- IT WAS ONE OF OUR GREATEST FEARS, TO BE SEPARATED.  IT WAS SO IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE, SO UNKNOWN TO US.  BUT I THINK IT ENDURED BECAUSE A LARGE PART OF IT WAS ROOTED IN OUR DESIRE TO EACH BE A SINGLE PERSON.  I'D EVEN GO SO FAR TO SAY IT WAS A FANTASY.  

I PAUSED, AND DRANK SOME WATER.  

- I GET ANGRY AT HIM SOMETIMES, FOR DOING WHAT HE DID, THAT SOMEHOW HE GRANTED OUR WISH, BUT I'M ANGRY THAT HE LEFT US, THAT HE LEFT ME.  WE WERE STRONGER TOGETHER, AND HE LEFT ME.  SO NOW I'M ALONE.  BUT I'M FREE, I GUESS.  I'M COMPLETELY FREE...  

THE DOCTOR DIDN'T MOVE, BUT CONTINUED TO GAZE.  

- I'M SORRY.  I'M SORRY TOO.  

- WHY ARE YOU SORRY?  

- BECAUSE I LEFT HIM.  IN SOME WAY I GUESS I LEFT HIM TOO, AND HE HAD NO ONE TO TURN TO.   

THE DOCTOR DIDN'T MOVE, BUT CONTINUED TO GAZE.  

- A FICTIVE CONVERSATION TAKEN FROM A DREAM ABOUT DEATH.

"WAS THIS WHAT IT ALL MEANT - UTTER, INTACT SEPARATENESS, OBSCURED BY HEAT OF LIVING?"

- D.H. LAWRENCE, ODOUR OF CHRYSANTHEMUMS (1909)

"A CAR ENGINE REVVED IN THE DISTANCE BUT THIS PLACE FELT SO FAR REMOVED THAT THE MAIN ROAD MIGHT HAVE LAIN ON THE OTHER SDE OF A PANE OF THICKENED, FROSTED GLASS.  HE FOUND THAT HE HAD LEFT ALL THOUGHTS OF FAMILY BEHIND AND...FELT AS THOUGH HE HAD RETURNED TO HIS BODY TO FIND IT MADE NEW AND DOUBLY ALERT.  HE FELT HE COULD HAVE SPRUNG UP A TREE WITH THE AGILITY OF A SQUIRREL OR FLITTED THROUGH THE DARKNESS BEYOND WITH THE SILENT ELEGANCE OF A MOTH.  THE ENGINE SOUNDED CLOSE AND HE REMEMBERED HE WAS NO LONGER A VIRGIN AND WOULD NEVER BE QUITE AS YOUNG AND NAÏVELY AIMLESS AS HE HAD BEEN THAT AFTERNOON."

- PATRICK GALE, 'NOTES FROM AN EXHIBITION' (2008)

"THE FRAILTY OF EVERYTHING REVEALED AT LAST.  OLD AND TROUBLING ISSUES RESOLVED INTO NOTHINGNESS AND NIGHT.  THE LAST INSTANCE OF A THING TAKES THE CLASS WITH IT.  TURNS OUT THE LIGHT AND IT IS GONE.  LOOK AROUND YOU.  EVER IS A LONG TIME.  BUT THE BOY KNEW WHAT HE KNEW.  THAT EVER IS NO TIME AT ALL."

- CORMAC MCCARTHY, 'THE ROAD' (2006)