olikeashroud,theminutemovementsofthethermulatingfabricsystematicallyadjustingitsweave.Caldwellwonderedwhetherthissensitivitytoexternalstimuliwasasideeffehavingmadethemostcowardlyofpersonalchoices.Hestillhadn’tbroughthimselftoplatethefinalityofhisdecisionbuttheclusionwasiable.Eventually,inamatterofminutes,hethought,hewasgoingtokillhimself.

    Soon,theendwouldbeinsightforhisheavilypunctuatedsleeppatterns.Thenightmaresthatstretchedintoinfinity,ghostlyapparitionsoffearreagdeepintohispsyche.Hewastrappedinalivinghellandtherewasonlyonewayout.Soon,hewouldhavethatwhichhecravedmorethananythingelse,asleepthatstretchedundisturbedintoinfinity.Hewouldhavepeace.

    CaldwellglahetimeprojectedinpalegreenpixelsbythecheapTaiwaneseclockbuiltintotheceiling.Throughbureyes,tormentedmindmoribundinthatfuzzyareabetweensleepandwakefulness,hewatchedthepulsatingdigitsoftheclocktigover.Itwasthathourofdawn.Outside,theshadowsofthenighthadstartedtorecede,exposingthegraywetrealityofawinterm.Helayionthememoryfoamfutonandwatchedthetimespinonitsinvisibleaxis,sweepingthroughitsthreehundredandsixty-degreearpreciselysixtyseds.Itwas5.30AM.

    TimehadbeeaninglesscepttoCaldwell,reduplebiologicaltingdowoppableapproachofanimpendingexpirydate.Hefoundsleepelusive,hisexistencereducedtountoldhoursofwakefulnessfollowedbyannoyingstretchesofinsomnia.Sometimeshewouldgodayswithoutsleep,arelativelyretafflithathecludedwassubsciouslybroughtonbyadesperateattempttoavoidbeingplungedbatoaerminablesequenceofhorrificdreams.Wh