Then a fire engine came tearing around the corner just below the window, filling the office with an ocean of noise.
Joseph's hand jerked and flicked the switch.
And then the dream came back to him, the nightmare of the night before that had precipitated, unknown to him, his mood of foreboding. It came back to him with stark realism and flooded him with unadorned fear.
In the dream, he had been in a forest. Not just the city park, but a real forest, one thousands of miles and centuries away from human civilization. A wood in which the foot of Man had never trod.
It was dark there, and the trees were thick and tall. There was no wind, the leaves were soft underfoot. And Joseph Partch was all alone, completely alone.
And it was—quiet.
Doctor Coles looked at the patient on the white cot sadly.
"I've only seen a case like it once before in my entire career, Dr. Leeds."
Leeds nodded.
"It is rather rare. Look at him—total catatonia. He's curled into a perfect foetal position. Never be the same again, I'm afraid."