Always Dreaming

The World Between Worlds

"Hoho, you are funny. Alas, I already know all there is to know about you Eli." The voice cackled as the figure dropped the shadows that draped him. Eli's eyes widened. Bile formed at the base of his throat as he tore his eyes away from the figure approaching him. It felt as if a cold washcloth had been draped across his shoulders. His breaths became more ragged and sharp, his instincts screaming at him to run, to hide, to get as far away from here as he could, for the entity standing before him had been pulled from the very depths of his nightmares, manifesting before him in a form he struggled to fathom.

The entity had a head of frazzled grey hair, its length reaching the tips of its shoulders. The ragged shirt which hung from his shoulders was tattered with tears and dark stains, an indication of its age, and did little to obscure the gashes and bruises across his chest, which seemed to fester ever so slightly. Wrapped around its right ankle was a semi-rusted chain which seemed to lead into the darkness behind the entity, no doubt connected to some form of weight, as the entity seemed to be struggling to make its way towards Eli, further indicated by the way he limped as he traversed the distance between them. The entity continued to cackle as Eli's eyes met with its own, wherein its most terrifying feature revealed itself, in the form of pure, white eyes which let off a magnificent glow. Vein-like protrusions extended from the edges of its eyes, reaching the base of its cheeks, emanating the same eerie white glow. The entity which stood before Eli, was no doubt, the creature from his nightmares. The White-Eyed Phantom. Within his visions, Eli could never really quite make out many of the Phantom's features, the exception being its signature headlight-esque eyes. Now, as it stood before him, Eli could not help but notice, the Phantom eerily resembled what would be an ungroomed, deranged version of himself. The Phantom's feet came into Eli's view, as it now stood over him. The force that weighed upon Eli's shoulders grew by a tenfold, eliciting a flurry of coughs from Eli as he struggled to breathe. The Phantom merely chortled, clearly unimpressed by Eli's groveling, as he flicked his hand upwards, relieving the weight on Eli's shoulders, allowing him to slump onto the cool, matte surface without the fear of being crushed. He let out a long breath as his eyes struggled to remain open. Sweat dribbled from his temple and into the edge of his mouth as he lay sideways, his cheek pressed against the cool surface.

The Phantom let out a sigh as he slumped down in front of Eli, taking upon a cross legged position, his hands grasping his feet as his back hunched forward. His gaze pierced through Eli's back, which made the tension much more palpable as The Phantom grew more impatient . Eli remained flat against the matte surface, however, as he was unable to decide whether to fear the entity before him or accept his attempt at presenting his hospitality, which had been made apparent by his current relaxed posture. As more time passed, The Phantom placed his hands behind him as he stared into the abyss above them, wherein the spheres of light seemed to mimic stars in a vast, unending night sky, expanding further into an eternal space awaiting the sporadic occurrence of the breath of life. The sense of impatience The Phantom had exuded seemed to be much more tame now. Eli raised his head ever so slightly, sneaking a peek at the Phantom. Without the presence of his overwhelming aura, he seemed almost normal as strands of his hair buffeted in the cool breeze, which was- well, unnaturally natural in a space of this nature. The breeze carried with it the sweet aroma of pine, evoking a sense of nostalgia from within Eli. Using his remaining strength, he pushed himself up into a seated position, reflecting the Phantom's, as he sat across him. A warm smile spread across the Phantom's features as the soft glow of his eyes dimmed, still fixated on the void above.

"Henceforth, I shall refrain from imposing upon your mindscape, as is common courtesy", he said as he furrowed his brows, seemingly confused at the notion that imposing upon the minds of others without their consent was uncommon. "As a result, your questions will remain unknown to me, so please, ask away," The Phantom inclined.