Panic surged through him as he tried to make sense of the situation. Was this some kind of twisted joke? Had Emma found out about his affair, and this was her way of punishing him? The logical part of his brain told him that was impossible; she should have been asleep until morning.

“Emma,” he whispered, his voice trembling. “Emma, are you okay?”

She didn’t respond. Instead, she started to sway slightly, her eyes never leaving the wall. John approached her cautiously, his mind racing with dread and confusion. As he touched her shoulder, she blinked rapidly, as if waking from a trance, and looked at him with a mixture of fear and recognition.