Althoughthe physical unease continued to bother her, at some point she fell asleep andheard nothing until she awoke with a start – she had no idea what woke her,just that there had been something.
Itwas night outside. The doziness caused by the sleeping pill lay like a heavy cloudover her temples while her body was tense with fear. The experience of twodissimilar states – crippling fear and wakefulness (she was not capable ofexperiencing either of them fully) – filled her with an oppressive feeling ofnausea somewhere in the pit of her stomach. She lay still fearing whateverit was that had woken her. She lay rigid, stone still, not daring to move.She didn't dare to move her head because she sensed that someone was inthe room. Someone might hear her breathing. Someone might hearthe duvet rustle if she moved.
Ifonly it weren't so cold, she thought, and stiffened even more. The air she wasinhaling was ice-cold. The air in the bedroom should not be so cold. Withinfinite care, trying not to make a sound, she turned her head. And then shesaw two things: the bedroom door was open, and Reidar was not in his bed. Thelight from the room outside fell through the open doorway forming a broad, greytrapezium of shadow across the floor and the end of Reidar's bed; the eerie, shadowylight further revealed that Reidar's duvet was as neat and untouched as whenshe had fallen asleep.
Hehad not been to bed at all. This had never happened before. If Ingrid had beenparalysed with fear until now, from this moment she sank into an even worse,even more acute, physical state, a state which caused a cold sweat to break outand her fingers to feel like stiff, insensate lumps of wood. As her eyesfeverishly scanned the room, there was a part of her hovering above her body. Apart of her saw herself lying in bed, as rigid as a pole, with wild eyes. Thesame part of her observed her body beginning to sit up. What are you doing?said this part of her. Are you crazy? But her body was not listening.With infinite slowness she raised herself, petrified that she would make asound, that someone would hear what she was doing. Her eyelids wereheavy; her brain was still numb from the sleeping tablet. For two or threeseconds this nightmare still felt dream-like. If her heart had not beenpounding in her body, so out of control, she would have turned over and goneback to sleep, sedated. But that didn't happen. What happened was she that shesat up and swung her legs onto the floor. Despite her sluggish state, she feltthe cool air in the room brush against her nightdress, penetrate the fibres ofthe material and spread a light shiver through her body. And the instant herfeet met the wooden floorboards, she received a new shock. Her bare footencountered something chill and damp. The floor was wet. And as though she werebeing charged with power from a generator – still outside herself – she saw herlong forefinger reach for the switch on the bedside table lamp. A dry click andthe lamp came on, casting a warm, yellow light over the brown, mahogany tableand around the bed. There was a white patch on the floor, a small puddle ofwater with snow in the middle. It was the type of mess left by someone comingin from outdoors with snow on their shoes.
Thesnow came off and after a while began to melt because the temperature washigher indoors. Now, at this moment, as her brain struggled because her senseswere still dulled by the strong medication, she realized what must have wokenher up. Someone, a person, had tiptoed in and stood over her bed, watchingher as she slept. It must have been Reidar. But where was he now?
Shestood up and staggered through the doorway into the bathroom. She stared at thefront door, which was wide open – an open door letting in the cold air from thestairs and making the flat cold. She closed the door. As the door clicked intoplace, the thought struck her that perhaps she was not alone.
Shescoured the darkened flat through the open door. The idea of venturing throughthe door and into the darkness was repellent.
Sheturned uneasily to the telephone on the low table and caught a glimpse ofherself in the mirror. A pale figure with lifeless eyes. She slumped down onthe stool beside the mirror and allowed her fingers to tap in a number she knewby heart. It rang and rang. In the end it was Susanne who answered.
Shewhispered into the mouthpiece: 'Could you ask Karsten to come over? Reidar isnot here and I think there has been a break-in.'
'Isthere anyone in your flat?'
'Not sure,but the doors are open. I was woken up. You must ask Karsten to come!'
'ButKarsten isn't here!'
'Isn'the?'
'No.'The silence hung in the air. She didn't know what to say. It was Susanne whoought to say something, who ought to explain why Karsten wasn't at home in bedwith his wife. But Susanne said nothing, and Ingrid couldn't bring herself toask about that of all things. She was confused. The numbing tiredness caused bythe pill was making her mind function in slow motion. 'Can you come then,Susanne? I'm so scared.'
'Thechildren are sleeping.'
Thesilence that persisted now, after the woman's answer, oppressed Ingrid stillfurther. She raised her head and looked round at the darkened flat where dangerlurked. She cleared her throat and whispered: 'Can't you wake them up and comehere?'
'Ingrid.'Susanne's voice was more awake now. 'What are you going on about? A break-in?Have you been having nightmares?'
'No,'Ingrid snapped, peering over her shoulder in panic – because this conversationwas unpleasant and because someone might be listening to her. Someone… 'Ihave not been having nightmares. Would you wake Karsten so that I can talk tohim?'
'Karsten'snot here, I said.'
'You'relying.'
Ingridinstantly regretted her outburst. But it was too late. Susanne's voice was ascold as ice as she articulated her response with slow emphasis: 'No, I'm not,you hysterical old bag. I am not lying and Karsten is not here. I cannot runaround like a flunkey for you. I have two children here and they need all thesleep they can get. If you're so frightened, get dressed, switch on the radioand make yourself a cup of tea which you…'
'Susanne,don't ring off!'
'…which you can drink until Reidar gets back. Goodbye.'
Shewas standing with her back to the wall and the receiver in her hand. Annoyingengaged signals were coming from it. Her eyes glazed over and she took a stepforward so as not to lose her balance.