Until morning

— Tell me a story.
Stare
— You can’t sleep?
Blink
Stare
— I want to stay awake.

She wakes
On her side as she remembers
A memory that exists
Her exposed arm slightly behind her body
Palm at rest over the shape of the man’s thigh
Eyes open
Pale light
Unfocussed on the object before her
Warmth
Warmth from the body behind her
Blink
Focus
Thin metal tines
Warmth
Then it moves
Slowly on small casters
Blink
The air begins to cool
Blink
Eyes move across the room
A deer stands near the hall
Lifts one hoof
Shifting of weight
Set down on the carpet with a quiet thud
Another hoof
A slow walk towards the woman
It stops
Lowers its head
The point of the nose touches the carpet
Twitching
The head sways
Neck arcing slowly to the side
Then return
Rising slightly
Again a hoof lifts
Set down
Again
Moving towards the woman
Stop
Nose lowers to touch the carpet
Blink
She moves the fingers of her exposed hand
Slowly dragging across the fabric of the man’s clothing
Tiny registers of texture
Fingers curl slightly
Stop
The deer lifts its nose from the carpet
Lifts a hoof
Walks towards the woman
Then past her
Each hoof thudding quietly
Cushioned and dulled

He is aware of three things
The Beast sitting in the room
Lons aloft on a cliff looking over a city
A slender hand at rest on his thigh