Sara heard the uncertain rhythmic pattern of the wind rattling the catch on her window, long before she opened her eyes; then as if staving off the moment between dream and sleep she slowly blinked in the darkened room. Rolling over on her right side she squinted at the clock...1.30. Oh why was this time so familiar to her? For the last few nights she had been waking up at the same time.

Pulling back the duvet she levered herself up and sat for a second on the edge of the bed then made her way over to the open window. The muslin curtain billowed out just a little more as she reached for the catch and as a chink appeared to the outside,she caught sight of a movement below her on the grass.

The silver moon bathed the round lawn and a dark moving shadow became more pronounced in the unearthly light...Sara stared and made out the shape of a man moving across the lawn. He suddenly stopped and looked up. She felt caught like a rabbit in the glare of headlights and her heart pounded. Had he seen her? Her movements slowed as she retreated and stood a few feet from the window. She was trying to gain control over her thoughts and her pounding pulse. Who was he? had she locked the door? oh, why hadn't the dog barked? Sara slowly moved toward the window again but this time no one was there .Her sense of unease increased.

Quietly, she opened her bedroom door pausing slightly before descending the stairs. There lay Max ,her spaniel , deep in sleep. He lifted his head drowsily as he felt her presence and she stroked his muzzle and went into the kitchen. Still not putting any lights on she reached for a glass and drank some water. She called Max to come with her and they went back to the bedroom where he lay at the foot of her bed.

Sara pulled the duvet up around her and stared towards the darkness of the ceiling before succombing to the warmth and to sleep once more.

The following morning she walked with Max to where she thought she had seen the figure. There were no obvious footmarks but then something caught her eye. There in the grass lay something small and white. She stooped to pick it up. It appeared to be made of ivory and was rectangular with a silver clasp. She unfastened it and it opened up into a fan shape and there on four of the five leaves was written Charles Mansel next to a list of various dances dated 31st November 1903.. but on the fifth sheet of Ivory was written Sara 1.30 a.m. Hallowe'en 2003....

Sara felt a deep sense of horror and shock and quickly looked round before walking back into the house. Max looked slightly cheated out of a walk but willingly kept at her heels until the door was closed where he took his place by the cooker and gave a doleful look before curling up. She turned the kettle on while she fingered the object. She had seen one before that had belonged to her grandmother. A very beautiful object that told of the times when functional things were made with such care. But what could all this mean and who had written her name on there?What had she been subliminally aware of in the early hours. Her sense of dread mounted.Tonight was Hallowe'en.

She made some tea but a grey film settled in her cup as it grew cold. Sara sat staring blankly into space. Max slunk over to her before collapsing with his nose across her insteps..

She dozed and must have looked at the clock a dozen times before the fluorescent green hands showed 1.30. She hardly dared breathe and all her senses were heightened as she strained her eyes in the dark and listened for any sound. Max stirred as she made her way to the window. Tonight she had kept it closed. She focussed hard through the muslin and there again was the dark shadow making its way across lawn. All the nerve endings in her scalp tingled but with one deft movement she flung the window open and shouted in a strangulated voice "Who are you! What are you doing here?" Her words seemed to hit a flat void and there was silence.Max twitched slightly in his sleep. The figure vanished. Sara looked down at her hand still clutching the ivory dance card and as she stared words began to appear in a sprawling script on the thin leaf of ivory "Sara at last I have found you and can now rest"... Charles.