Something woke Thery up and it wasn’t the sticky, balmy heat of the summer night. Her eyes fluttered open in the darkness of her room, blinking slowly, while her body remained in the same position, unmoving. Her chest rose and fell softly to an even rhythm, drenched in pools of sweat that soaked through her tanktop and curved her nipples.

So much heat, she thought, her head turning toward the open window away from the bed.
The curtains were still, the atmosphere damp with coagulated heat. Thery silently moved one arm, throwing back the covers that made it seem like she was in an oven.
It was no better. Her sleep shorts had stuck to her skin and her legs were sticky and hot.

With her mind fogged with sleep, Thery wondered at what initially woke her up. The digital clock beside her showed—12:01, meaning she hadn’t been asleep for long, having gone to bed at 10pm. Maybe it was the heat. She could use a drink of water but not willing to move, she remained...