The darkness was absolute. There was not even a hint of moonlight. It was total and oppressive, and for a dreadful few moments she wondered if she had gone blind. In a panic, she reached out for the bedside lamp, but it wasn't there. There was just something soft and yielding at the side of the bed, and she withdrew her hand quickly, afraid it might be a rat.

"Johnny?" The sound of her own voice alarmed her. It was so frail and wavering.

There was nobody there. And that was ...