Aidan rarely sleeps. But after meeting the sisters, he feels exhausted. He has never felt fatigue before; it feels weak, it feels fragile; if he but knew it, it feels human. He tries to fight the sensation, opening eyes wide against the darkness, but he cannot. He falls onto his bed, tumbling into slumber, and he dreams. He has never dreamed before, never traveled to the other worlds that lie behind closed eyes and wait for open minds. His dreams are inhabited by strange creatures with open throats and reaching arms. He does not realize that they are his orchids grown large, pollinating his dreams, reaching aerial roots into his being, tapping his soul for fertile soil. They loom enormous, hungry with open spotted mouths and hairy tongues. He is both attracted and repelled. Drawn to them,
