For new arrivals
Handwritten, on notebook paper. Found on July 17, 2004.
Now you may not know much about this world called Streihwai, for it does not appear in any of the geography books of our world, nor any of the maps either. It is an odd realm and hard to find. The easiest way I know of to reach Streihwai I will tell you, but you must follow my directions to the letter no matter how peculiar they may be.
First, you must go to sleep the same way you do every other night, taking special care to sup heartily and rest comfortably. As every child knows, pleasant dreams are attracted to the scent of rich food and sweet candy on a sleeper’s breath. Any dream will do for this experiment, but I have found that the sweetest dreams make for the easiest passage.
The thing to do is to let the dream do his job and not interfere but to make sure that he does not discover your intentions.
For you must wait patiently, and it may be a long while, for the dream to end. When he has ended, he shall make ready to leave and you must follow him. But you must only follow him when you are in the waking-sleep, that state of limbo between asleep and awake where you are still dreaming but aware of the real world around you. In this state, you shall be safe to follow the dream. Any deeper into slumber and the dangers you face will be far too real. Too much into awareness and the dream will simply fade.
The dream will lead you through horrificous terrors and splendiferous wonders whose brilliancy you will not be able to comprehend. Ignore them, trust in yourself, and continue on. After what will seem like many hours of journeying, the dream will lead you to the Passageways of the Ether.
The Passageways will first appear as a great bizarre hallway. Instead of doors, the sides of the hall will have windows, elevators, staircases, slides, tunnels, even gigantic springs and spaghetti strands in all shapes and colors and materials. Each one of these is a conduit to another world and their appearance varies on the whim of the world. A true candyland may have a lollipop road, a mechanical planet will contain a circuitry of wires and electric currents, and old-fashioned earths are fond of using a fancy Victorian carriage drawn by white Lipizzaners. There are endless passageways; be careful lest you get lost.
Whatever passage you choose, walk boldly through it and never falter or be afraid for you will realize that the conduits are made up of nothing but thoughts and they will no longer support your weight. Then you will drop down, down, and have a simple falling dream before you wake up safe in your bed.
If you are foolhardy or brave and still wish to reach Streihwai, I will tell you now which passage you must take. Look for a splendid ship, sometimes an Egyptian Barge and other times a Chinese Junk or a Spanish Pirate Ship, bearing the name ‘The Lost Lady.’ You will recognize her because she will always wear the likeness of a violet-eyed woman (often a figurehead) on her bow. Board this ship and she will sail, bearing you to Streihwai.
Be warned that this is the Land of the Lost Myths and many of the Old Gods of Earth as well as the Remnants of Human Dreams have found their way here. The terrain is treacherous and unpredictable.
Godspeed, brave traveler and gentle dreamer. Be clever, be kind, and be careful.
Copyright © 2017 by Malinda Kao. All Rights Reserved.