More from the cavern...

Dr. Seward's Cavern - 22nd January 1899 (Diary Excerpt)

I dreamt uneasily last night as we made camp deep within the cavern. The light from our campfire made the shadows dance in a perturbing manner.

As I slept, I dreamt that an entity, who styled himself "The King of Many Dimensions", came to me and bade me to slay my companions in their slumber.

I awoke with quite a start, my heart racing as I recalled, the face of the "King" and his command to kill the others in our party. I seemed to be the only one thus affected, as none of the others made so much as a peep, so deeply were they under.

It was with some considerable difficulty that I returned to the arms of Morpheus, and was not disturbed further, until I was awoken at daybreak by Dr. Seward himself, clattering pots and pans as he busied himself at the campfire with the breakfast things.
 

The King Of Many Dimensions

The Accidental Sorceror...

The Accidental Sorceror

Magic Explosion

 He'd had the book for years, and he had read it many times, but he'd never been quite brave enough to follow its instructions. Partly because he was afraid to feel foolish when nothing happened, and partly also, because he was afraid it might actually work.

 Discovered in a "lucky dip" box of assorted secondhand paperback novels from a junk shop, the aged yellow paper of the slim volume felt as if it might crumble at any moment as he pored over it once again. The words burned into his mind with a particular ferocity this day, and he found himself wanting desperately to just throw himself into the moment, and hang the consequences.

 With that in mind, items were gathered, a room cleared, and esoteric designs were inscribed upon the floor. Then came the words, they had been seared into his memory and now they flowed from his mouth and into the world.

 For nearly a full hour they poured forth. Names, both sacred and blasphemous were invoked over and again, commanding unseen entities to show themselves, until at last, the would-be magus fell silent, and allowed his voice rest.

 Quiet now, but still concentrating hard, he waited. The room began to grow unnaturally dark and chill, and then there was a bright, soundless flash within the circle of strange symbols he had drawn upon the floorboards. His eyes were assaulted by a cacophony of colours, orange and yellow lightning, sparks of blue and green and red.

 When after a moment, his vision cleared, he beheld a figure standing before him, a curiously familiar one at that. Inside the circle, was a being that looked exactly like himself.

 The doppelganger smiled and stepped forwards, out of the circle, and advanced upon the wizard, guttural laughter erupting from its mouth. The accidental sorceror found himself frozen in place with terror, and all he could do was scream.

A Short Tale About Sleep...

I can see colours and shapes that shift and dance...

Waiting For A Dream...

I can't sleep again.

All I want right now is to fall asleep, even for an hour or two, and reset my mind, to stop it from spinning and clattering.

I don't dream very often,.. at least, I don't remember dreaming very often. Usually, when I do remember, it's something surreal and terrifying that leaves a feeling of unshakable dread, a black shadow that clings to the back of my mind, whispering to me.

What I really want right now, is a couple of hours of dreamless, deep rest... but it isn't coming, I can't switch off. 

Staring at my own hand, I imagine I can see colours and shapes that shift and dance in the pattern of lines on my palm, and in the air around them.

It's in this moment that I begin wonder if I am awake at all, and that this is the dream that will stay with me for the rest of the day. So horribly mundane and pointless, to dream that you're awake and you can't sleep, to yearn for a short respite of thoughtless oblivion that means you can awaken later and get on with life.

Glancing again at my hand, I see that the gyrating motes have gone away once more, and feel that my eyelids are growing heavier. Will I perhaps dream that I'm falling asleep after being unable to sleep in a dream that I'm already having? I no longer care, and settle down, hoping for the comforting nothingness that I so desperatley crave.