Fever Dreams are moments of vivid false reality. Oftentimes bizarre, they come in our weakest and most vulnerable moments. Paired with sickness and a depleted physical state, fever dreams remain mostly unknown - yet lead to dramatic discoveries about our psyche, and the state of our mind’s well-being. Spatial distortion, moments of dramatic discovery, and deep rest are common.
Artist and photographer Kendall Hill’s publishing debut, FEVERDREAMS takes viewers on a journey of rapid self-discovery throughout one night of dreams, focusing on the flourishing and fading connections of our youth’s final frontier.
In the preludes for FEVERDREAMS, three installments set the groundwork for the 2024 release, describing how bodies of water are imbued with mystical, time-traveling powers, where we physically are in the world, the social climate, and other guideposts for the six chapters found in the book.
We begin our dive into the FD FD = feverdreams universe by learning more about Acoma, the “water city” where the entirety of the book will take place and recall memories from. The preludes pre-date the physical book by 20 years (identifiable by “Little Eon”, who is also a character in Chapter 1 and has grown up by this point).
Prelude 1: The new water & the old mesas serves as an introduction to Acoma and to understanding the larger, important plotlines of the story. We get a sense of the social climate of the city 20 years prior to the book, and immediately jump into our rising action with the disappearance of Zeeck Ferrell.
In prelude 2: Into the dreams, we will learn of the things ZF saw during his mystical water encounter over the 18 days he was missing. Somewhat a “therapy session”, Zeeck will retell what he saw in his fever dreams induced by the water. The characters of the town will hear first hand the powers of the water, as will the readers, and realize the dangers it can bring.
In prelude 3: Ripple Effect, the final prelude, the town will wrestle with what to do about the mystical waters and if they want to regulate them or allow people to use them whenever they please. Ultimately deciding to allow them to be free and open for people to use because of a compelling argument by the city’s youth.
This piece contains immersive audio that includes a reading by the author.
Audio can be toggled using the speaker icon in the bottom left corner of your screen.
Prelude 1
The new water & the old mesas
The waters have been in our town since the beginning of the Second Shift. Before it all, we were hardly considered a coastal city, but when the great glaciers began to thaw, waters rose across the globe. Thousands were displaced, communities had to rebuild and find ways to not only move on, but also cope with the loss of life, the change of times.
Our small town was drenched, with newcomers and bodies of water. A large coast formed to our west and north, (and weirdly enough, the water flowed out to more of the west, rather than inwards to our new coasts. The water always moved from west to west) creating a massive sprawl of beachland and inner rivers and lakes. Once a collection of high mesas, red rocks and dirt roads - streams and ponds of deep blue water filled into the cracks of Acoma.
Many turned to religion again, looking for signs in all these unnatural occurrences and phenomena that became our new truths. Priests and Imam came from across the highlands to see the massive lakes, to touch the water and bless it. Our mesas hadn’t seen any consistent water in centuries, and for a long time the droughts got worse year after year. It was unexplainable; some considered it magic or prophecy. Though as time went on, the bad far outweighed the good.
Especially when our neighbors began to disappear in the waters.
![](https://varyer.imgix.net/ACOMA-MAP-1-large-view_2023-10-24-162929_eigl.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=911&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&usm=20&w=1200&s=6d31d69e72f11200f36804db5a88af1c 1200w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ACOMA-MAP-1-large-view_2023-10-24-162929_eigl.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1823&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&usm=20&w=2400&s=ce0686f8b4f84fe9c3360e1176b58414 2400w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ACOMA-MAP-1-large-view_2023-10-24-162929_eigl.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=753&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&usm=20&w=992&s=f45539bc5827b23bdb3f00322123bfac 992w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ACOMA-MAP-1-large-view_2023-10-24-162929_eigl.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1507&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&usm=20&w=1984&s=c5e6e4db4f157f0e2bb8408d1a5d504d 1984w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ACOMA-MAP-1-large-view_2023-10-24-162929_eigl.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=583&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=768&s=436e1a56621feba4e641572590fd4835 768w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ACOMA-MAP-1-large-view_2023-10-24-162929_eigl.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1166&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1536&s=efac648e3b805622b973c31f2e26ef39 1536w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ACOMA-MAP-1-large-view_2023-10-24-162929_eigl.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=437&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=576&s=882dce04b31827dcab2b4861f384e37b 576w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ACOMA-MAP-1-large-view_2023-10-24-162929_eigl.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=875&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1152&s=956557b79b58f739d066d03eec2c3685 1152w)
Map of Acoma islands
Well, first there was old Zeeck Ferrell. This slim, big glasses type wise and somewhat cooky guy who would walk around the neighborhoods early in the mornings and would go on long geology explorations and camping trips. Somewhat an off-the-grid type, but all around just a loner at heart - no one bothered him and he didn’t like being around people much after his beloved wife passed some off 17 years prior. Loved his dog Chewy - I mean, that’s actually how people found out he was missing. Place smelled like shit even from the outside, could hear the dude howling all night long from the end of the block and I guess some neighbors finally did some exploring.
The dog ended up being fine, they released him into the wild or something after a few days of the big town search for old man Zeeck Ferrell began, figured if the dog found him that there would be lots of barks and howls. Those same some neighbors headed the FIND OLD MAN ZEECK search parties, gathering anyone they could and creating 10, 20, 30 mile radiuses of searchin’. Called the local news and ran stories in the Acoma Daily and the next two towns over.
![](https://varyer.imgix.net/48350006.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1809&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&usm=20&w=1200&s=6d3b0ca4bc93667aa4b4ec6d1d47e6c5 1200w, https://varyer.imgix.net/48350006.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=3619&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&usm=20&w=2400&s=e6bee4e52e2255001347b32004a1c03a 2400w, https://varyer.imgix.net/48350006.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1496&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&usm=20&w=992&s=24978ab9770d05aea694dc557d64a12d 992w, https://varyer.imgix.net/48350006.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2992&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&usm=20&w=1984&s=c29b2581dacf848ec802ee5421931476 1984w, https://varyer.imgix.net/48350006.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1158&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=768&s=ee88691065b52fec096295ba87b21e9e 768w, https://varyer.imgix.net/48350006.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2316&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1536&s=f27910fce2059f03ea4a0d3ff9426a10 1536w, https://varyer.imgix.net/48350006.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=868&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=576&s=36b2a112401f2fd86e7b792b20ce1728 576w, https://varyer.imgix.net/48350006.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1737&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1152&s=6b89d52ef2fdc12e6e548d1dfea55862 1152w)
![](https://varyer.imgix.net/ACOMA-MAP-2-ZOOM-IN_2023-10-24-164827_mmmn.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=990&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&usm=20&w=1200&s=70ff26e2944e7604a56b012e5b629822 1200w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ACOMA-MAP-2-ZOOM-IN_2023-10-24-164827_mmmn.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1981&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&usm=20&w=2400&s=eeaa54630d0e992cd0f9e5aacc2caed4 2400w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ACOMA-MAP-2-ZOOM-IN_2023-10-24-164827_mmmn.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=818&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&usm=20&w=992&s=81d8e7c178cb3ed11588de93443ad4dc 992w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ACOMA-MAP-2-ZOOM-IN_2023-10-24-164827_mmmn.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1637&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&usm=20&w=1984&s=a5cfab19f2fdeda99f640ffcd159e5b5 1984w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ACOMA-MAP-2-ZOOM-IN_2023-10-24-164827_mmmn.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=633&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=768&s=405c3aade9a91726c0def057d8264f25 768w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ACOMA-MAP-2-ZOOM-IN_2023-10-24-164827_mmmn.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1267&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1536&s=1697fc626af47c8c93ededdeecabc887 1536w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ACOMA-MAP-2-ZOOM-IN_2023-10-24-164827_mmmn.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=475&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=576&s=6028caa06a66891eb638abd17c5ca4bc 576w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ACOMA-MAP-2-ZOOM-IN_2023-10-24-164827_mmmn.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=950&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1152&s=36ed504c2e28ba29686ebff9206fe51d 1152w)
Map of Acoma islands
That went on for about 9 days before finally giving up and packing those little orange reflective bags and flashlights deep in their closets in sorrow for a failed mission done bad. Donated all the snacks and “Welcome home!” decorations to a children’s foster home.
Nine more days passed, and little Eon who played outside on his bike just on the edge of the city on his parent’s long driveway and liked to ride his bike just a little outside of the lines but not so far but not so close to the strict boundaries his parents had set for him but was fast enough to go far without his parents noticing and still be back in time, saw something. It was approaching sunset, and from anywhere in the city during sunset you could see glistening water sparkling on the horizon line if you just looked west. Little Eon saw a man, covered only with a waist length jacket tied around his upper hips walking slowly, softly, begrudgingly into town from the horizon.
It’s Zeeck! It’s Zeeck! It’s Zeeck! It’s Zeeck! It’s Zeeck! It’s Zeeck! It’s Zeeck! It’s Zeeck! It’s Zeeck! It’s Zeeck!
It’s old man Zeeck! It’s old man Zeeck! It’s old man Zeeck! It’s old man Zeeck! It’s old man Zeeck! It’s old man Zeeck!
He’s alive! He’s alive! He’s alive! He’s alive! He’s alive! He’s alive! He’s alive! He’s alive! He’s alive! He’s alive!
![](https://varyer.imgix.net/002-copy.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1794&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&usm=20&w=1200&s=a334f42e62a8bb1dc879502d330fa1c4 1200w, https://varyer.imgix.net/002-copy.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=3589&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&usm=20&w=2400&s=f41967abbb889366112be9a7a3289e62 2400w, https://varyer.imgix.net/002-copy.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1483&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&usm=20&w=992&s=23a3af1b3fcf5e75da4d191ecedc7fe0 992w, https://varyer.imgix.net/002-copy.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2967&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&usm=20&w=1984&s=354e8e4447801f033e243b886019042e 1984w, https://varyer.imgix.net/002-copy.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1148&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=768&s=c757b5ab64a3fd8d7428962418e7534e 768w, https://varyer.imgix.net/002-copy.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2297&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1536&s=ad1e7ec661e1c0e2b490819105e5b23e 1536w, https://varyer.imgix.net/002-copy.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=861&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=576&s=758283407875465c43ffd1012afbf551 576w, https://varyer.imgix.net/002-copy.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1723&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1152&s=1ccf4546d9e093dfde04f72a397d82f7 1152w)
The water behind him, our sun creating a dark silhouette that blocked out any noticeable features a seven year old would need to confidently identify someone. Or at least that’s how Eon explained it the next day at school in so few words. Eon stood there, paralyzed in fear and awe for almost a whole minute before calling out in screams. His mother and father came running, hell, half the town came running. Eon crying, pointing his finger directly at the man’s head, the sun glistening behind that head, the crowd in front of that head’s eyes trying to distinguish from afar if it was really the man who they thought it couldn’t be. There were gasps, screams, suddenly “It’s Zeeck! It’s Zeeck! It’s old man Zeeck! He’s alive!” began to bellow and holler from within the belly of the crowd. Bodies went flying down the road, and before anyone got to him, you could see Old man Zeeck’s figure drop to the ground. On his knees, he swirled in slow motion before hitting the concrete, the sunset catching him with little effort, his body paralleling the horizon line.
![](https://varyer.imgix.net/Prelude-1-image-6.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1149&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&usm=20&w=1200&s=926ea89b21f8a7352342b493aa4d832c 1200w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Prelude-1-image-6.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2299&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&usm=20&w=2400&s=4b5fd4b7e9903aea6e5ce35e8e2ca5f6 2400w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Prelude-1-image-6.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=950&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&usm=20&w=992&s=4c3aa788ef7fb1d495981eb0982ce021 992w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Prelude-1-image-6.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1900&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&usm=20&w=1984&s=5ebe5ee9935e5897cf51c9963434e4f5 1984w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Prelude-1-image-6.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=735&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=768&s=d2843d7e34f4f667b72a90e5851ed205 768w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Prelude-1-image-6.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1471&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1536&s=23a95c700aa15e9dc26b2695cd1bdf7a 1536w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Prelude-1-image-6.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=551&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=576&s=43d168e38bc6582f8b36fc6f6893228b 576w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Prelude-1-image-6.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1103&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1152&s=1e01e82f7b95c632ccd048d354581ede 1152w)
We got to him in what amounted to seconds but felt like hours. Zeeck lying there motionless, a corona of heads above his attending to his new wounds and exhausted body. I didn’t see much, but I did see his eyes. They rolled back and forth from the top of his head to the bottom of his tear duct, everything pink but the red veins and a black, distant eyeball. I was pushed to the back of the crowd, and Zeeck was lifted above all of our heads, scurried to the town emergency room. The rest of us stood there for a few moments, many dispersed after some more moments, but not me. I would’ve stood there all night, I never took my eyes off the horizon.
![](https://varyer.imgix.net/ZEECKEYES.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1151&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&usm=20&w=1200&s=b0e4e03477dbbe9845ad5df743d4e38a 1200w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ZEECKEYES.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2302&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&usm=20&w=2400&s=0a759de2e0c6e8bc80287f3671766b02 2400w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ZEECKEYES.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=951&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&usm=20&w=992&s=4ae9dec89aacbd481bb8ba539f9c6c7b 992w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ZEECKEYES.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1903&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&usm=20&w=1984&s=cd5d580e2541afce0b24bf6c9a42de1a 1984w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ZEECKEYES.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=736&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=768&s=ad3b8a255a41302c5af53ea33a06c0f0 768w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ZEECKEYES.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1473&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1536&s=bb65ef38d1b774d9a6aa37bffdd3e646 1536w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ZEECKEYES.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=552&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=576&s=69c2bc23ffd0ed010a418376926c22f2 576w, https://varyer.imgix.net/ZEECKEYES.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1105&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1152&s=085f9e975fc034edd0b80b0a5b0a50d7 1152w)
Prelude 2 - coming soon