Notice I bumped up the rating, as Anya's nightmares begin to take a darker turn and become more vivid; but the story's not too explicit. I just want to be on the safe side. That's all… Cookies to whoever could spot the "Great Comet" reference in this.

February 2, 1928… Anya and Dmitri's apartment…

It was the sound of echoing screams and gunshots that Anya woke up to, her eyes wide with terror. A scream was lodged in her throat and her heart pounded against her rib cage. She saw the blood splatter around her, smelled the acrid scent of corpses and gunpowder. She fought the urge to vomit as she wildly sat up, the sights and smells fading away before letting out an earth-shattering scream.

Dmitri woke up in a cold sweat, a chill running down his spine as he heard the bloodcurdling noise. The sound of her screaming and crying had him only imagine the worst. The young man wasn't sure if he could lose her again… He looked at her side of the bed and there she was. Golden hair tumbling around her shoulders like a halo, tears streaming down her pale face. Dmitri's arms were around the young woman in a second, and the minute they made contact, Anya burst out into heart-wrenching sobs once more. "Thank God, Anya. Thank God you're okay…"

Anya's face was buried in his neck, warm tears hitting the collar of his pyjamas. When she pulled away, she used her free arm to wipe away her tears. "The nightmares… their… their…"

"The nightmares…? What… happened?"
"I keep seeing faces… so many faces… the smoke, the gunfire… I hear the screams. Oh God… the screaming!"

The petite woman hugged her fiancé, burying her head into his chest as tears slowly began to torrent down her cheeks.

"It was a nightmare. It's all right, you're safe now." Dmitri whispered reassuring words of comfort, but a little voice of doubt rose up in his head…

February 4, 1928... La Lafayette

Ever since they eloped, they had found a comfortable apartment in a sweet, small neighbourhood, where they were out of the public eye but still close enough to visit Anya's grandmother whenever she wanted. Dmitri and Anya both found work. Dmitri took a job as a waiter at a café conveniently a few steps away from their apartment. And since Anya insisted that she should work as well, she took a job at the local library, reading stories to children; along with that, she also wrote books and has been trying to come up with a manuscript for her debut novel. Dmitri hasn't seen her this happy… ever. Even if he was constantly tripping over library books, seeing his own fiancée blossom in her new life made it all worth it…

"So, how's wedding preparations comin' along?"

The question snapped Dmitri out of his train of thought. It came from the café's regular patron, Anatole Bolkonsky. Like Anya, Vlad and Dmitri, he was an evacuee from Russia who came to France to escape the harsh conditions of life… he made a living by selling paintings on the streets of the neighbourhood and often stopped by for a cup of freshly brewed coffee. It was less crowded than usual and now, it was just Dmitri and Anatole…

"Oh, they're going along great!" Dmitri smiled, well… he wasn't lying; they were going to have a small and quiet wedding with only a few friends and relatives… "Hey, Anatole…"

"Yeah?"

"I've… I've been worrying about Anya lately… She… she's been having nightmares recently and… she won't confide in me about it…"

Anatole gave a low hum, a sign that he was in deep thought. "Well, Dmitri… what I think you should do is that you should talk to her about the nightmares."

"Talk with her?" Dmitri asked.

"Trust me… you have no idea what good confiding in someone can do…"

The young man took those words into consideration as he looked out of the cafe window...