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

"Thirty" (Draft 2)

"All right, if we get split apart I'll look out for them. But what if I don't find anyone at all?"

"Then look for the city with the shining pyramid and bridge, the ziggurat and the twin towers and the winged animals in relief on the brick wall...if it's still there, and go toward it. That's where most of the sick and the lost have been taken, but it won't be safe long."

They walked on. The sky was deep black then, and something like a moon was forming above. All through the valley Night creatures and lost souls ran from the destruction.

"How will we find them in this?" Julien asked.

"Open my pack," Morpheus said.

Julien let Morpheus stand on his own and took the pack. He opened it. There were two mirrors inside with some bottles.

"Take the mirrors out, and give just one to me," Morpheus said.

Julien chose the small hand mirror with tortoise shell frame and handle for himself, and he gave to Morpheus the rectangular mirror with the silver frame. Morpheus put his in his pocket. He leaned on Julien again and looked into the hand mirror, focused it. The picture was a bit fuzzy, but Daniel was there.

"This is how. Look, it doesn't seem he can be too far. He's in the valley somewhere."

"I couldn't do that."

"Well, maybe, you could try it, try very hard while gazing at it, as if gazing into space and think of the person you want to see. Remember the way he looks now. And you know what Joy looks like, but she's been impossible to find for a while, I think her brother is blocking her."

"She has a brother?"

"Mandy's her brother."

"You know, I think he kisses like her," Julien said.

Morpheus nodded.

"You'll make me forget?" Julien asked and slipped his arm about Morpheus again.

"I'll give you Lethe water to drink," Morpheus said.

They pressed on looking for Daniel. Julien was holding the mirror, it was still focused. Morpheus glanced over occasionally, coughed occasionally. He steered Julien by pushing or pulling with his weight. Daniel was moving vaguely in the direction of the Maze of Black. Morpheus wondered if it was on purpose. But no other structure was any more visible now.

"He's heading into the storm, Morpheus we're going to walk right into the storm."

"Doesn't matter, It'll be everywhere soon."

The ground trembled, land rolled and buckled so that a hill rolled up right under their feet and threw them apart. Morpheus was wracked with coughs again; he couldn't get up. He saw Julien standing unsteadily as the ground shook, trying to get back to him. And then the ground split open again and Morpheus slipped down on a tilting piece of ground, he tried to get a hold on something, but grass and dirt just gave way.

The rains came down on them suddenly, the region shifting forcefully into a new position deeper within the storm. Morpheus looked over his shoulder. Julien was pulling up his skirt so that he could better leap across the crevice. When he was on the other side he lay down and leaned over to grab Morpheus. Their fingers barely touched. And then the ground rumbled again and the land pitched, and Morpheus cried out as he slipped down farther. Then with a jerking motion he stopped.