AN EARTH SHATTERING CRASH FILLS THE AIR

RUBBLE CAST ASIDE, AS A TOWERING FIGURE EMERGES FROM BENEATH THE EARTH

THAT THING

WHY IS IT HERE?

I THOUGHT WE HAD A DEAL

I APPROACH IT WITH CAUTION

ITS VISAGE IS LITTERED WITH INNUMERABLE EYES. OF THEM, MAYBE THREE TURN TO LOOK AT ME.

IT DOESN'T CARE

WHY DOESN'T IT CARE?

I THOUGHT WE HAD A DEAL

MY ATTEMPTS AT REASON SEEM TO FALL ON DEAF EARS

AT ITS SIZE, PERHAPS IT SIMPLY CANNOT HEAR ME. PERHAPS IT NEVER COULD.

THE WIND TURNS TO FACE ME, SMOTHERING ME IN A VEIL OF FOG.

SOON, IT BECOMES A SHROUD. IT BLOCKS MY VISION. I CANNOT SEE ANYTHING, I REALIZE.

I CANNOT SEE... I...

I.

FEEL NOTHING. NOT FROM ABSCENCE OF SENSTION, BUT...

A COMPLETE INABILITY TO PERCIEVE SUCH SENSATIONS.

TO PERCIEVE MY FORM AT ALL.

WAIT. DID I EVEN HAVE A FORM TO BEGIN WITH?

'I'

WHO IS THAT? IS THAT ANYONE? WAS THAT ANYONE?

I DO NOT SEE ANYONE THERE. I DO NOT REMEMBER ANYONE THERE.

THERE IS NO 'I,' THEN.

THESE THOUGHTS...

WITHOUT AN 'I,'

THEY MUST BE THE THOUGHTS OF THE UNIVERSE ITSELF.

THE UNIVERSE IS EMPTY. IT SEES NOTHING.

IT REMEMBERS THINGS. PEOPLE. PLACES.

BUT THOSE MEMORIES MAKE NO SENSE. NOT WITHOUT AN 'I' WHO WAS NEVER THERE.

DREAMS, THEN. THE UNIVERSE DREAMED.

IT DREAMED OF WHAT COULD NEVER BE. OF PEOPLE. OF PLACES.

THERE IS NOTHING HERE. THERE NEVER HAS BEEN. THERE NEVER WILL BE.

THERE IS NOTHING TO DO HERE. NO REASON TO LOOK UPON THIS EMPTINESS.

THE UNIVERSE SURRENDERS ITSELF TO SLEEP.

WITH NOTHING LEFT TO DO, THE UNIVERSE DREAMS.