Dogville

She felt cornered—a guinea pig with no escape. The idea of being part of an experiment had once crossed her mind, back when the city water vanished for a few months. Things had gotten heated.

"When the cross seems heavier, dedicate more. Study more… master yourself."

These were the words of her beloved philosophy professor, who had passed away a few years prior.

Her nights grew increasingly chaotic with strange dreams. In them, there was a presence. Sometimes he appeared as a caring friend, someone very familiar. He didn't speak aloud; he communicated only through telepathy.

"Who are you?" she always asked, but he never revealed his face. He would vanish, only to reappear later.

Other times, he appeared with violence, catching her off guard, tearing at her clothes and violating her.

She then returned to the study of philosophy, focusing on the works of Miyamoto Musashi. Sometimes, during the day, confusing thoughts would take over—a desperate desire to flee with her children to another place. It felt like intrusive pressure forcing a decision. Sometimes she would cry for no reason, as if a deep wound had been torn open. But soon, as she meditated, those thoughts would dissipate.

She felt like the protagonist of Lars von Trier’s Dogville, trapped in place, violated, and betrayed by everyone around her. Yet, she found a way to kick that presence's ass.

"Get the fuck off here, rapist!" she commanded.

Later, other figures began to appear in her dreams, all of them showing tremendous disrespect.

"Is this kind of man the norm today?" she wondered.

Meanwhile, YouTube suggestions had gone completely off the rails: twin flame journey, insurance fraud, energy harvesting, narcissism…

"What the hell is this? Extortionists are getting more creative these days. Better return to my books," she decided.

But then, one of her children fell ill for no apparent reason. She began to watch over him, tending to his every need. Yet, deep down, she knew something was terribly wrong.

And a resolution began to form inside her.