Akiko knew she was awake because the pain had stopped. Everything was quiet and dark, as she lay buried under her futon, but her heart was still racing, her mouth dry, and her body drenched with sweat that stank of fear. For several long moments, she thought she couldn’t move.

The paralysis broke as her whole body started to shake, and she sat up in bed, hugging her legs as involuntary sobs burst out from her. The fear remained in her stomach, getting stronger by the moment. She started at every sound, releasing her legs to press her hands against the floor for greater stability. Alone in the dark, her mind went blank, overwhelmed by terror.

A flash of light drew her eyes. Her cellphone. She could call someone. Still trembling, and not trusting her balance if she stood up, she crawled over to it, fumbling it out of its charging cradle and then dropping it twice as she tried to pick it up.

Her face bathed in the faint light of the screen, she thought about whom she could call. The phone’s clock said 2:17, which ruled out most people. Everyone but Naoyuki, in fact.

The phone rang for a long time, and then switched on to the message service. Akiko hung up and dialled again. This time, too, she reached the message service. Tears running down her face, she tried once more, and this time the phone was answered.

“Hello? Who is this?â€ Naoyuki’s voice was muzzy with sleep.

“Nao… Nao…â€ Akiko found that she couldn’t form the words.

“Who? What?â€ There was a pause. “Akiko, is that you?â€

“Naoyuki, I had a horrible dream.â€ Finally, it burst out of her.

“A dream? Akiko, you’re ringing me at two am to tell me about a dream?â€

“I…â€ Suddenly, it seemed very hard to tell Naoyuki just how scared she’d been. “It was a nightmare.â€ That sounded pathetic even to Akiko’s ears.

“A nightmare? Akiko, you’re twenty six, not six. Go back to sleep, for goodness’ sake. I’ve got a meeting in the morning.â€

“Naoyuki!â€ Akiko couldn’t bear the thought of him hanging up right now, leaving her alone in the dark once more.

“What? I want to go back to sleep.â€

Akiko tried to think of something to say, something that would keep Naoyuki talking to her, even in the middle of the night. She could think of nothing.

“Good night.â€ Naoyuki just hung up, without saying anything. Akiko sat holding the phone to her ear for quite some time, tears running down her face again.

The image of the shrine from her dream, high and clear against a pure blue sky, came back to her, and she found it somehow calming. Her tears and shaking stopped, and she walked back to the futon, hoping that she would be able to get some more sleep. She burrowed into it, and as it warmed around her, she thought that she caught a hint of the smell of new leaves, just as she drifted back to sleep.