It seemed, indeed, as if work was to Ernest what the sting of pleasure is to the average human animal. The inter-play of his mental forces gave him the sensuous satisfaction of a woman's embrace. His eyes sparkled. His muscle tightened. The joy of creation was upon him.

She creeps up on silent feet, whispering in my ear to ready myself once again, for the first time....

We've shared this embrace, my long lost lover. Your pale hands wrapped round my wrist to drag me to this sea of moonlight.

And as we float on the shade and shadow, the bottom falls from beneath us and we plummet into the blackness.

That cold encasing blackness that fires my soul.

Did you miss me as much as I missed you, my dark beauty?

Did you miss our dance beneath the bright moon, full and heavy, dripping with ice?

With the sun setting behind him, Vlad slowly crept up the walkway towards the Inn, something he hadn't done for quite some time. He paused at the doorway, for he thought he heard the sounds of laughter coming from within its walls; that was impossible, of course -- no souls had entered the Inn since he closed it a couple of years ago.

With little effort, he removed the planks that had been boarded up over the doorway, and pulled a rusty old key out from within his cloak. With a scream, the lock slowly turned and clicked, and he pushed open the door.

Red lights flashing in my mind's eye
I can't see
Whispers in the dark
Creatures trying to claw at me
Here in the night
Fighting the pain
Feeling the strain
Fractured thoughts form
Splintering into glistening pieces
I'm awake
Sleep is for the weak
The nightmares fade
as my eyes adjust
Just one night...
One peaceful night...
I pray to Demeter
Christ
Dionysus
A deity who'll listen to my plight
Maybe it's not only my mind
Maybe it's the world
the Universe