The door swung slowly open and Cass was left staring at an empty hotel room. Single bed, grey TV facing it. All the usual misery and loneliness seeping in through the walls.

There was a hint of muzak in the air, as if an elevator was left stuck on her floor. The tune was familiar, tickling the back of her ears, almost a lullaby.

There was someone on the bed now. Her niece, Sally. Sitting there happily, swinging her legs in the air. Looking up at her now.

She knew she was dreaming. Sally was dead, drowned in the accident. Her screams had haunted Cass’ sleep for years. Why was she here?

Cass tried to step into the room but something held her back, stopped her legs from following orders. Sally could see the problem. She hopped down from the bed and walked over, clasped Cass’ hand in hers and smiled as she dragged her inside.

Now she was in bed. The music was louder, or was it just the darkness of the room that gave this illusion, this power to the sound?

Cass opened her eyes. She was naked, curled on her side. She’d woken from a dream, a dream where her niece had come back from the dead to show her something, to reassure her perhaps. There hadn’t been any malice.

There was someone’s hand in hers, someone’s arm over her shoulder. It felt warm and right. It felt like the last few minutes of sleep before a working day. The dread was already building.

If she stayed here, not thinking, just lying in the warmth, she could be happy.

The music had gained in volume again. It was loud enough to wake you, though the figure next to her didn’t stir. Maybe it was just in her head, just her own soundtrack. She couldn’t remember if she was supposed to be able to hear or not.

She had to look, had to see who it was. It felt like him, though that was impossible.

Cass lifted her head but couldn’t turn. The music was rising again, becoming painful now, throbbing in her ears. It had to be leaking out of her head, pouring back out of her ears and down on to the pillow. It had to wake whoever it was.

Her neck was frozen in place. The dream didn’t want her to see, didn’t want it to end. She knew as soon as she looked it would be over, but still she had to. She closed her eyes and concentrated.

There was an audible crack as she finally snapped her head around. The music vanished and she was left alone in bed, properly awake now, staring down at an empty pillow.

Maybe he was scared too. Maybe it had been his dream she’d lain with, been with. Maybe they could still hold something like that together in the dark, his dream and her. Maybe that could be enough.

Cass lay her head back down on the pillow and closed her eyes, waiting to be taken away.