Nigel stood behind Jet for a long moment, then finally sat on the floor next to Jet’s wheelchair. Sunlight shone in from a window in the nearby hallway.

I can’t believe Jet volunteered to help that monster.

“Hey, Nigel. Are you with us?” Jet said.

He heard the words, but they didn’t seem to register into any meaning. It was like his mind took another path and left him in limbo. He wanted to hug Jet, to tell her how much he loved her. But that part of him seemed to be switched off. Try as he might, he couldn’t summon the courage to face his demons, or her. As the sunset and the moon rose, Nigel contemplated his next moves. He knew he needed to communicate with his beloved, but he needed to sort the mess that was trapped in his mind. The room faded into nothingness. He found himself in a tiny room with no doors or windows. The room was illuminated from some unseen source. Shadows formed on the walls and started dancing. They moved with a purposeful rhythm. It was as if the shadows were dancing to some tune that they couldn’t hear. He imagined who the shadows might belong, but his mind was blank. He thought he could make out three females and a male shape. One of the female shapes had a claw which snapped around the male’s head. One of the other females had a gun and danced around the male with deadly intent. The third female kneeled at the male’s feet and seemed to make some kind of pleading motion. A fourth female entered the room and put her arms around the male. They embraced. The pleading female figure grabbed the male’s leg. The male kicked her. After a moment, the female crawled away. Nigel thought he heard the weeping of the pleading female. His heart went out to her, whoever she was.

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That crying sounds real! Am I awake?

The world came back in a torrent. Jet was sobbing. A pang of guilt and pain overcame him. A pain settled in his chest. It was like someone was trying to carve his heart out with a dull knife.

“Jet? Are you okay?”

She removed her hands away from her face and gave him a hurtful glance.

“You’re not the only one hurting, Nigel. Are you so thoughtless that you have not even considered my pain? Or what I have experienced since they separated us?”

A wave of guilt overwhelmed him. He didn’t know what to say. But Nigel wanted to tell her everything, but he didn’t know where to start. It took him several moments to summon the courage to speak to her.

“I’m sorry,” Nigel said in a shaky tone.

He wanted to say more, but couldn’t.

Why am I acting like an asshole?

“It’s been hours since Dahlia left. I’ve been trying to talk for hours. Don’t you want to fix this? Or our relationship?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I see how she looks at you. And you at her. Just be honest, are you still in love with me?”

The moisture evaporated from Nigel’s mouth. His tongue got stuck at the roof of his mouth.

“What?”

Nigel tried to say more, but he couldn’t speak. He embraced her, she returned his affection, then pulled away. Nigel glimpsed a nearby clock. It was midnight. They had been here for more than eight hours. His stomach ached, and he desperately needed to use the facilities.

“You’ve been here all night. Would you like me to fetch you some dinner?” an older female voice said.

Nigel glanced in the voice’s direction. An old woman who appeared in her seventies was standing in the doorway.

“I think we can use a break, Gretta,” Jet said.

When Nigel made a move to push Jet, she set the brake on the chair.

“No, Nigel, let Gretta do it.”

Nigel followed the older woman and Jet out of the room.

What was that? Why is Jet acting this way?