The Dreamer: The Book of Godspells

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

We came to the cut in the wall of the Plastrof. There seemed to be so much more left to the shell, but we slid through a small slit into a slimy, bubble-like interior. It wasn't until we were immersed inside its spiraled walls did I believe that the Plastrof really wasn't just a place, but a home for the Shades.

The woman motioned us to sit on the ground, and so we did. I was just as shocked by the soft ground that looked hard as I was by the plush walls all around us. It was a mirage that this world seemed to portray in more ways than one. I saw Colik notice my curious expression but said nothing. The boy disappeared behind some shaded ivy stringed substance, followed by his mother. No words were spoken until they both came back and handed each of us a small cup of steaming water. I didn't even realize until now that I felt cold, so the touch of the warm cup and steam felt good.

In the distance of the little cove that the woman had us sit under, I saw other beings, or Shades, walk among them. They passed by this cove as easily as a human would walk by you in the street, so why were they considered borderline dreamless?

"What is your name?" The woman asked, and finally looked up at me.

"Piper." The child's eyes widened, and the woman nodded her head.

"A pipe dream." The woman finally responded, and Colik's eyes widened. He turned his head to me like he was seeing me for the first time.

"A false hope." He breathed.

"A myth of the sons of Hypnos." The woman added.

"The myth falls within the story of the brothers of Oneiroi."

"Hypnos?" I asked, again having recognized the name but not understanding any ties here. The woman closed her eyes, and her voice trailed off, the words coming out of her voice like a script:

"All tall, dark, and radiant as a dreamer would only be known to be, the three brothers of dreaming shared a gift, but their personalities led them astray. Phobeter, Phantasos, and Morpheus were their names, each one wielding a unique power over the realm of dreams. Their combined influence maintained the delicate balance between the human mind and the dreamworld, ensuring that the mysteries of consciousness remained hidden. Yet, on one fateful night, their meddling in the dreams of humans led to unforeseen consequences.

Phobeter, the daring and cunning of the three, was the god of nightmares. He could cast darkness and shadows even in the lightest hearts of sleepers. Fully aware of his power, he often found it challenging to hold back. His job was to ensure that humans feared too much to step beyond the boundary of REM, the stage of sleep where dreams become vivid and surreal. It was said that humans who dreamed dark dreams, nightmares, were the closest to understanding the truth of their own consciousness. This night, Phobeter was determined to fulfill his role with extra zeal.

Phantasos, the most realistic of the brothers, was clever but more restrained. As the god of surreal dreams, he made sure that human dreams were so unrealistic and bizarre that no one could ever mistake them for reality. His role was to ensure that humans remained unaware of their own consciousness, preventing any knowledge of the dreamworld. He kept the dreams on a level of absurdity that was enough to confuse but never to enlighten.

Then there was Morpheus, the god of dreams itself. He ensured that humans dreamed but that no human ever crossed the REM threshold into full awareness. Morpheus walked among many dreams, watching for any dark matter or shadows that could potentially pierce through the REM barrier. Such an event would cause chaos, a new life for those humans who crossed. Morpheus controlled the REM, the stage where humans might become somewhat conscious of their own dreams. His task was to make dreams vivid enough to be memorable but never to reveal their true potential for control or reality.