The black envelops me as thoughts fade away, frustration ensues. Sleep has become a ritual of agony. Drifting out of consciousness, a bright white light embraces me. Its warmth brings a sense of security. Perhaps there is hope after all that from this curse I will be freed. Then suddenly, I am cruelly wrenched from this paradise in an explosion of light. I draw my hands before my face in a desperate attempt to shield my eyes. A violent shriek fills my ears and I leap back in terror; for what I see before me is truly unnerving. A ghastly apparition towers before me; its arms spread wide open as it screams up into the heavens. My heart drops from my chest as its vile eyes meet mine. A piercing voice escapes its lips, saying: Oh feeble son of dust, cast aside the demons that haunt you. The pain that plagues you is but a reminder of what it will take to be free of this. Dismiss anxiety, and let your soul be still; for tomorrow will worry about itself. For tomorrow will bring enough trouble of its own. Let regret die in its sleep, what’s done is done. Forget what is behind, and strain toward what lies before you. Bury the past, and let your soul be still. Allow sleep to erase the mistakes of an old life, for tomorrow brings release. Let redemption flow through you; embrace the new chance that it brings. Accept this gift of absolution and become the man you were born to be. This is the path by which you’ll become free. Then suddenly the spirit disappears, leaving me with a mind full of questions and no answers in sight.