34

That night, Stella had a dream….

More than a month ago, she dreamed about the events of that fatal night. The man gave her a close hug and gave her a deep, eager kiss. He blew into her ear and she felt his hot breath on her neck.

When she finally opened her eyes, she was so heated that she rolled over and kicked off the quilt. It was early dawn, with the open window letting in a gentle glow from the sun and the crisp morning air easing some of her tension.

It has been a very long time. Why was that man still appearing in her dreams? The man was quite strong in her dream. But she was no longer able to hear his voice.

Stella felt a tickle in her throat and wiped the perspiration from her forehead. She coughed a few times while covering her mouth, then realized Clarence was still asleep.

She strained to get a better look at him as he lay nearby on the bed. Fortunately, Clarence remained asleep, although she tried not to cough too loudly for fear of awakening him. Still, her neck