There was something different about today, the air, colors, movement, everything was slightly off, like the present had slipped a fraction of a frame causing Joel to be out of sync with his world. He could feel a heaviness in his chest where he could find no relief. Was it anxiety, 48 hours without sleep, or a self-imposed deadline he had been dreading?

Sound and motion anywhere near him grated his nerves and enhanced the on-edge feeling. Joel had prided himself on being calm in all situations, and his jumpiness was unfamiliar territory, in fact, if he were truthful, his whole existence had been cast into unfamiliar territory. Gone were methodology and investigative techniques; replaced with haunting visions, fitful sleep and torment. A silent plea for help, somehow channeling through him.

Joel was afraid, not for the first time in his life, but never before at this level. He could feel himself slipping, like he was on an incline covered in ice, his footholds temporary, and each slip built momentum, moving him closer to an unknown abyss where forces beyond his  comprehension tested his sanity.

Rational thought and reasoning attempted to surface, only to be lost again in the swirl of chaos within his visions and dreams. He no longer knew if he was moving of his own accord or being pushed along by events from the past and his only choice was to claw at the hard slick surface to slow his decent or give in to the controlling forces and hope he would survive.