Thank you, Annie -- I'm so glad this chapter worked for you! I'll admit that I worried quite a bit while writing it that it would be a bit too much, so this was very encouraging to read. Clark was seeing the important places (and people) in his life, but in the end, you're exactly right: he was really trying very hard to find a reason to live. And even though it didn't seem like he was finding one, he found it in the clues his subconscious mind had been storing up for him, showing him the truths behind the lies. And yeah, I love Jimmy; this scene was actually a deleted scene that didn't fit in an earlier chapter, but I was excited to be able to place it here.
Sorry for such a roller-coaster of a chapter, Virginia! Clark has been pushed to the very extremes throughout this story, but the reason I really love writing stories where my favorite characters are...um...well, tortured
...is because I love seeing their inner strength go that much further. It's the picture of the man beaten and falling six times but getting up seven times.
Thanks so much, groobie! I'm so glad the chapter was clear enough for you! And yeah, Clark didn't have a lot of reasons to completely believe Tempus, but I saw it as more of the fear that haunted him in the face of such a destructive monster. Plus, he's not in the best frame of mind, either, so he's a bit more pessimistic in his thinking than usual! Hopefully, we can change that before the end...
