Samuel dreamed he was running, running through a place he always knew but could not recall. He was blinded by the light and by the dark and he bumped against sharp edges and shapes that cut up his hands and arms and face. He was fleeing and seeking and the time was running out. There was a room ahead of him. Broken glass glittered on the floor, sharp points standing straight up. He was reminded of a voice, though he heard none: the voice was created by the sound of water, which rushed along and overflowed in cruel and gleaming streams, and by the bright glass which reared itself against it. He felt an answer in his own body, a fugitive pull towards the sharp. And at the same time, in his dream, he was weighed down by the certainty that he had forgotten some secret duty.
He reached the room. He swept across the floor with his bleeding hands, trying to clear his way. And then he knew he was upon him. He fell to his knees and he dared not to turn. Where was Themis?
He woke. It took him a second to understand where he was. Her arms were loosely draped around his body. She slept and her pale face in the dark told him of her total exhaustion. With a sigh of relief, he closed his eyes again.
When he woke again, every breath carried a crushing weight. He looked around the abandoned room and did not feel like it was real. Everything was wrong. Themis beside him was asleep. That was wrong too. She should not be here. He reached over the edge of the bed towards his jacket and pulled the watch out of the pocket. Half past four, Monday. Monday.
"Themis," he shook her awake. They could not stay here. People were expecting them. Her at the school, in a few hours. Time had run out.
He got to his knees, tense and pale. Naked, but there was nothing sensual about his bareness anymore. The air felt brittle. The bed was a mess. The red mark on her arm glared angrily at him.
He reached the room. He swept across the floor with his bleeding hands, trying to clear his way. And then he knew he was upon him. He fell to his knees and he dared not to turn. Where was Themis?
He woke. It took him a second to understand where he was. Her arms were loosely draped around his body. She slept and her pale face in the dark told him of her total exhaustion. With a sigh of relief, he closed his eyes again.
When he woke again, every breath carried a crushing weight. He looked around the abandoned room and did not feel like it was real. Everything was wrong. Themis beside him was asleep. That was wrong too. She should not be here. He reached over the edge of the bed towards his jacket and pulled the watch out of the pocket. Half past four, Monday. Monday.
"Themis," he shook her awake. They could not stay here. People were expecting them. Her at the school, in a few hours. Time had run out.
He got to his knees, tense and pale. Naked, but there was nothing sensual about his bareness anymore. The air felt brittle. The bed was a mess. The red mark on her arm glared angrily at him.
