’m sorry you had to experience that,” he says as Lily appears at his side. Lily moves toward the bed. She pours a glass of water from the pitcher at Stella’s bedside.
“She had a nightmare,” Dr. Bridge explains to his wife. “She was screaming.”
“Oh, my poor dear,” Lily murmurs as Stella takes a sip. Lily replaces the glass. “Here, let me just feel your forehead. No fever. Would you like me to return after you’ve changed and sit just outside the door while you sleep?”
“I’m really fine now,” she says. “You should both go back to
After a time, and she cannot say how long, her limbs loosen and she begins to wobble. A man holds her arm.
“Stella?”
Slowly, she turns her head. She recognizes the man beside her; his name is Dr. Bridge. But she cannot remember how it is that she knows him.
“What happened to you?” he asks.
She shakes her head. She does not understand. “I was afraid,” she says.
“Of whom? Of what?”
“Something was behind me, and I knew that I had to get away. But I understood I couldn’t get away. It felt as if I were frozen.”
“I think you had a kind of seizure,” the doctor says quietly. “There was no one behind you.”
“How long did it last?”
“Almost ninety seconds by my watch.”
“Ninety seconds!” Stella cries. Ninety incomprehensible seconds. “You have to help me,” she pleads, turning to face him. “You have to help me fix this.”
“I’ll try. But right now I think we should get you home.”
“Home,” she repeats. “I have no home.”
“You have one temporarily,” he says.
“Am I getting worse?” she asks.
“I don’t know,” he answers.
A man wrestles with Stella, a man of ferocious strength. He pins her arms up beside her face on the pillow. She pushes as hard as she can with her legs, throwing off her blanket. She kicks the man in the stomach, and he makes a sound of pain. He is going to hurt her, she knows it. She tries to scream.
“Stella!” a man says in a firm voice. “Stella!”
She opens her eyes. Illuminated by the crack of light coming through the open bedroom door are the stern features of a man she knows, and for a second, she is not sure if he means to harm her or not.
“Stella,” he says again.
Dr. Bridge gradually lessens the pressure on her wrists, as if testing whether or not she will strike out.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, breathing fast.
He lets go of her wrists and steps away from the bed. A wildness moves through her. She reaches down for her covers.
“A cry woke me,” he explains, and she notices that he is in his dressing gown, colorless in the dim light. “At first I couldn’t tell whether it was inside the house, but when I heard it again, I knew it was coming from upstairs. You were thrashing about and making frightened sounds.” He gazes at her. “Awful sounds, as if you were being attacked. I was afraid you would hurt yourself, so I tried to wake you up.”
Her body is shaking.
Dr. Bridge’s hair is mussed and has drawn itself into a peak.
“Thank you,” she says.
“Do you recall your dream? It must have been a nightmare.”
“All I can remember is that a man was going to hurt me.”
“You thought I was he when I tried to wake you.”
Stella remembers the kick in the stomach. “I kicked you, didn’t I?”
“Let’s just say you gave it your all,” he says and smiles. “I’ll find Iris to bring you hot tea and clean sheets.”
Stella does not protest.
“This man,” Dr. Bridge asks. “Did you think he was going to kill you?”
Once again, she tries to recall. “I’m not sure. The man was on top of me. He meant to overpower me.”
“I’m sorry you had to experience that,” he says as Lily appears at his side. Lily moves toward the bed. She pours a glass of water from the pitcher at Stella’s bedside.
“She had a nightmare,” Dr. Bridge explains to his wife. “She was screaming.”
“Oh, my poor dear,” Lily murmurs as Stella takes a sip. Lily replaces the glass. “Here, let me just feel your forehead. No fever. Would you like me to return after you’ve changed and sit just outside the door while you sleep?”
“I’m really fine now,” she says. “You should both go back to
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