Tag Archives: sleep

Another Morning Alone

sitting room

PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook

Another morning alone sitting in front of the window. Another morning with my wee table absent of a decent game of checkers. Dim, gray light pours through the window while the desk lamp emits a warmer, golden glow.

I wish I’d gotten more sleep last night but the missus continues to refuse to admit she snores. The sofa was comfortable, but then she started banging around the kitchen fixing breakfast.

Finally, she and the grandchildren are off for the day. No use avoiding it.

I get up and transfer my lazy, tuchus to the computer chair. Time to start writing.

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The Dream Master

Morpheus

Morpheus, Greek god of dreams

In spite of his exhaustion, Ian Mohr had to battle the demon Morpheus, god of sleep and dreams, every night to enter his realm. There were whole nights when the demon was successful in denying Ian entrance, but eventually the man’s sheer fatigue would defeat the sleep god.

As long as Ian entered the dream realm in a state of mental collapse, the realm and the god were safe, but Morpheus could never take the chance that the man might someday gain entrance with some psychic reserves intact.

However even gods err, and after several decades, Morpheus had a minor lapse, one significant enough to allow Ian access with some strength left within him.

This was all that it took, for once in the twilight realm, the guise of Ian Mohr fell away as he recalled his true nature and name: Phantasos, the demon’s brother.

Jealously long ago caused Morpheus to expel his brothers from the neither realms, cursing them with moral identities. Only Phantasos remembered, and only then in fragments of dreams.

Now it was Morpheus who walked the Earth as a man, one who could not quite recall who he was, what he was. Would the human that is Morpheus age and die and then forever cease to threaten to regain the dream world, or would he too remember and retake what was his?

The answer could only be found in a dream, if Phantasos would allow it.

I didn’t get much sleep last night, so this story is a natural consequence.

Surrendering to the Wraith

shadow man

Image: jimharold.com

The Wraith woke up as a man this morning. The Wraith’s wounds have been healing and his body is slowly becoming whole. He no longer bleeds. His voice has returned.

The Wraith woke up as a man but he doesn’t stay that way.

The Wraith sleeps, but not well. He sleeps, awakens in the dark, drifts off into the arms of Morpheus, or sometimes into the nothingness.

He awakens again all too soon and time does not allow him to sleep again.

The Wraith wakes up as a man but the man degrades as the day progresses. By noon, he descends and the Wraith takes over more of his mind. There’s nothing the man can do about it. Neither food nor drink nor force of will affects the power of the Wraith to control the man.

The Wraith longs for the quiet and darkness but is surrounded by noise and light. The noise and light and people do not allow the Wraith to descend into darkness and peace. He must pretend to be the man, although the man has long since surrendered to the Wraith.

The surgery is healing but sleep does not let the man stay a man for the entire day. The Wraith lives and acts through most of the day, though he tries to hide this from the people around him. They are human. They wouldn’t understand the needs of the Wraith.

I am the Wraith. I woke up as a man. When will I be able to finally conquer the Wraith and possess all of my waking day? Let the Wraith take the night. I need the day.