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

"Twenty-Eight" (Draft 2)

"Did you tell David what happened?"

"What I remembered. I got caught in the void."

"And you lost Opium?"

"She was in a mirror. I'm not sure I can tell you what happened. I mean, maybe you can tell me how you remember it."

"When? What was it?" Julien asked.

"Do you remember Joy ever having snaps?"

"All the time," Julien said.

"She had one in New Orleans some years ago, a sort of flashback of her first one actually," David said, "Sweet was with her that time, and I came and found them both in hysterics, pretty much."

"Sweet's name is John, well, it's actually Daniel?" Morpheus asked.

"You do know him."

"I know who he is."

"Sweet's his taken name, Darling, David's grandchild after a fashion, I think it was Joy who gave him the name though, surprised us all when Claudia turned him. I thought Joy would do it."

"But I thought you were from the past," David said.

Julien turned and kissed Morpheus aside the mouth. "There's just one Morpheus, he just travels a lot. And he always loves me."

"I really need to know if you remember her first snap, the one in New Orleans. Do you remember what happened."

"No one ever seems to remember much. I remember things getting very strange, and meeting Fred. And I remember being in New York...Opium was always the one who knew, and we thought you probably knew...but if you're here I suppose maybe you didn't know much better what was going on."

"I need to get back, somehow, and find Opium. If I don't, something bad will happen."

"Murph, if we're here now, then obviously you must eventually get back and fix things."

"For all I know this may be a Might Have Been."

"Can you travel?" Julien asked, his voice loud to keep David from asking more questions.

"I don't think I can yet. My whole body feels...I don't know, slow."

Julien turned about in bed and then leaned forward to press his lips to Morpheus' neck. He drew away slowly. "Your pulse is very slow."

Julien sat back, still facing Morpheus. He looked worried. The TV was flipping through channels behind him and so Morpheus guessed David was in control. He stopped on what looked like a soap opera. The actors were speaking Arabic and the sets looked to be urban houses and apartments. "I think Fatima is going to turn William today," David said.

"She won't do it, not until next week anyway, they always leave you hanging toward the end of the week," Julien said.

Morpheus downed a cup of coffee and a bottle of Coke and asked Julien if he would get him some more. Julien went down for a pitcher of coffee. Morpheus ate an omelet and a piece of toast while he was gone and started on his bagel.

"How do you get such good bagels here?" Morpheus asked.

"You can get just about anything you want from Karachi. There's a Deli just down in the Village though. I think we get them there. I wouldn't really know. Eleni does most of the shopping for the house, or Julien will send his newest apprentices out on all the gopher jobs."