The Edge Of 3 O'clock

The Black Triangle Dream

Trigger warning: Suicidal ideation

Everyone in the room sat silently and motionlessly for many moments. None of us knew how to react. It wasn’t like anything any of us had ever heard of before.

    “What...what is that supposed to mean?” I spoke up.

    “I don’t know how else to say it,” Alba replied sharply. “He died in a dream.”

    “What kind of dream?” Adam asked.

    “You expect me to know that?” She replied. “We can’t hook his brain up to a TV and watch whatever’s happening.”

    Adam sighed angrily before storming out of the room. “This is fucking messed up…”

    “Wh...Adam!” I stuttered.
    “Leave him,” Alba interrupted. “He’s right. This is fucking messed up...”

    “I’ll check with him,” Jack assured. “I need some air anyway.”

    I fell back against the wall, looking up at the sterile white ceiling. A feeling of dread began to sink into me. Cat placed her hand on my shoulder and looked nervously over at Alba.

    “Has anyone ever died like this?” Cat asked. “Anyone that you’ve heard of?”
    Alba stared blankly in the distance. “...No...not like this. People die from heart attacks, cancer, lung problems, anything else in the book,” She gave us a grim look. “But someone dying from bad dreams? That doesn’t happen. Not ever.”

    Cat ran her shaking hand through her hair. “I’m sorry, I just...I don’t get it. This is all so...I don’t even know! I...what the fuck…” Tears streamed down her face in frustration as I took her hand and leaned closer to her.

    “I’m gonna go clean up,” Alba informed. “It’s 2:00 right now; in about a half hour, we need to take our next dose of Modafinil.”

    “Alright...thanks, Alba.” I replied.
    And then it was just us. The sounds of the air conditioner and the clock ticking on the wall were the only things filling the silence. Cat took a shaky breath.

    “Are...are you doing okay?” I asked.
    She hesitated. “...I’m just tired...” She looked at me with a pained expression. “I’m so fucking tired, Ry…”
    I nodded. “I know...so am I.”
    Her entire body tensed up. “I don’t know...I don’t know how much longer I can stay awake…”
    “We have to try.”
    Cat broke into heartbroken sobs. I felt awful.

    “Hey. As long as I’m awake, you’re not falling asleep, okay?” I reassured her. “I will splash you with water, I will tickle you, I will annoy the everloving hell out of you if I have to.”

    Cat chuckled through her tears.
    “You aren’t falling asleep on my watch.”
    “Okay…”
    I kissed her on the forehead and gave her a half-smile.

    “We’re gonna figure it out,” I whispered. “We always figure things out, even the toughest stuff. It’ll be okay.”
    She sniffled. “I sure hope you’re right...”

    Truth be told, it was getting harder and harder by the minute. We were all feeling it. We had all gone over fifty hours without sleep. The drugs could only do so much for so long. I could feel my mind struggling to stay focused, drifting in and out. But I had to keep trying. We all had to keep trying.

    I decided to head out into the hallway to check on Adam and Jack. I cracked the door open to see both of them sitting on the floor.

“Hey…” I greeted.
“Hey,” Jack replied. “You can join us, if you want.”