Nathaniel Ratcliff

The Long Cold Stare Nathaniel Ratcliff

He stares at the same dingy wall without blinking. He does not eat, he does not sleep, he does not tire; Cliff Blair is completely frozen in a cryogenic tube except, for some unforeseen reason, his conscious mind is awake and alert. Maybe months, or maybe years, have passed since it all started, but one thing is certain, he can only see the same fox hunting painting that hangs motionless before him. What happens to a mind that is detached from all other sensory input besides the same static visual image, he wonders. Strange thoughts are all he has left and he is more fearful of what will happen when they run out.