As soon as I fell asleep, I came face to face with Helen. She looked so thin and pale, like she’d been starved and badly hurt since the last dream.

I still didn’t know if these were real interactions with her.

“My dearest Mila,” she said, holding shaky arms out to me.

“Helen!” I ran to her and hugged her.

Her whole body was frail in my arms, and she felt like a stick figure or a scarecrow.

“Listen to me, ...