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

Six and a Half (Draft 3) "Spirits in the Material World"

Morpheus quizzed at Pam, unsure how one thing related to the other.

Pam laughed lightly, it sounded Human and nervous. "I don't know. Like reading about current events to impress someone on a date. Sound educated and worldly." He shrugged one shoulder.

"Is it impressive if I say the Arts section of The Times does have a review of Madonna's book."

"Fifty bucks."

Morpheus nodded. "The reviewer doesn't seem to like the book. But, either way, the message seems to be people have different fantasies and kinks."

"News flash!"

"Obvious to anyone who's walked through more than one neighborhood of the city."

"School of hard knocks!" Pam said and raised his coffee cup.

"Free tuition." Morpheus took a gulp of cooling coffee.

"And it'll still cost ya."

"Yeah, but, it gets better."

"Does it?"

Morpheus pressed his lips together in a frown before answering. "I think so." Then, a little more confident of his answer, he nodded. "It does, but I don't mean in the way that we forget losses or can't be hurt. We learn how to deal with what comes."

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I think some philosopher said that."

"Would make good lyrics. You think it's true?"

Pam sighed. "I think it's true for some people, but that means all of us can hope we will be one of them. Maybe that hope gets us through to the next day."

There was a silence between them when Morpheus didn't reply.

After a while, Pam said, "We should make plans for Halloween."

"Halloween."

"You know Halloween," Pam insisted.

"Of course. For some people every day is Halloween." The coming of night. The crops cut down. A permeable veil between worlds. Remembering the dead. Masquerading as someone else.

"If you don't have plans, I mean."

"Just seeing fellow musicians. They have a gig that night." Which would mean Morpheus alone would not be responsible to watch Joy. "That still leaves time."

"We have to go to the parade."

⁂

Constructing a costume was slower than shifting polymorphic flesh to achieve a look. Whether one took more or less concentration, Morpheus couldn't say. The approaches were just so different. The one involved internal focus and an acute sense of self. The other was largely externalized and required knowledge of crafting tools and materials.

A quantity of wire, nylon, glue, and metallic paint to create an accipitrine headdress which historically might have been crafted from gold or feathers. A store-bought costume labeled as 'Greek Goddess' had looked marginally more authentic than 'Egyptian Queen' and fit with a few alterations. Pam's costume consisted mainly of extra slick hair, a dark vintage suit from a thrift store in Williamsburg, and sunglasses, so he had time to help Morpheus do his make-up.

When they were ready, Morpheus went to the window where River perched beside a potted succulent and invited him to come along.

River shook his small head and whispered, "This body feels the cold, even if it won't hurt me, and you're not wearing enough to keep either of us warm."