The Empty World | The Empty World Sequence [complete | rewriting]

"Thirty" (Draft 2)

"It'd be stealing, and the Satans wouldn't like you much, but I suppose we could,"

"And um, we've got to rescue Athen, he's here somewhere, and it wouldn't be decent to leave him."

Morpheus looked to the door. "Julien, I'm dying."

Julien shook his head.

"We're all dying, the whole land."

"Up there, it's your home?" Julien asked. He really did look horrible in turquoise eyeshadow.

"Yeah," Morpheus sighed.

"We'll be together, even if we don't find him. I saw where he is, he's in a really pretty sort of park with lots of innocent looking children who tease him. He's miserable. And your Djinn could clear the way for us."

Morpheus frowned. He broke open the door and pulled it wide.

"You're still stronger than me," Julien said. He lifted the vine to his shoulders, "Listen, we're getting out of here, if you resist and let me go I'll take you with us." And then Julien began ripping ruffles off and wiping make-up from his face. He kicked off the heels and scampered to Morpheus' side. He continued ripping at his dress till he wore nothing but a long, slinky, orange sequined skirt. "Best I can do with the ugly thing."

"Might look nice with big boots and lots of fishnet, in the right sort of place."

"It might just," Julien said.

Morpheus ordered his Djinn to assume skin-tight bodysuits, big boots and knee and elbow pads. And then he sent them after anything that got in their way to attack with well choreographed martial arts moves and loud cries.

Morpheus could still put people to sleep, all he had to do was reach into his wing for some and throw it at them. And so it wasn't actually too difficult to find Athen and take him from the park. "Saw your show the other day, it was horrible," Athen said.

"Thené, can I wear your boots?" Julien asked.

"You have gone completely," Athen said, but he stepped out of his boots as they ran and gave then to Julien.

They climbed up through the first hole they found. Julien sat and laced on the boots, Athen took a step and fell into a pool. Morpheus grabbed his arm and pulled him up onto the rock floor. "We're in Dream," he said. He looked around. They were not in the heart, but they were close to it. All around there were fallen stalactites and other formations. Julien stood up.

"Can I wear your shirt?" Julien asked.

Morpheus looked Julien in the eyes. "I suppose you would want to die looking as good as possible."

The ground quaked again, the webs quivered as rock and gems fell from the walls. The pools all splashed and water dripped anew from above. Morpheus doubled over. He sank down to the ground. Julien bent to his side. "You really are dying," he whispered.

"If Opium doesn't come through all of us will become sick...I don't know, maybe the Angels won't die, maybe they'll just live weak and dim." He took River from his shoulder and set him in his lap. He sloughed off his jacket and pack then pulled off his shirt. He offered it to Julien.

"You really giving me the shirt off your back?"

"Don't have much to give any more," Morpheus said.