The Reality of Dreams: A Strange and exciting fantasy story

After a long day, it was finally time to retire to bed. I laid down to rest, pulled up the covers, and drifted off to my ever-awaited slumber. I was always fond of dreaming--all my dreams seemed so surreal, so strange, that I couldn't help but keep a "dream diary", a record of my strange experiences in the dream-world.

As my consciousness slipped away, floating from this world to the ethereal world of sleep, I found myself once again in that peculiar world of doors. Each door bore a particular design, some ornate, and some plain. Some foreboding, and some welcoming. I knew that each of these doors would take me to a different dream-world, a new landscape to explore and experience. At random, I approached one of the doors,. Slowly, I turned the handle and opened, it, cautiously yet confidently crossing over the threshold into a newfound world.

Soon, I exited into a forested glade, surrounded by tall trees covered with moss and lichen. It was a beautiful place, filled with life, rich in blue color and character. There were birds perched upon branches, squirrels scampering about on the ground, insects skittering through the undergrowth. A gentle breeze wafted across the scene, rustling the leaves of the trees, gently ruffling the grass as though to welcome its guests. Everything was quiet, peaceful, and serene.

I wandered there for a while until I came across a clearing nestled among a series of small hills. Upon one such hill stood a stone structure, like a temple perhaps, or an ancient monument. As I drew closer, I discovered that the stone structure was actually a doorway, similar to those which led me here. The door opened slowly, creaking and groaning with every movement. Within, I could see a spiral staircase leading downward, winding around the interior of the building. At the bottom, I could make out a large round room, the walls lined with shelves, laden with all manner of odd things. I walked down the stairs, stepping over the threshold and entering the mysterious chamber below.

It was dark in the room. No light filtered through from the outside world, only shadows illuminated the darkness. The shelves were full of books and scrolls, containing arcane writings in several languages. There were jars and bottles, scattered everywhere, some filled with chemicals and powders, others seemingly empty, awaiting further exploration. Everything had a slight scent of decay, as if the items had been sitting there for centuries, undisturbed by human hands.

"Hello?" I called softly, feeling my way along the wall and stopping in front of a shelf. There was no response. This room felt very eerie, but not uninviting.
"What... happened here?" I said aloud, taking the book off the shelf. The title simply read "The Dream Traveller's Guide".

There seemed to be no rhyme or reason behind where these books went. They were randomly placed, but not necessarily labeled.
"Strange," I mused aloud, flipping through the pages. One particular page caught my eye:
.
A sudden jolt ran through me. I flipped another page and stared at it, stunned.

"This can't be real!" I said as I continued reading, and soon became transfixed, unable to tear my eyes away from the words. Every word held significance.

The page, it read:

Welcome and Congratulations Dear Dreamer! If supposed you are reading this right now, then it is without any doubt that you have successfully travelled far, beyond the reaches of the physical world, and made your way hear — via dream travel — to my humble home!

Ah, I cannot at all say I am pleased with your sudden intrusion into my home though, as it is often is with most dream travellers who make their way here; however, it is still my duty as the guardian of this plane, to welcome every traveller who journeys here into the Mental Plane.

By the shelf, you would see a golden scroll carefully put in place with the other sacred works. You may take out the scroll and read the contents inside in order to unlock a secret passage that would lead you into a garden, where there, I would be waiting for you so we may begin our journey together.

However, if you feel uncomfortable with this, or that you cannot proceed safely and must remain hidden away within this realm, please know that you may return back to your body whenever you desire by either walking out the door from which you came in, or by gently chanting the word : Sanskrit.

Fear not, your body will still remain as it is while your mind will continue travelling on through the dream plane until you find yourself somewhere else entirely. Or at the very least, awaken from slumber.

Regardless of what you choose, I accept your decision and with the knowledge gained from our past travels together, this letter should ensure that you safely reach the destination at hand! I look forward to seeing you once again, fellow traveler. Take care, and farewell!

May your dreams be peaceful and sweet dreams.

With great trepidation and cautiousness, I immediately closed the book and ran straight to the door as fast as I could. And upon turning the knob and running out of the room, I woke up from the dream instantly!

Gasping heavily and sweating profusely, I sat up on my bed perplexed but relieved all the same.

At length, I pondered upon what I had just dreamt.

"Was it actually real or was it just my subconscious sprouting nonsense again?" I thought.

It was true that I had been terrified but then again, I was morbidly curious. I sort to understand what that "guide" was talking about in the book?

Was he really saying the truth? Was he even real?... What would've happened if I decided to use the golden scroll? And most importantly, what did he mean by "with the knowledge gained from our past travels together?"...

God... They're just so many questions! Regardless, one things for sure — I need to get back into that dream.