'It's too early in the morning to be thinking about this...' Jarred from what would have been eight hours' sleep by the dog, Claire awoke to pitch black. The way she liked it. No lights, no alarm clock, no reason to get out of bed. Nothing. Just her and the indiglo button on her watch. 'But I guess if I don't now, I will all day tomorrow...' It read 2:45 AM. 'And the day after...' Living up excitedly to its potential to scare off would-be visitors, the dog voiced resounding objections to the presence of whomever was entering the house. This was not the first time it had happened. 'I'll sleep when I'm dead.' Claire sat up, reflecting on her life with the utmost attention to detail. She thought of her friends, her brother, her school, the promises she made to her boyfriend...But most of all she thought of her father, Samuel, who, until she turned twelve, had beaten her brutally in their basement. She often cried thinking about it, but not tonight. 'But I'll never die' The dog stopped barking. Claire laid down, ready to try sleep once more. 'Because I never get what I want...'