1. Perchance to Dream
First Aired: 27 November 1959
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2. You're traveling
to another dimension.
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3. A dimension not only of sight
and sound, but of mind.
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4. A journey into a wondrous land
of imagination.
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5. Next stop: The Twilight Zone
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6. 12:00 noon.
An ordinary scene, an ordinary city.
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7. Lunchtime for thousands
of ordinary people.
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8. To most of them,
this hour would be a rest.
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9. A pleasant break
in the day's routine.
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10. To most, but not all.
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11. To Edward Hall, time is an enemy.
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12. And the hour to come is a matter
of life and death.
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13. Hey, mister.
What's the matter? Are you sick?
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14. We've been expecting you, Mr Hall.
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15. Go right in.
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16. Hello, Mr Hall.
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17. What's the matter? Are you ill?
- No.
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18. I'm just tired.
- Well, you'd better rest.
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19. Over here, Mr Hall.
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20. Sit down.
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21. I thought you said you were tired.
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22. I'm the tiredest man in the world.
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23. You want to know how many hours
I've been awake? 87 hours.
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24. Almost four days and nights.
- And you can't go to sleep?
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25. No, doctor. Not can't, I mustn't!
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26. I mustn't go to sleep because
if I do I'll never wake up.
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27. Thanks.
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28. You mind if I walk around a bit?
It's the only way I can stay awake.
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29. Stand on your head
if you think it will help.
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30. What's funny?
- Are you sure you're a psychiatrist?
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31. I expected something different.
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32. Like an old man with a white beard
and a German accent?
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33. Yes, that's what everybody expects.
And they're always disappointed.
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34. I've often thought
of wearing a disguise.
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35. Yeah, now, feel more comfortable?
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36. You can't help me.
I'm just wasting your time.
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37. You're sure of that?
Then why'd you come to me?
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38. It was Fred Jackson's idea.
- I know, he called me.
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39. What did he say?
- Not much.
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40. Your name: Edward Hall.
35. Draftsman.
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41. Single, heart condition,
no history of mental diseases.
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42. Are you going to tell me the rest?
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43. No. No, forget it.
- Okay.
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44. Do you really think running away
will do you any good?
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45. Now don't get me wrong.
Sometimes is that the best answer.
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46. But I don't know that yours
is that sort of problem.
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47. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.
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48. You do what you like.
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49. You promise you won't put me
in a straitjacket?
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50. I don't promise anything.
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51. Okay. It doesn't make
any difference.
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52. Can I open this?
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53. Quite a drop.
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54. I'll have to close the window.
- I only wanted some air.
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55. I'll, turn the conditioner up.
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56. It works best with
the windows closed.
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57. Did you think I'd jump?
- You might have.
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58. Not a chance. I want to live.
That's my problem.
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59. Suppose you tell me all about it.
Everything.
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60. Start anywhere.
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61. Okay, but I'm warning you, you're
gonna think I lost my marbles.
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62. Go on.
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63. Did you ever look at this picture?
I mean, really look at it?
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64. I think so, why?
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65. Has it ever moved?
- Not to my knowledge, anyway.
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66. I can make it move.
- Can you?
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67. But not really.
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68. When I was a kid,
We had a picture like
This in our house.
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69. Not the same thing exactly,
But pretty close. A boat.
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70. My mother used to tell me
to look at it.
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71. She said if I looked at it
long enough it would move.
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72. All I had to do was
keep looking at it.
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73. I didn't believe her,
but the idea fascinated me.
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74. One night I spent a whole hour
just staring at that silly boat.
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75. And did it move?
- Yes.
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76. There's nothing strange about that.
It was an optical illusion.
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77. I know. Except that after a while,
I couldn't control it.
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78. Every time I looked at that boat,
the sails would fill...
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79. and they would begin to dip.
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80. I just couldn't stop it.
- Imagination is very strong.
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81. Yeah, I realize that.
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82. But the point is, I got just as
scared as if it were really happening.
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83. The mind is everything. If you think
you've got a pain in your arm...
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84. it hurts just the same.
- Granted.
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85. Is that how you stay awake?
- How else?
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86. How many grains a day?
- I haven't got much longer anyway.
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87. You want to hear the rest or not?
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88. When I was 15, I developed
a rheumatic heart.
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89. I would never really get well.
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90. That I'd have to take it easy.
No strenuous exercise.
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91. No long walks, no stairs, no shocks.
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92. Avoid any kind of shock, they said.
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93. They forgot about my imagination.
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94. Three years ago, a woman was killed
by a man who was hidden in her car.
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95. You may have read about it. I did.
Anyway, it started me thinking.
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96. Maybe somebody was hiding
in the backseat of my car.
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97. I'd look up in the rear-view mirror.
And I'd see somebody or something...
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98. coming up out of the darkness.
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99. I had to drive there twice a day.
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100. It's a rough road.
One slip and you're over the edge.
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101. One night, like every other night,
I headed for home.
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102. Suddenly, I felt uncomfortable.
As if I weren't alone in the car.
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103. It was ridiculous,
but I couldn't shake the sensation.
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104. I kept thinking
there's somebody back there.
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105. I'll look in the rear-view mirror
and I'll see his face.
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106. Then I'll see his hands reaching up.
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107. Here's the important thing, doctor.
I knew that I was alone.
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108. But I also knew
that my imagination...
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109. would make me see something if I
thought about it long enough.
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110. Of course, there wasn't anyone.
It was all in my mind.
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111. What difference did that make?
I crashed anyway.
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112. I was lucky.
The shock should have killed me.
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113. I couldn't survive another one,
the doctor said.
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114. And has there been another one?
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115. There will be, as soon as I fall
asleep. The girl will be there too.
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116. And it'll be the last shock.
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117. When I was a kid,
I used to dream in sequence.
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118. Remember the adventure serials
they used to have in movie theaters?
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119. It was like that.
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120. Every dream was a chapter.
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121. When I woke up I'd write
down what happened.
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122. It's crazy, huh?
- Not necessarily.
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123. It could simply be that the dreams
conformed to the notes.
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124. Not the other way around.
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125. You don't think it's possible
to dream in episodes?
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126. I don't say it's impossible.
- It isn't. Believe me.
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127. For a long time,
I didn't dream at all.
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128. Then a week ago, it started.
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129. I went to bed at around 23:30.
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130. I needed the rest
because of my heart.
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131. I don't know when I fell asleep,
but all of a sudden...
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132. I wasn't at home anymore.
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133. I was at an amusement park.
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134. It was the kind of place
you see only in nightmares.
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135. Everything warped and
twisted out of shape.
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136. But it was real, too.
Very real.
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137. Hurry, hurry. This is where
you get those big prizes.
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138. Six shots for a dime
and win a Kewpie doll.
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139. How about it? Come on.
Ten cents. Ten pennies.
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140. Hurry hurry. Hurry, friends.
The show is about to begin.
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141. See her dance. See her wiggle.
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142. The most sensational and
electrifying exhibition ever.
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143. You're not gonna see anything out
there. You've gotta get down closer.
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144. That's it, not too close.
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145. You say you want fat ones?
We got 'em.
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146. You want thin ones? We've got them.
Blonds, brunettes, all sorts.
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147. If they ain't up here,
they ain't worth looking at.
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148. To give you a demonstration of
what can see on the inside:
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149. Maya, the cat girl!
Come on, baby.
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150. We know you're modest but why
should the folks out there...
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151. take my word for it?
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152. I didn't know who the girl was.
I'd never seen her before.
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153. But as much as I was drawn to her,
I knew I had to get away from her.
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154. There was something about her eyes.
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155. Something deep inside
those dark cat's eyes.
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156. Maya.
- Why did you do that?
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157. Why did I do what?
- Run away.
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158. I felt like it.
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159. You didn't find me nice to look at?
- Yeah, maybe too nice.
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160. Aren't you supposed to be back there
entertaining the customers?
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161. I'm free. For the night.
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162. Are you alone?
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163. Then come with me.
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164. You want to. Don't you, Edward?
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165. How do you know my name?
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166. I know a lot of things. I'm Maya.
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167. Don't be afraid.
- I'm not.
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168. Then come.
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169. You are afraid.
- Only because this isn't happening.
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170. This is a dream.
I'm not here, I'm at home, asleep
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171. And you're part of that dream.
- I know that.
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172. You do?
- Of course.
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173. Come.
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174. Come.
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175. Take me in there, Edward.
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176. It's dark inside.
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177. Soft and cool and dark.
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178. Please?
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179. How can I argue with a dream?
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180. We've been expecting you, Mr Hall.
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181. You can kiss me now.
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182. What if I don't want to?
- Oh, you want to.
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183. Who's dream is this, anyway?
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184. That's when I knew she
was trying to kill me.
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185. And you woke up then?
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186. My heart was beating fast.
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187. I had to lie still for an hour
waiting for it to settle down.
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188. The doctor said I almost had it.
- Do you know who the girl was?
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189. She looked familiar, but I know
I've never seen her before.
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190. Except maybe on the street or so.
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191. You're sure she wanted to kill you?
Go on.
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192. The next night I put off
going to sleep until 1:00.
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193. The dream was out of control.
I was back in the amusement park.
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194. I was running.
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195. Edward.
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196. Edward!
- Get away from me.
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197. There's nothing to be afraid of.
It's only a dream.
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198. I've got a heart condition.
I can't stand all this excitement.
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199. There isn't any excitement.
You said so yourself.
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200. You're at home, asleep in bed.
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201. Now you can do all the things
you can't do when you're awake.
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202. That's not true. The doctor said...
- Look Edward.
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203. Look, Edward, look.
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204. Come on, Edward, it's fun!
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205. I didn't want to go anywhere
near that roller coaster.
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206. I had to follow her. Even though I
knew exactly what it would mean.
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207. Hold on, Edward.
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208. Stop it! Stop it!
- They can't. It's too late.
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209. I've got to get off!
I've got to get off!
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210. Jump, Edward, jump!
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211. And is that it?
- Yeah, that's it.
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212. If I go to sleep I'll go right
back to the roller coaster.
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213. Maya will reach me.
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214. She'll push me.
And that'll be the end of me.
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215. On the other hand,
if I stay awake any longer...
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216. the strain will be
too much for my heart.
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217. And that'll be the end of me.
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218. Heads, you win.
Tails, I lose.
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219. It's quite a choice, huh, doctor?
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220. Where are you going?
- Out, to get some fresh air.
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221. I wouldn't advise it.
- What do you advise? A straitjacket?
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222. So long, doc.
You can't do anything more for me.
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223. Maya!
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224. What's the matter, Hall?
- It's her.
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225. My receptionist?
I'm sorry, but her name isn't Maya.
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226. Miss Thomas?
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227. Yes, doctor?
- Would you come here, please?
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228. I'm afraid he's dead.
- But he came in just a minute ago.
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229. I know.
I told him to sit down and he did.
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230. In less than two seconds
he was asleep.
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231. Then he gave that scream you heard.
- Heart attack?
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232. Probably.
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233. I guess there are worse ways to go.
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234. At least he died peacefully.
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235. They say a dream takes
only a second or so.
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236. Yet in that second,
a man can live a lifetime.
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237. He can suffer and die and who's to
say which is the greater reality?
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238. The one we know or the one in dreams?
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239. Between heaven, the sky,
the earth, in...
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240. the Twilight Zone.
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