The terrifying nightmare grew.

It was just one revolving pattern of flames; with inhuman sounds coming at him form every angle. When he tried to use his limbs, nothing happened. He looked down at his legs and saw that the left one was hanging like a piece of bloody sack. He felt the searing crash of metal into his body. And heard himself screaming as the blaze engulfed him………

There was another voice now – a different voice.

He sat up violently in the pitch darkness, fighting the blanket.

Then he realized that the door was partly open and he could see a pale figure in the light from the corridor.

“Are you all right?” she entered the room. “I’m sorry, but you were screaming.”

Trying to steady his breathing, he said, “Bit of a bad dream; that’s all.”

She sat down on the bed, and said, “I was shaken scared by your dream. It must have been a terrible dream.”

“Yes,” he said, and ran one hand over his wet face.

She reached out and touched his shoulder. “Lie back now. Try to relax. I’ll go and let you sleep.”

He looked up at her and pleaded, “Don’t go. Please don’t go…”

He took her hand and pressed gently.

At first there was no answering pressure.

Then she pressed back.

She touched his hair with her other hand.

He could feel the want churning inside him like fire.

He moved his hand and touched her skin.

“No,” she said quietly. “We’d better stop now.”

He pulled her gently beside him, feeling the yearning like a physical pain.

She did not resist.

Then all at once she was helping him.

They made love.

First with tenderness; then gradually building up to a passionate frenzy as they both become rough and hard, demanding more of each other, till they lay exhausted, their limbs still entangled.

He lay in bed in self-commiseration, wondering why it had happened.

His train of thoughts spiralled into an abyss as he thought about his agonising loneliness, the frightening, corrosive loneliness of his life, the terrifying nightmare, the frenzied act…

Was it an impulsive reckless act of love…? Or wild rage…? Or was it a desperate act of expiration…?

The whole thing suddenly seemed sordid.

He turned towards her and started to say, “I am so………….”

She instantly put her hand on his mouth and said “Please don’t say it. What happened just happened.”

He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again he saw her standing near the door.

“It was good of you to come,” he said.

“Yes,” she said.

She quietly stepped out of the room, closed the door, and walked away from his life forever.