A week after the attack I was feeling more balanced again. I was alone at Joe's place, (my partner), he was off on a business trip. On the evening before he left he asked, "are you frightened of spending the night alone in the house?" "No," I answered, which was true although the house is quite out in the country.

On the following morning, I opened the windows upstairs to air the house and went downstairs to work. About an hour later, I emerged and heard someone moving around upstairs, or someTHING: I felt the sting of icey panic crawl down my spine. I knew the front door was locked. Who or what was in the house? With my heart pounding, I went upstairs, towards the noise and heard ... fluttering. A bird had flown into the house and was frantically flying against the kitchen window. I quickly caught it in my cupped hands. I was calm now but could feel the tiny heart beating in panic in my hands. I spoke to it quietly and marvelled at its delicacy. It was a fledgling, just out of the nest, the feathers on the top of its heard had not yet grown. Strangely, its heart calmed while it was in my hand, its panic receeded. I thought perhaps that is how it feels in a nest:close and cosy. Maybe that is why it calmed. After a quick photo I let it go - and it zipped away into the morning.