AWAKE (continued).

"Sweetie, sweetie, it´s OK, I´m here, you can stop now..."

Oh my God, I made it back without a scratch? Oh no wait, I was still kind of sore, but I can´t exactly say why...alright, it was because of that episode with Lisa. It was Edith finally, she was hugging very tightly as if I was going to fall from bed.

"Oh, are you a sight for sore eyes, and not only that but sore but body as well..."

"You were screaming all night so I held you," she continued somewhat drowsy.

"And how many times did you do that?"

"I´m not sure, several times, I guess, but so what? You were here all night, sure you came in a little late, but that´s OK."

"Augh," I said as I rested my head. "I had a very rough time, in fact I just figured something out, but you have to swear you won´t get mad or anything."

"Why would I get mad?"

"It´s the paintings, there´s something in them. I must confess I didn´t do them alone; you see, I had some help, some very unexpected help."

Edith rose from bed instantly and peeled her eyes, "What are you trying to say this time, Adrian?"

"The dead speak through me, somehow...it´s crazy , I know, I´m trying to deliver this to you as best as I can, honest."

"I believe many things, as much as you want me to, but I´ll have to be very objective on this one. You mean to say that all this time the spirits helped you paint these things."

"Not all of them, most of them I figured them out on my own..."

"I guess that explains why you were able to craft them so fast. Honey, you don´t have to this, do you know what would happen if you told others the same story you´re telling me? Probably you´d be the laughing stock of the New York art scene."

"But I´m being serious! Why won´t you believe me? I mean, I´m not expecting that you swallow every single word I´m saying but I must admit I´m a desperate man and I could do anything..."

"Like what, play with that girl´s portrait all night? Why don´t you just get rid of it, I never understood that side of you."

"Because of superstition! And, and it´s true, it has power."

"Well you can´t let that rule your everyday decisions, the more you believe in it the more powerful it becomes."

"I could rip it to shreds if you want, ask me to do it, go on, ask me!"

"Adrian, chill out, OK? It was just another one of your many ex-girlfriends, I think she could be dead by now."

I curled up while I threw my hands over my face thinking that she was right, "yeah, Lisa´s dead, they told me she was in a car accident or something."

"So you still care about this dead girl, huh? Was she the one who inspired you to do all this then?"

"No, no, no, the other girl..."

"You´re impossible right now, maybe I should throw out in the middle of the snow, would you like that?"

"Jeez, this is, so not good, so I think we should stop."

"Fine, let´s change the subject then. Any plans for New Year´s Eve?"

AWAKE

Ow, my bed felt so rigid and I was connected to some tubes...oh no, not the hospital again.

"Not just any old hospital, " said a familiar voice than sounded just like Caroline´s...yes. she sat on a chair close to me. "This is Saint Vincent´s to be exact."

"Didn´t that place close just a few months ago? Unless of course I´m in the past."

"NO, it´s the present alright," she continued with a very serene tone. This time she didn´t seem that mad, even her outfit was pale blue, like the first time I met her.

"Then why did you bring me here?"

"I died here, like many innocent people."

"So sorry to hear that. Listen, " I said as I placed my hand on my neck. "I´ve had a very hard night and it seems that you did it, so can I PLEASE go back home?"

"Did you learn anything with this trip?" she said crossing her arms.

"YES! The paintings, they´re a gateway to other people´s minds. With them we are connected; the problem is that you never know who will drop into your visions."

"And that´s why you will have to be more selective! The other girl Lindsay doesn´t seem like much of a choice."

"For what?"

"For The Thousand, of course!"

"Oh, God, I´m tired of all this shit! I´m sorry, I just wanna go back home...I´m tired and I´m sore."

"Very well, you´re right. I´ve been so selfish lately and besides the year is almost over...go back to sleep but think about nice things this time."

"That´s easy..."

"Not after what you just saw, so concentrate real hard, Adrian."

"Edith, she´s the only one who seems nicer than anyone else I´ve ever met, even better than you..." I stuck my head in the pillows, "come back Edith, come back Edith..."

(continued)...