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Silence: He is lying on his back, eyes open. His eyes have adjusted to the dark and he can make out the ceiling and the dresser. He is awake, but not up. He looks over. She is lying on her side, facing away from him. His side of the quilt is moving up and down in a slow rhythm. He slowly slides out of his side of the bed. He goes to the door, which is half-closed, pulls it open and goes out, replacing it to the original position. The hallway is dark. He makes his way to the kitchen. He goes to one of the drawers and pulls out a large, sharp knife. He closes the drawer and brings the knife with him back to the bedroom. He pushes open the door and goes in. She is in the same position as before, lying on her side. He walks up and places the sharp side of the knife just barely against her windpipe. He wonders if it is touching. He wonders if she will wake up right now. He takes the knife away from her throat and stands there over her with it at his side. Again he waits and wonders if she will wake up, if she can sense it. After a while, he goes back to the kitchen and puts the knife away. He returns to the bedroom, putting the door back to the position it was before. He slides back into bed slowly, watching her at the same time. He lies on his back, pulls up the quilt lightly and looks over her. He watches for the same rhythm. After watching for a while, he begins to feel safe and drifts off.