The door had no knob or handle, and I was unsure how to open it. After a moment, the man in the robe let out an exasperated sigh, muttered something under his breath, and stepped forward. He placed his hand squarely on the shape of the moon, and the door slowly creaked open. He ushered me through, then stepped after me and closed the door.

We were outside the chamber, at the edge of what appeared to be a pond, lake, sea, and ocean all at the same time. The shoreline seemed to shimmer and shift, yet the water seemed to be entirely still. Where the water met the land, the sand was a dark blue, and though there was no moon, several stars were visible in the sky above. Everything was in shades of dark blue, although occasionally the water flickered in between states of dark blue and a brilliant, gleaming silver.

"What is this?"

"Your life must be nothing but a series of questions. Do you ever once find yourself in an unfamiliar place and just accept it, instead of badgering someone with inquiries?" the man in the robe questioned, with an agitated tone in his voice. He moved to the edge of the shore, beckoning for me to come along.

"We are currently at the shores of sleep," he stated, gesturing towards a small wooden boat. "Climb into the boat, and sail out onto the dream waters. You will eventually find your way back to the land of the wakeful." With this, he turned and began to walk towards the door.

"Well, thank you very much for your help," I said, grateful to finally find a way back home.

"Oh yes, it's been such a pleasure," muttered the man irritably. He passed through the door and was gone, leaving no record of any door, or in fact of any structure at all.

I climbed into the boat, which was a small wooden rowboat with a lantern dangling from a post at one end. The lantern had a fire in it, which lit the surrounding water for several feet. I climbed into the boat and realized that there were no oars. I sat down, and the boat immediately shoved off and began moving away from the shore.

After what felt like an hour or two, I grew tired and decided to lay down in the bottom of the boat. As I stared up at the sky, images began to flicker into existence. They showed scenes and imagery that related to my journeys, as well as those which related to my past. Some seemed to be situations that I lived through, others seemed to be nonsensical or disturbing. As I lay in the boat, contemplating these in a state that was not quite sleep but close, I realized that everything but the dream images had become pitch black. The lamp still lit the water around the boat, but everything else was dark.

In the distance, I heard noises from what seemed like other boats. For a brief period, I was subjected to the sounds of other sleepers experiencing their dreams. Many were curious, some laughed, and others screamed or cried. Eventually, the sounds died off, and the sound of the water gently lapping at the sound of the boat caused me to drift off to sleep.