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                “Nor ear can hear nor tongue can tell the tortures of that inward hell.”

                                Lord Byron, The Giaour

                I look up at Slate as she leans over me. “Are you okay?” She asks. I look around the room that I’m in. It’s a white apartment room, a soft bed beneath me. Instead of being strapped down, I’m laying comfortably underneath a soft, white sheet. “You’ve had a fever for almost two days.” She says, feeling my face.

                I sit up. I feel hot and sweaty. I look at her. “A fever?” I ask.

                “Yeah. You,” She looks down and smiles. “You were talking in your sleep. Zombies, I think.” She looks at me and brushes my hair away from my eyes. “You said my name a couple of times. I’m flattered to think that you were dreaming about me.” A devious smile comes to her lips. “Though I admit, I’m worried what it was you were dreaming about.”

                I smile and almost laugh. I take her hand and hold it as we sit in the sunlight on my bed. “This isn’t real.” I say.

                Slate swallows. I see a conflict rush through her eyes. “You’ve, you’ve said that before.” She says patiently.

                I have?

“How do you know?” She asks after a moment.

                “I can tell.” I say. “You and I never dated.”

                “Dated?” She says, tears appearing in her eyes. Her chin shakes and she holds up her hand.

                There’s a gold ring around her finger.

                “Sam.” She says, her tears infecting her words. “We’re married.”

                “Slate,” I say. “You don’t live in Virginia.” I start.

                “Neither do you.” She blasts back. She moves back from me, standing up to leave me on the bed. “This place is your home.”

                “Then you don’t remember anything about the bio-domes?” I say.

                And there’s nothing.

                I turn my head. “Bio-domes.” I say out loud. I look at her, but she’s standing, her hands hugging her arms defensively to her. “Zombies.” I say. “Vampires.”

                “Sam.” She begs, sitting down again, trying to take my hands.

                “Argent labs.” I say.

                “Sam, please.” She says, holding onto me. “Sam.”

                “The cannibal.” I say. “The demons.” I shout.

                My eyes explode in light.

                Slate’s standing over me.

                “We’ve got to get out of here. Come on!” She yells.

                “No!” I scream. I close off my mind to everything. I don’t listen. I don’t feel. I don’t look. I shut my eyes and my mind. “No!” I yell.

                “Argent Labs!” I scream. “Zombies! Dr. Anton Wilson! That night!”

                My eyes explode in light.

                Slate’s standing over me.

                “We’ve got to get out of here. Come on!” She yells.

                I slam my eyes shut as soon as I’m aware. “No!” I yell. “The hallway! The zombies! The monsters! The blood! The gore! The fear! The bio-domes! Anything! Everything!”

                I hear shooting.

                I hear a world.

                What could it be?

                The cannibal! The vampires! The demons! The giant!

                My eyes explode in light.

                Slate’s standing over me.

                “We’ve got to get out of here. Come on!” She yells.

                That’s it! Him!

                My eyes explode in light.

                Slate’s standing over me.

                “We’ve got to get out of here. Come on!” She yells.

                HIM!

                My eyes explode in light.

                Before I can even see anything, I focus. I concentrate. If I think fast enough . . .

                Slate’s standing over me.

                I center my thoughts. I summon up the picture.

                “We’ve got to get out of here.” She yells.

                Him. I think about him. Before anything else can register, I focus on him.

“Come on!” She screams.

HELP ME!

                And everything goes black.

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