The Gilded Cage

My husband, a paranoid genius of an architect, built the 'Sanctuary' in our new estate specifically for me. He claimed the walls were reinforced with three feet of industrial concrete and acoustic dampeners to protect me from the 'threats' he insists are watching us. It works—the silence is heavy, almost suffocating. But tonight, I can't sleep. I’m staring at the vintage oil painting bolted to the wall, and I swear the painted eyes seem to shimmer in the candlelight. And just now, from deep inside the 'solid' concrete wall, I heard a very distinct, suppressed sneeze.