‘Ah. Control. OK. Could you give me an example?’

‘Well, one time I dreamed I was out on a walkway over this same city, and I was looking for something important. Can’t remember what it was. And the sky started changing colour. First it was orangey, like a sunset. Then it went green, then brown, then red . . . it was like when you set your desktop screen saver to cycle every five seconds. Except that each time the sky changed, I felt my emotional state shift, too. I mean, dramatically. Like in music, moving from major to minor. And this guy in the mask, he was standing there orchestrating it. Like a conductor.’

‘A conductor. That’s interesting. Could it be a pun? A musical conductor could be an electrical conductor, in a dream. Was there lightning?’

She smiles. ‘Ah, that’s cool. No, no lightning. Well, I challenged him. I said, Why are you doing this to me? And he said, I want you to know that everything you see around you is of my making. If I say we’re on a boat, we’re on a boat.’

‘And were you? On a boat?’

‘Yes! It was like a cruise ship but it was staffed by people with donkey heads. He said that was his doing, too. It was really creepy. I probably sound insane.’

She puts the journal down and hugs her knees.

‘Not at all. It’s just the way dreams work. So, can you tell me what you’re hoping for me to do for you?’

‘I’ll be surprised if you can do anything, honestly, because I’ve never heard of dream therapy, but Antonio insisted. The thing is, it’s starting to affect my work. The dreams are exhausting and on top of that, I dread going to sleep so I have to use an app, but then it’s hard to wake up so I use stimulants in the daytime, and then I get palpitations and my hands shake and I can’t concentrate properly. I’m starting to fray.’

‘What app do you use to go to sleep? If it’s buggy, it could trigger nightmares.’

She nods. ‘Antonio says I shouldn’t use Sweet Dreams, but I have various apps that help me with my playing, plus liminal programming that I need to use to be competitive with other musicians. There aren’t enough hours in the day to do the work otherwise.’

I feel myself gulping. Liminal programming enables you to learn skills as you fall asleep and as you wake up. I can’t imagine being that focused, that dedicated, to anything, as to have even my sleep programmed.

‘Anyway,’ she adds, ‘I’ve tried swapping apps but nothing changes. Please don’t tell me I have to quit using Sweet Dreams. I don’t think I have the strength to do that right now. I could lose my job.’

Her eyes are dark and full of tears, pleading. Wow. This palatial suite, her beauty, her talent – and she’s a wreck inside.

‘OK, well, I’m not here to boss you around. I’m here to help you work on your subconscious mind. Is it possible this Creeper character is a manifestation of your anxiety about . . . well, about being so overworked?’