My scribbling now fills my notebook. Near every page has my scrawl upon it, and every word reeks of the horrors I have seen. We have fought long and hard, and I fear it is all for nothing. The quakes which rocked our city have returned, and the shambling hordes appear once more. Our new allies, while relatively fresh, already seem haunted by what they have seen. Twice I have been saved by one of the fresh faces, and twice have I wished they had let me die. Ella is gone. I have digested this, and find myself no longer able to summon the courage I once had in abundance. This mindless evil has consumed everything I love.

I do not fear my own death. It is that which is worse than death that I fear. The nightmarish forms that stumble before me bear resemblance to townsfolk I have seen before. Names called out bear no results, and any attempt to reason with these people is met with tooth and nail. They strike out at us, no semblance of humanity left in their eyes. This is but one fate worse than death I have seen.

I haven’t slept in days. My eyes grow weary and close but for a moment, yet they pop open again immediately horrors dancing before them. I have turned to Pete, asked him questions I knew he would not be able to answer. Questions about my dreams, the visions in them becoming more and more real. Scenes from some hellish world, lit by screams and madness. With ever increasing frequency these visions are becoming my reality.

The night passes by in flashes. The face of Dr. Lee. Snippets of conversation. A great creature sending forth hundreds of young. The city crumbling to dust. Men face down, blood flowing from their wounds. Jenny holding me up. The stars moving in the night sky. Chill winds blowing against my bare skin. The door to my room broken asunder. Ella's face twisted in pain. My students lying before me dead. Being carried by Michael across the streets.

I wake in a strange room, dressed in bloodstained clothes. Jenny is asleep in a chair beside the bed, McGlen standing in the corner. I begin to sit up, and immediately regret it. Dr. Lee appears and administers a shot which fills my veins with ice. The room dissolves once more into blackness.

I hug Ella tight. I can't believe we are having a child. What will we name him? Or her? I hug her close and whisper "I love you." I have never been so full of joy. Tears fill my eyes and I can not express how happy I am.

I see myself walking into the lodge, wearing an unfamiliar coat. My head is held low, and I shove my way past the man who comes to see who I am. I advance towards the stairs, and head downward. The scene goes blurry and I am in front of a doorway. I touch the door, and find it hot to the touch. I open the door and enter a nightmare. Men in robes stand around the young girl from the night before. She is bound on an altar, screaming in an unknown tongue. The voice emanating from her fills my mind with terror. I move forward and draw a pistol as I cast off the coat. I watch myself gun down these men as if possessed. I cut the ties binding the girl, and the voice goes silent. The room swims, and a horror rises from beneath the floor. I push the girl behind me, and leap gun blazing and knife drawn at the monstrosity.

I cradle the newborn in my arms. Ella and I made this tiny person. He has her eyes, and I have never felt more protective of anything in my life. This is my son. Ella is in bed next to me, still a bit dazed from the medication and the strain of childbirth. Even exhausted, she is beautiful. This is my family. The words seem pale in comparison to the love I feel in my heart. I will do anything to protect these people.

I see a woman walking down an alley clutching at her chest. She is breathing hard and seems haunted by what she has left behind. I move to help her, and find that I can not move. She moves only a few more steps before a ghostly apparition freezes her in her tracks. She stares at the shape, and I will myself to move with all my might. The apparition vanishes, leaving the woman dazed with the disappearance of the specter. Two men head down the alley, the woman turns and aims a pistol at them. They look at each other and laugh, heading towards her. She pulls the trigger, and seems genuinely surprised as one of the men goes down.

I first see her as she calls my name. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. "Your room is down this way sir." She guides me to my new lodgings. The words barely register, the beating of my heart drowns them out. I follow along dumbstruck, and she leaves me in front of a door bewildered as to how to find my way back to the lobby. Across the hall, a man adjusts the hinges on a door. "New here? Her name is Ella. My name is Wilson. Wilson Richards. Your name is?" I introduce myself, but my mind is miles away. Ella. My heart swoons.

Consciousness calls and I surrender to it. Only blackness greets me. I fight to open my eyes, and they weakly stretch open. I find myself lying face down, cobblestones in front of me. I begin to take stock of my surroundings, and find myself alone. For the first time since coming to this accursed place, I am alone. I force myself to my knees, and nearly pass out once more. The street swims in front of my face. I wait for it to stop, and take stock. I have the clothes on my back, and that is it. No weapons, no allies, no items save my notebook and pen. I stand, weak kneed and wobbling. There is no one on the streets, even though the daylight is bright. I glance about frantic.

“Calvin! What the hell are you doing?” Jenny yells. Startled I look about, but can not see her. “Jenny! Where are you?” I hear the sounds of combat around me, but can not see their source. I feel a hand slap me across the face. Now I can see. I wish I couldn’t. Twin entities stare down at our small party. McGlen is shooting at a giant slug covered in spikes, while Drake shoots gouts of flame towards a worm-like creature sticking out of a massive hole in the ground. “Fight, Calvin! We need you help!” I shake off the visions and throw myself into the fray.