While in prison awaiting trial for murder, Rozalia (Rose) Holyba had a recurring nightmare. She would dream that she was walking home along the banks of the Tisza River, searching for a place to build a new house. Suddenly, the soil would go soft under her feet. The ground would begin to shake. The soil would cave in and she’d sink into a hole. It was as if she were being swallowed up by quicksand. She would struggle to get out. She’d struggle to breathe. Every time she awoke from this nightmare, she would be gasping for air.
Another imprisoned woman, also charged with murder but kept in an entirely different cell from Rose, was having the same recurring nightmare. Walking down by the river. Looking for a place to build. The soil starts to give. She sinks into a hole. The earth, like a boa constrictor strangling its prey, begins to suffocate her. The only difference between her dream and Rose’s was that she was carrying a brick in her hand, presumably to lay the foundation for her new house.
