When he emerges into consciousness, he is only aware of the darkness sheltered by his eyelids. He recognizes it as a darkness permeated only by the abstract designs from his mind, a distinct black unlike the bright blindness when the eyelids shield an outside light. He experiences nothing else. Initially, he finds nothing wrong and expectantly waits for his body to transition from sleep to consciousness. He is not without his senses—he hears his steady breathing, feels the small hairs on his feet as they run over each other—but his face tightens when he realizes what he cannot detect. Beyond his own sounds, there is silence. As he breathes through his nose, he is not sure he inhales anything. The…