Conversation · Limbic System

Like a deftly cast fishing net, sleep pulls you out of the world and into its dark shore. The rough mesh chafes, then, tightening around you, it digs into your brain.

Great. This is gonna be really chill.

How've things been going for you out there? Helped anyone lately? Saved anyone lately? Murdered anyone lately?

This bastard isn't even listening to you!

Because, you know, you are a murderer. A disco music listening psycho-killer who offs poor people -- and then forgets about it.

Shut up, I just want to sleep.

Hear that? Ice-man wants to sleep, he doesn't care about killing people. That's nothing to him. Black water under the bridge. The thing he's really scared of...

...is much, much worse than that.

Why are you doing this? I just want to sleep. I can almost see the dark.

We're trying to help you. All these processes -- these tortures, voices and tremors -- are all just distractions. Flares and countermeasures. To keep you from the last dream. The worst of them all.

The... last dream?

The last dream will be total annihilation. Cinders peeling off the fuselage. We won't be there to help you anymore, Harry. We will be dormant. You will be naked and alone.

Her face forms in summertime...

...in hell and ancient sadness, brother. Ten thousand years later -- in front of the video rental. There is a warm breath on your face again. Everything is okay again.

Everything is so okay.

Doesn't sound like it will be okay.

Your eyelids flutter open for a moment. When you close them again, you sense the light of the room around you -- you're back. In two seconds the alarm will ring.

The last thought in your head before waking is: maybe you shouldn't have seen that stained glass window? In the church....

[Open your eyes.]

The last thought in your head before waking is: you need to go to the church...

I can't wait. I can't wait...

And the air will smell of apricots...

Of hell and ancient sadness, brother. Ten thousand years later -- in front of the video rental. There is a warm breath on your face again. Everything is okay again.

I don't want to anymore. I don't want to think either one of those things.

Oh, but you will. You're already going there. Slipping. How long can we keep you from the precipice? One more dream? Two max, baby. Then it's...

What is it?

Don't tell him, sister. It's too bad.

They're right. This is their function. To keep you from it.

I don't care. That doesn't scare me.

Hear that? You were naive to think he's afraid of his bloodied hands, soul brother. Oh no, I see inside his amygdala and his hippocampus. The thing he's really scared of...

Okay, so I'm a murderer and that's bad.

Hear that? He doesn't even flinch. Ice-man doesn't care about killing people. That's nothing to him. Black water under the bridge. The thing he's really scared of...

Yeah-yeah, just let me sleep...

Dark shore, my ass. I know what this is.