ABSTRACT
The dashboard clock blinked 00:00. Almost mechanically, I glanced at my cell phone. It was 11:13 in the morning. After about a forty-minute drive in silence, we stepped out of the car. Gabriel had driven distractedly, glowering, and without words. I felt a bit nauseous. There had been cars everywhere, creating a sense of ordinary chaos. Earlier that morning, Gabriel had invited me to join him for lunch with his family in the countryside. I had never been to the infamous white house. So I agreed.
