One day, quite a long time ago, I had a nightmare.

The bogeyman was coming after me. I was in bed. I jumped out and ran over to the window. My mother was over in the flat across the landing.

I started shouting for her to come and save me, but she, so beautiful and abstracted, could neither see nor hear me.

The bogeyman was coming closer and closer. I sucked air into my lungs with the idea of letting it out in one huge screech. This time she’s got to hear me, I thought. And just as I was about to let loose, I lost my voice.

Oh my God, this time the bogeyman’s going to get me for sure…. and at that moment, drenched in the cold sweat of utter fear, I woke up.

Madrid 2000