13.2 Stagnant

Quickly exiting the bath you decide it's likely best to retire for the rest of the evening. Clearly the effects of stress and the accident are taking its toll on you. The cold air licks at your wet skin as you hastily dry off and redress. An odd sense of dread and anticipation lingers with you after your strange dream. The mysterious manifestation of your savior clearly cannot be healthy, though you're unsure what you can do about it presently. As you wearily make your way to bed your gaze cannot help glancing at the half full prescription bottle on your dresser. Though you have strived to avoid its influence, you feel your will waning as your mind feels far too alert for sleep. Dismissing any thoughts warning you otherwise, you swiftly grab the bottle and get in bed. Despite your lack of drowsiness, your eyelids feel quite heavy.

Settling beneath the covers, you absentmindedly glance over the label. Dr. Underwood's name seems to stand out amidst the script, sending an uncomfortable shiver down your back. Ignoring this, you **** the cap open and put the bottle to your lips. Your sharp teeth crunch down on the pills, releasing their chalky, slightly acidic taste. Swallowing dryly, you settle back into bed waiting for their effects to take over. It's not long before your vision begins to grow fuzzy and your eyelids increasingly heavy. Embracing the sensation, you're almost lulled into a feeling of ease and comfort. That is until the shadows on the wall begin to move before forming the all-too-familiar shape of your subconscious intruder. You try to move but find yourself frozen in place, **** to watch as the dark figure continues to take shape. Despite your efforts to remain awake, eventually your eyes completely drift closed.

You instantly find yourself in a dreamlike state, floating through the events of the past few weeks. Memories of your time in the hospital are marred by visions of the near fatal accident that resulted in your stay there. Though it's no more than you have already lived through, this time it seems almost unbearable. Your corporeal figure thrashes about as your mind struggles to piece together your experience along with your previous dream. All signs seem to be pointing in one direction, that you have become irreparably changed and likely not for the better. All of these thoughts seem to converge as you finally slip into full unconsciousness. You soon find yourself lost in a dream, this one more certainly a figment of your imagination. The details are far less clear and the events seem to keep skipping and flowing between each other.

First you are back in the hospital, surrounded by blurry, fading walls. A figure approaches that you quickly recognize to be Dr. Underwood. Shifting back in the bed, you watch, unable to speak as he reaches your side. His large figure looms over you sinisterly before he swoops down. All becomes black for a moment before finding yourself back in your own room. Sitting up you see that the same hazy, dreamlike state surrounds the room. Foggy, swirly shadows surround you, lapping at the edges of the bed. Another large presence hovers over you, though this time you're unable to make out their features. Weakly, you feel yourself reaching out towards them before they plunge into your form.

Gasping, you feel a rush of warmth surround and confine you. Still unable to speak, and now unable to move, you're completely helpless against the ethereal forms ****. You feel a piercing at your throat that seems to spread across your entire body. Your mind cries out as a strange wave of pain and ecstasy fills your very being. You wake up in a start, completely drenched in sweat and heaving heavily. To your surprise bright light surrounds you as the sun is very much out now. Blinking in groggy confusion, you glance at your wristwatch to see it's well into the morning.