Phil looked around him and smiled contently, he had achieved his goals in coming to the 'Plain of Sleep'.
Curious about everything surrounding him, he swam around and looked everywhere. Phil remembered about what was beyond the shallows that his grandfather had seen and he wanted to see it for himself, at first he swam slowly, he felt like he was swimming in syrup and that it was hard to move around but he persevered and arrived at the 'shallow'.
Phil looked up towards the sky, but to his surprise what he saw was not the sky his grandfather was talking about, but a reflection of himself. The surface of the shallows was like a mirror, he found it odd since his grandfather did not write about this phenomenon in the book. Curious, he touched the mirror surface and it rippled, like water dripping in a calm pond, Phil's image changed, and what was projected turned into a scene. The sky was blood red, devastation as far as the eye can see, Phil saw destroyed building in the distance and corpses litter on what was once great cities. Abominations of different sizes roam, feasting on what little survivors remain. Phil watched as an abomination captured a person and tore it limb by limb, he felt his gut moving, he wretched but nothing came out.
Closing his eyes trying to wake himself up, Phil heard crying. He slowly opened his eyes and looked for the source of the sobbing, there he saw a boy older than him bawling in grief he was kneeling down and on his lap was a girl, the girl was lifeless her body had grown cold, a very visible hole can be seen on her abdomen and she died a tragic death. Her eyes were still looking at the boy but instead of fear, worry and care were what remained on her gaze. Phil's heart ached but he did not know why, seeing the lifeless body of the girl Phil's heart was filled with sadness and regret, Phil looked away and noticed the bodies that were near the boy, the bodies varied in gender but one thing was apparent they all died protecting the boy.
Phil was struck with grief, he clutched his chest as tears streamed down his face, he did not know who those people are but strangely something deep inside him told him that he does. The crying boy slowly laid the body of the girl down, he looked at the place where Phil was standing and shouted at him, Phil was shocked and thought that maybe the boy can see him what was odd though is that he cannot hear what the boy was shouting and can only hear a warbled static. Something behind Phil answered the boy, he turned around and saw a figure of a man with a shadow shrouding his body and only a single large eye can be seen on his face. Phil watched the conversation between the two even though he could not understand both of them he was curious about what will happen.
Moments later the shadow figure nodded its head at the boy, it slowly raised its hand and from it, a blinding light manifested. As the light slowly traveled between them, a black miasma seeped out of the boy, his complexion slowly turning pale. Both light and dark met in the middle of the two parties as the space between the two tore the forces that converged swallowed everything, everything was gone like a canvas stripped out of its paint, the world was white and what was left was the shadow figure and Phil who watched the whole thing. The shadow figure sighed as it slowly made its way towards Phil, Phil was paralyzed since he realized that the shadow figure can see him, the shadow figure slowly put his hand on Phil's shoulder and stared at him for a second before it walked away and vanish.
The white world slowly cracked as Phil was left there dumbfounded on what just happened. And just like a broken mirror, the white world shattered.
Phil was still dazed and slowly came back to his senses, he noticed that he was standing on top of the shallows, he looked around and saw the calm 'plain of sleep' as far as his eyes could see and where the horizon met with the plain was a beautiful menagerie filled with countless of stars and galaxies.
Phil took a deep breath and decided to put what he had experienced at the back of his mind, he cherished the experience of finally standing above the shallows and seeing what his grandfather had seen. Phil gazed at the dark sky and watched the galaxies swirl slowly, comets streak on the horizon, and stars twinkle brilliantly. He was at peace, he burned what he saw on his mind and smiled to himself, he then slowly closed his eyes as he slowly sank on the shallows again.
Phil glanced at the surface once more but this time he did not see his image any longer, Phil turned around and dove deeper on the plains.
Phil wanted to try and see other people's dreams, he got closer to a small white figure floating in the deeper portion of the shallows, he slowly reached his hand towards the back of the white figure and closed his eyes, seconds past and Phil felt a strong suction force pulling him towards the white figure.
Phil opened his eyes and found himself in a small room, in the room was a small girl playing with her toys, she had her back towards Phil and was enjoying her time, Phil wanted to see if he could affect the dreams of others so he clenched his fist and then opened it slowly, inside was a blue butterfly.
The blue butterfly fluttered as it left Phil's hand, the girl giggled as she saw the blue butterfly and stood up to try and chase it. The girl's laughter filled the room as she struggled to chase the butterfly, the room slowly changed as emotions of joy radiated from the girl, grass sprouted from the ground and flowers grew around, the sun shone in a gentle ray, a beautiful meadow was created from the mind of a single little girl.
Phil willed the butterfly to return to his hand as he wanted to give it to the little girl as a gift. The girl followed the butterfly giggling and saw it landing on the hand of a person, the girl looked at Phil's face and stopped in her tracks, she slowly stepped away from him.
The grasses wilted and the flowers decayed, the gentle sun now turn black as the beautiful meadow slowly turn into a land of death, Phil stood there dumbfounded and was confused about what had happened, he proceeded to slowly go near the girl, but the girl screamed as she cried knocking Phil out of the girl's dream, Phil saw the figure of the girl disappear on the plains of sleep and found himself floating in it again.
Phil was confused about why the girl reacted like that, he had no idea what he had done since the girl was smiling happily before that happened.
Phil decided to try and enter another person's dream and see if the same thing happens again. He decided to choose someone bigger this time but he still limited himself to the shallows as he felt that it was harder to navigate the deeper he dives. Phil found someone that fits his criteria but it took a few moments since the shallows were filled with the figures of small children or babies.
Phil entered the figures dream once more and found himself in an opera house, a girl wearing a red dress was singing an aria as the spectators around Phil were enamored by her performance.
Phil decided to watch first and enjoy the show and did not interrupt the girls singing, minutes later the singing ended and the girl bowed but there was no applause, the girl was preparing to sing another song as she expected that no one will clap their hands on her performance since it was not finished but to her surprise, someone applauded her singing.
She looked at the audience seat and froze, fear was visible in her eyes, she was shaking in fear as the opera house slowly crumbled and the audiences were running for their lives. Phil decided it was dangerous and wanted to help the girl, he stood up and slowly approached the girl. The girl was now on her knees sobbing as she looked at Phil getting closer.
"PLEASE NOOOOOOO!!!"
The girl screamed as Phil was flung away out of her dream by a strong force.
Phil found himself once more floating in the plains of sleep, the figure of the girl vanished as she was pulled by the tether connected on her head. Phil was still confused and wanted to explore more but he felt himself getting tired and ended his adventures early.
As Phil vanished and return to the real world, far above the shallows, in the deepest void littered by enchanting swirling galaxies, a star shimmered brightly and within moments it moved an eye formed in the void, as it opened cosmos and galaxies poured out of its pupils. A voice was then heard as it was talking to itself.
"The seed, although incomplete has sprouted once again. I wonder what it will bring this time."
The eye slowly closed as normalcy returned in the void.