First, a deep sleep, then a sudden, unwilling awakening — almost like the shock of being jolted out of darkness, tearing me abruptly from rest. Far too early for a Saturday, too early. What chased me through my dreams? What refused to be dreamed any further? I don’t know. Now I stand here, searching for sleep but unable to find it, awake yet strangely dazed, surrounded by a landscape in icy stillness, mirroring my own — pale and cold. A bit of familiar routine will help break this frozen state. The first sip of coffee wards off the chill, and slowly, almost imperceptibly, the stiffness begins to lift, along with the lingering weight of the night.