Ashley sat on his bed staring into the darkness of his small apartment for what felt like ages. The mid-world and the last few weeks playing over and over in mind. His Ka-Tet was still back enjoying themselves at the Tet Corperation. He could have stayed with them this evening but he wanted solitude. He did his best thinking alone.

With the exception of Margaret questioning him for almost an hour as to where he had been the last few weeks (Short notice business trip to China he mumbled to her in a still slightly drunken haze) the trip back to his apartment was almost uneventful.

Sleep would not come easy. The bed was too soft, the traffic sounded foreign to him, it wasn’t mid-world after all. So he sat at the edge of the bed staring into the darkness.

Knock . . . knock . . . knock

Ashleigh looking at his alarm wondered who it could be at four in the morning. Well he was awake no use keeping who ever it was waiting.

“Hang on I’m coming” opening the door slowly Ashley saw nothing but blackness beyond the door. As his eyes began to focus he could no longer see the hall leading out to the street. He saw the broken road and the todash darkness beyond the door.

He slammed the door quickly and spun around to go back to his bed. Eden was standing behind him and the look on her face was sheer terror. But it wasn’t Eden it was the one from Lud. His apartment was gone and the long dark tunnel had returned.

He watched as she attempted to scream. She was slipping down into the darkness. He tried wrapping his hands around her but once again they just passed through her body. He spun around hoping his ka-tet would be there to help him. But Eden was behind him slipping back into the darkness.

Over and over she fell until at last he could feel her arm. He tried pulling her out of the darkness for a life time and then a bit longer. When he began to feel the strength in his arms fail she managed to pull her self up and out of the todash.

Exhausted Ashleigh collapsed where he stood.

“You caught me that time Georgia boy.”

Asleigh slowly looked up to face Eden. Staring at her he watched as her face began to change. No longer the girl from Lud she was the Eden born of New York.

“But you aint her Eden. Your you . . . arnt you?”

“Indeed I am Ashleigh.”

“And did I catch her or you?” He asked with deep concern in his voice

“You caught us both if you really think about it. I’m not her but you needed me to be her. So you saved her through me.”

“I don’t think that makes much sense.”

“Does it have to make sense in the land of the dreaming?”

“I guess not.”

“The question is Ash boy do you feel clear of mind now?”

Ashleigh pondered that question for a long spell. As he thought about it the darkness began to fade and his apartment began to return. He was still sitting at the edge of his bed and Eden of New York was still standing in front of him..

“I do feel clearer of mind Eden. I know you and her are two different peas from two different pods. I didn’t save her but I tried. That counts when you look at it. And I did save you. So in a way I think I redeemed my self and let her rest at the same time.”

“Sounds good to me Ashleigh. Now get some sleep.”

“But aint I sleeping already.”

“Indeed you are. Now lie back and sleep as deep as you please. When you wake the sun will be in your eyes and a smile will form on your lips.” With that Eden of New York Faded from Ashleighs mind and he fell back onto his bed deeper into sleep.

Hours passed and a bit of sun came out in the cold December morning to wake Ashleigh from his deep slumber. As a smile began to cross his face what he could remember from his dream began to fade. All he could remember was a feeling. A feeling that he had many nights ahead of him where his mind would no longer haunt him.

One bites with thunderous rounds

One moves and removes in a blink

One is the poetic prophet

One spins the glass

One has been another

One finds the roads less traveled

One bumbles along

Lost in the Mid

Far from home

A long way from the Keystone

Travel the wheels

Follow the beam

Heed the screams

How many will return?

Long Fall

Stop climbing . . .

Stop climbing . . .

Why can’t I stop?

Just latch on to the damn rungs and hold tight.

Damn it stop fucking moving!

I’m up . . . damn it get out of my mind.

It aint my time to die not now not like this.

Stop moving . . .

Stop . . .

Air . . . I’m standing on nothing.

Was that Penny above me?

The ground doesn’t look to far down.

Wait I’m falling.

Damn James is a good shot.

The dirt’s getting closer.

Oh fuck this is going to hurt!

Hey where’s Carrie?

“CRACK!!!”

uhhh . . . my . . . my . . . ribs . . .

I’m down.

I’m breathing.

Its over.

Why am I crawling back to the ladder?

No!!! Stop Climbing!!!

Everything is just fine until you wake up screaming

The darkness began to envelop everyone. James was shot, and Ashleigh watched as Penny ran to his aid. She tried to teleport them both to safety, but parts of them were left behind. The remaining limbs twitched for a moment before being swallowed by the black oil surrounding everything.

Demonic chimes began to ring, followed by the clanking of metal. Behind Alastair, a large demonic head began to form out of iron and glass. Ashleigh tried to scream a warning, but his voice would produce no sound. Before he could make a move to help his friend, the beastly head had already begun ripping Alastair apart with jagged, twisted teeth.

Alastair and the demon head began to vanish just as Penny and James had when a scream pierced the darkness. The voice was familiar but Ashleigh could not make out where it was coming from. Then in the distance he saw who the scream belonged to. Eden had slipped and fallen into the darkness. Slugging through the darkness, Ashleigh tried to catch her; before he could grab her hand, she vanished.

He was losing everyone.

Where was Carrie?

He hadn’t seen her suffer like the others. Was she here or was she somewhere else?

Deep, deep in the darkness a low, rumbling chord began to play over and over again, increasing in speed as he listened. Ashleigh felt his body shake with each sounding of the chord, wondering if he would be shaken apart. Then he saw her.

He pushed toward her, wondering why she was standing frozen. Finally he reached her, finding that Carrie had been turned into a glass statue. As he stared at her, the low chord began to increase in volume as well as speed. Her fragile frame began to shake and crack. He tried desperately to hold her together, but before long the glass Carrie shattered and exploded everywhere.

Covered in blood from the shards of glass that had imbedded in him, he watched as the glass pieces fell like feathers to the inky blackness at his feet. As the pieces of Carrie one by one hit the surface, he heard the strings of his guitar play out.

Ashleigh woke up screaming.