Original Version:

Beyond the Wall of Sleep by H.P. Lovecraft

https://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/bws.aspx

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Wonder Words Ghostwriting Version:

A heavy rain falls in the distance. Silver Street Mental Hospital is coated with it. One could look at it and wonder if it's attempting to wash away the ugly from it's tiny little corner of the world. From the looks of the place it has a history of its own, like no other; filled with mindless oddities. And mysteries of the mind which people have escaped into, and been lost within for far too long.

Steam rises from the streets as if the dead were trying to reach out from their graves in the night and pull the living down with them in haste. With the echoes of the wind howling outside and the rain pouring on the roof above; one can almost hear the faint sound of terrorizing screams. Oh the pain and suffering that is ingrained and trapped within these walls.

A man stares out a window into the night as all of these thoughts permeate through his mind without end, about a wall in the darkness, and what lies beyond it. Is it hope? Is it fear? Is it the devil? Is it God? The hospital itself is like some deranged zoo for people. Four orderlies rush a patient on a specialized gurney in through a pair of double doors. The man was arrested for gnawing on his neighbor and talking about some horrible place; he went on about how he dreaded going back, but how he must be allowed to still.

''Another one ripe for the picking, I think he went there too from the sounds of it,'' said Charlie, the psychotic patient with his deranged laughter. 'The laughing man', as they call him, is in there because he claims to have conversations with God. He's constantly sharing prophetic messages with people scaring the hell out of them, talking about the end of the world and such. A pair of eyes and ears do their best to ignore Charlie, for he knows and feels the things that Bud doesn't want to admit to. All he keeps seeing are repeats of his life for the past few weeks.

The car wreck on the race track that nearly killed him, unexplained dreams he had while he was in a coma. Having always been a chill and laid back kind of guy, something in Bud changed after the accident. His violent and chaotic stay at the local county hospital where he nearly killed a nurse. It was a definite sign of things to come. For some strange reason Bud thought she was some sort of Viet Cong Assassin sent to kill him in the night. That's when he began choking her. Five security guards were needed to get him under control and sedate him.

Days later when he awoke it was night again. The former driver sat up in his bed then crawled out of it. He pulled a chair back and sat down at a desk facing the window. As his eyes were fixated on what was outside, the darkness and the rain, it's as if every time the lightning came down with its boldness; Bud could feel a tiny bit of himself being back at the place beyond the wall.

He felt a sense of madness seeping into him more and more. There was good and evil in that place. He couldn't put his finger on it but it seemed like there was some sort of eternal struggle taking place there. All he knew was he felt like something was trying to pull him to go back.

Bud's wife signed the orders to have him at least temporarily committed to the mental hospital until he could calm down and see what the hell was going on with him. Deep down, he already knew, he didn't want to say, Charlie on the other hand, was screaming it loud and proud like a madman with laughter. Though Charlie himself had only had a taste of it. The former driver had gotten more than he bargained for; a crash course. Charlie doesn't fully realize this yet. When he does Charlie may find himself being driven down his own road of indefinite insanity.

The place they spoke of was the place beyond the wall of sleep; and Bud came back to tell the tale but wasn't ready to share it with the world. ''You think you're okay?! You think you'll be okay?! Just wait until they let you out of here, and you get your life back to normal, then the fun begins!' Charlie said with maniacal laughter.

Weeks later, Bud, seemed to 'calm down' as his wife came to visit. She proceeded to sign him out. His clothes and belongings were packed. Both husband and wife found themselves ready to go home together with the fresh start ahead of them. As he reached down to hug his wife Charlie saw a menacing look and an evil sadistic smile on his face. Which was enough to terrify Charlie. That poor man ended up stumbling backwards as if the devil himself had just smiled back at him; or as if someone had just walked over his grave.