[EternalPen]

Synopsis: This is the final, FINAL chapter to Sleep! Thank you for reading all that you have so far as I worked on this. It is my longest work to date, and hope you are satisfied with how it turned out
-E. H. Amos


***Epilogue***

-Two Weeks Later-

“How is he?” Charles asked the doctor.

“Depends.” Was the doctor’s answer.

“Depends?” Charles asked him again. “Depends on what?!”

“Depends on your question.” The doctor said. “Is it ‘How bad is he’ or ‘How good is he’?”

“Good.” Charles said.

“Wrong answer.” The doctor told him.

Charles was upset. He knew what that meant but the doctor was acting like it wasn’t a big deal. Like… like Trey was just a normal person who had gone insane. Not a savior, but normal.

Trey hadn’t looked good when he got to the hospital, and still wasn’t right now. He had lost a lot of blood, and his brain wasn’t in good shape, either. Trey shouldn’t have even survived the trip to the hospital, but he shouldn’t have survived the virus either.

Trey had been in the asylum for two weeks now, and the virus hadn’t taken him. He was alive. This had led Charles, Trey’s doctor, to find out why. He did a few tests on Trey and had gathered a large wealth of information.

First off, the virus was something that killed you. He knew this much already, it didn’t take a genius to figure that out, but he found something different. It lived in the brain, and the brain is the first thing it affects. After the first few days the victim’s fears grow. He didn’t know that it was because the virus let loose your fears inside your id, but he knew that it made you very afraid.

He also learned that his cure had worked on Trey. Trey survived, and was on his way to tell the doctor the good news when he was attacked. Trey continued to say something about a cure that he had, and the doctor knew that it was imperative that he wake up and share.

Trey’s mind held a myriad of facts that could help all of humanity, but he needed to wake up.

He had suggested trying to operate on the brain, that it would work, but he was just blowing smoke. He knew no matter what happened that Trey could not be saved. He could try one last-ditch effort, but he knew that this would not work either. Medicines could not heal dent in the brain.

But he had to try. If this was a brain issue, the medicine that Trey took for the virus could help… a little. It was possible.

But it hadn’t helped. They gave Trey the medicine he had taken for The Croatoan almost two hours ago, but it didn’t help at all. The doctor knew these things took time, but… he was running low on time himself.

Charles had collected the virus somehow. Somehow five days ago. He had a maximum of two days left.

He leaned over to Trey where he sat, babbling about the cure, and whispered into his ear.

“Trey… help me...”

***

Trey took a deep breath. He had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that there was something he needed to remember. Something about a cure, something about Tracy, something about his mom, something about a virus, something about-

He took another deep breath. He was too tired to think about it. He wanted to just enjoy this place around him. He thought it was something about his id, but couldn’t remember. He knew that he was dead, in heaven, and wanted to stay here. Everything was green, every breath helped him relax, and he was free of those scratchy, uncomfortable pieces of cloth he had to wear back wherever he came from. He had only arrived two hours ago, and already loved this place.

Everything was normal, but he couldn’t help that feel something was amiss. The white, stone citadels that rose from the ground were there, all the bones were gone, the houses were fixed, and the trees bore fruit again. Everything was-

There was an extra citadel. He didn’t recognize it at first. It was red, not white, and it was not stone. It looked almost as if it were made of… liquid. It was a waving, watery tower. It shook and waves rippled on the edges, creating a balcony. The red color reminded him of something he didn’t recognize. An odd, unfamiliar, almost blasphemous word to him. Blood.

It all came back.

The virus, the cure, the journey, the ship, Tracy, the Dark World, the id, waking up, being attacked, and falling asleep…

It was all there like it had happened yesterday, but his memories told him it was all two weeks ago. He didn’t know how to get out, to escape this sleep, but he needed to try. It must have had something to do with…

The Blood Tower. The answer to all this had to be at the tip of the Blood Tower. He ran to it, but something constricted his movements a bit. He was back in his clothes. He was glad, too. They felt comfortable, warm, and he didn’t want to be naked anymore. It was shameful. He couldn’t jump as high or run as fast, and he felt sleepy. He began to sweat as he ran to the tower, and he loved the smell of it. He was sad to have left paradise behind, but having reality back… that was what he needed, what he wanted.

Besides, paradise was lonely. No matter where you are, you’ll come to hate it if you’re alone.

He ran to the tower, and his whole world shook with a booming voice. The voice sent ripples through the Blood Tower, and the stairs, the balconies, everything on it just shook and broke. It returned to normal in slow and fluid motions when the voice was finished.

The voice did indeed cause these ripples as it echoed explosively through the world around Trey, but it was whispered. There was no force in the plea, only desperation. It was a whisper that shook the world with its pain and worry.

Trey had to help the voice. It came from near the top of the Blood Tower. He ran towards it.

He reached the entrance of the Tower and placed a foot on the first stair leading to the next floor. His foot sank into the blood about an inch before hitting something solid. He began his climb.

He didn’t know what awaited him at the top or what was on his way to the top. All he knew was the voice was sad and had only the smallest hint of hope in it. Trey had been at that point in his life when he had the virus and longed to help the voice.

He ran up the stairs with renewed courage. The words the voice spoke echoed in his mind as he ran.

“Trey…” It said. “Help me….”

['Ginnis]

So, I edited most of this (not all, but most) and realized that you've advanced quite a lot as a writer. Congratulations, the improvement is wonderful! You asked me to leave you with a couple of thuoghts and since I suck at commenting outside of my editing, I figured I'd start self improvement here. I honestly didn't care for how the story ended. The mugger coming out and the brash horrid way in which Trey was beaten seemed unrealistic. If the guy didn't want him talking, he would have just shot Trey right there. Granted, I understand the self-guilt involved with murder and how if you beat someone into retardation you may be able to sleep at night mental complex but still...it was just unsatisfying as a reader. However, I also understand your reasons for doing so. Kind of the whole "life is irrelevant and nothing really matters" ideology, and I applaud you for taking such a bold stance as an author. Didn't care for it, but respect your decision still.

Over all though EP, a great job. There was enough action and suspense to keep the reader entrigued and you pulled it off very well. Oh, and I really really hate to mention this, but I know I said something about it at the very beginning. It's "Roanoke". SORRY! Congratulations on sucessfully finishing a great story!

[EternalPen]

Originally Posted by 'Ginnis

The mugger coming out and the brash horrid way in which Trey was beaten seemed unrealistic. If the guy didn't want him talking, he would have just shot Trey right there.

I guess I should have mentioned he bought the gun, but being homeless didn't have money for bullets. I thought, but I guess I forgot to write it. >_<

Originally Posted by 'Ginnis

However, I also understand your reasons for doing so. Kind of the whole "life is irrelevant and nothing really matters" ideology, and I applaud you for taking such a bold stance as an author. Didn't care for it, but respect your decision still.

Uh... thanks?

Originally Posted by 'Ginnis

I honestly didn't care for how the story ended.

I TRY to do that. ^_^
Well, in a GOOD way I try to do that.

['Ginnis]

Haha, never write just to appease your audience.

[EternalPen]

I write to piss 'em off.

[EternalPen]

Originally Posted by 'Ginnis

I honestly didn't care for how the story ended.

BAM.

I'm writing Part two. Maybe you'll be satisfied with the way IT ends?
Maybe not. I'm gonna try to pull off an unpredictable ending, so we'll have to see. I myself don't even know how it's going to end! I just wanted to write in that universe some more so I'm kind of freelancing. ^_^

I don't know how long it will be or what will happen, so I'm pretty excited myself to see how it'll turn out.

Thanks again for reading my story! I know it was long, and you didn't read ALL of it, but thank you anyway!

[Peppy]

Well, that makes me want to read about the next part of the story. But I'll save it for a rainy day or something.

Hmmmmm...I dunno what else to say. I feel like I've been tapped. Congratulations on finishing a story. Most people don't have the discipline to finish, but you came through.

BRB, maybe.

[EternalPen]

lol.

Not even close to being done with part two, and as far as I know right now, it sucks. >_< You might wanna make up your own ending and leave it at that.