Phil woke up a little tired due to the previous night's excursion, he still could not believe he had survived and he still had no idea who saved him.
Phil washed his face and looked at himself in the mirror; his eyes were a little hollow as he remembered how easy he gave up last night. He looked down and avoided the mirror, not wanting to see his pathetic self for the time being.
In the kitchen, Phil prepared his breakfast for the day. A bowl of cereal and a glass of juice, he ate quite simply because he was not in the mood to cook.
Sitting on the couch after he ate Phil was mulling on who saved him in the plains of sleep. Phil thought that it may be his grandfather, but denied it because of how it disappeared without any word.
Phil sighed and stopped thinking about who saved him. Phil proceeded to consult the book once again and look for ways to safely travel the miasma but to his disappointment, there was none at all. All subjects talking about the twilight zone and the abyss only talk about how dangerous the miasma is and how no one knows what's really in the abyss, there was none of the topic talking about what resides in the miasma and severe lack of information on what the whispers were.
Phil had a bright idea, just like his predecessor his grandfather did, he would catalog his journey and write the things he had seen. Phil got a pencil and paper as he wrote the things he had experienced last night. Phil described how the miasma was not terrifying for him but rather welcoming when he first saw it. He wrote about how the whispers cheered him on and motivated him to go deeper but when he decided to exit the abyss, it changed into an enraged beast trying to swallow and drag him down. Phil draw and depicted the monsters he had seen, he draw the corrupted figures with cancerous growth growing in every part of their bodies, and the large black tentacle that had gotten hold of him when he was near the exit.
Phil was motivated to write more when he noticed the time. He hurried and get himself dressed and preceded to head over to Sonja's house.
Arriving at Sonja's house, Phil was just in time. Sonja exited her house as soon as Phil arrived both of them proceeded to walk together to school.
"What's wrong Phil?"
Sonja asked concerned.
"Well, you see I chose to try and explore the miasma in the plains of sleep and it did not go well."
"Are you an idiot?"
Sonja asked.
"By the looks of things even Eric said it was terrifying. Why did you even go there?"
Sonja was angry at Phil's recklessness.
"Well I just want to see what's in there and it was terrifying."
Phil did not explain further and just painted it as him being curious about the miasma.
"Don't be reckless next time. And if you want to know what the miasma does why can't you go and look on those people who are having nightmares."
"What did you say?"
"Well didn't the book talk about it, about how people who are experiencing nightmares are being affected by the miasma?"
Phil stopped in his tracks as a plan formed in his mind.
"You're right, why did I not think about that."
The two then continued their talks and sooner they arrived in school.
Phil decided not to go to the library first since he wanted to go in the afternoon.
Both Sonja and Phil found it odd since they did not see Eric anywhere; he normally arrives earlier than them and always waited for them near the entrance.
Sonja was a little concerned for Eric since she remembered he had a family emergency the day before. She looked at Phil and asked.
"Hey, did you and Eric go to the plains of sleep together?"
Phil shook his head but doubted himself a little.
'Was Eric the one who saved me yesterday?'
Phil thought but disregarded it a moment later since it was close to impossible to meet someone they knew because of how big the plains of sleep were.
Class proceeded normally in the morning; Phil did not have any accidents this time.
During lunch Eric finally arrived, he was a little haggard and his eyes were a little empty and tired.
Sitting on one of the canteens tables Phil and Sonja walked towards Eric. Judging by how he did not react even though both of them sat opposite of him, his problem should be heavy.
"Are you okay Eric?"
Sonja asked.
Eric looked at Sonja for a moment and looked down again. Phil and Sonja waited for a minute before Eric finally spoke.
"It's my Mom, something happened yesterday and if things get worse she might die."
Eric said gloomily as tears trickled down his face.
Phil remembered Eric's mother since she was his grandfather's assistant in the past. Although Phil could remember it vaguely, she was a kind woman and very energetic, but an accident happen one day, resulting in Eric's grandfather's death and after a month her mother's coma.
"What happened to her?"
"She flat lined last night for half a minute, at first when I was called to go and hurry home it was because there were positive signs on her brainwave. My father and I celebrated since my mother might recover but last night she just flat lined out of nowhere."
Eric sobbed as he recalled what happened. He proceeded to look at Phil and pleaded with him.
"Phil please tell me if you receive information on how to travel in the miasma. I think my mother is in there."
Phil fell in silence a little guilty on keeping secrets but he knew the terrors in the abyss and what lurks in the miasma, even he almost died last night. Then it dawned on him.
'Last night?'
"Say when did your mother flat line again?"
"It was around midnight. Why?"
Phil's heart skipped a beat; it might be because of him that something went wrong with Eric's mother since he stirred trouble in the abyss last night. Phil was feeling guilty and clenched his fist.
"Okay, if I found a way to safely travel the miasma then I will tell you."
Eric smiled and thanked Phil.
"Thank you, Phil; I know I can count on you."
Eric wiped his tears and tried to act normally, his face was a little red since he had shown his pathetic side towards Sonja. While Sonja smiled at both of them happy that both of her friends were helping each other.
After classes ended Eric excused himself and went home early wanting to care for his mother, while Sonja proceeded to attend her club. Phil decided to head to the library wanting to know the progress of Samantha's translation.
Arriving at the library he saw Samantha looking at him smiling, she rushed at him presenting the completed translation she had done.
"Phil look I translated it completely. The reference books teacher Seth referred helped me a lot."
Phil was excited as he wanted to know what the contents of the mysterious pages were.
Phil took the stack of bond paper and proceeded to read it while Samantha was beside him waiting to finish reading it.
The paper talks about the things Phil needed, more information about the abyss, and the miasma.
It talked about how the miasma is supposed to be the blood from a godlike creature imprisoned in the farthest depth of the abyss and how it corrupted its surroundings creating nightmarish creatures. Phil was a little disappointed at first because the information might be interesting it was no use for him right now until he read the third page.
The third page that Samantha translated was a way to safely travel the miasma. Phil focused on this topic but the more he read the deeper his frown was. Phil expected the practice to be hard but the practice to safely travel the miasma was close to impossible.
It needed him to practice and master bringing something from reality to the plains of sleep since only that thing can help him ward off the miasma, and the thing needed should be positive or sacred. An example was a chalice that once held the blood of gods, that was what the writer used to travel the miasma but even that did not let him travel for long periods, and when he returns he needed to cleanse the chalice from corruption.
Phil was angry and wanted to tear the paper. He felt that the writer mocked him since he needed something as extraordinary as a chalice that once held the blood of gods. He wanted to curse the writer for even having the balls to write about a method that was near impossible to follow.
Samantha felt Phil's anger and was nervous, thinking that she might have done something wrong.
"Uhm, did I make a mistake?"
He softly asked Phil.
Phil looked at her confused.
"You're angry at me right?"
"No no, you misunderstand me, Sam. Have you read this paper? I'm just angry at it since it needed something impossible to attain."
Phil handed Samantha the paper. Samantha read the paper and understood Phil's frustration.
Phil thanked Samantha for her service and asked her if there was anything she wanted. Samantha shook her head since she enjoyed the experience of deciphering the symbols.
Phil walked out of the library thinking about how in god's name he will get an artifact that can be used to travel in the miasma.