Chapter 5

                Two days passed and it was Phil's birthday. Phil was still a little pale since his nightmares didn't end, but now he could understand a little what his nightmare seem to mean because of the discussion he had with his teacher Seth. Although he could not stomach the realistic sensations of being tortured in his dreams he was somewhat slightly accustomed to it, although he still shivers on the thought about it.

                Both of his parents took the day off to be with him and that made him very happy, Phil knows that even though they are very much busy they still love him. He watched with glee as people he had not seen for a year came and joined him for his 13th birthday.

                                "Happy Birthday Phil."

                A bald black man in casual wear came and greeted Phil.

                                "Thank you, teacher Seth."

                Phil smiled gratefully as he was thankful for his teacher's advice.

                                "Here is my present for you."

                Seth gave Phil a present. It was a willow hoop, on which a woven net made from nettle fibers and decorated with dangling falcon feathers.

                                "A dream catcher, it was given to me by a native shaman when I traveled to the far west. I hope it can help you with your sleeping troubles."

                Seth Explained as he handed the dreamcatcher to Phil.  Phil was happy with the gift he had received and felt the care from his teacher.

                As Phil was thanking his teacher a tall slender woman with pronounced curves came to him.

                                "Happy Birthday Sweetie!"

                The woman hugged Phil and kissed his forehead. Phil blushed as he was squished between the woman's arms and her breast.

                                "Thank you, Auntie Ruth"

                                "I told you not to call me auntie, call me mama instead."

                Ruth smiled sweetly.

                                "And here's my present for you sweetie, a handmade trinket from me."

                Ruth gave Phil an ornate glass egg with a pair of goat’s horn embossed in gold as a central design.

                Phil loved the gift since he always likes to collect weird and beautiful trinkets.

                                "By the way, sweetie, did your grandfather come today?"

                Phil gloomily shook his head sideways.

                                "Aw, don't be sad sweetie; I'm sure he will be back soon."

                Ruth consoled Phil and hugged him again.

                                "Mama Ruth, Phil will suffocate if you don't release him in any second now."

                                "Oops, I'm sorry sweetie."

                Ruth released Phil and gave him another kiss on the forehead as she walks away towards Phil's parents.

                                "Thank you, Auntie Cathie; I really can't deal with Mama Ruth. Sometimes I wonder how she and my grandfather met."

                                "No problem kiddo, that's just how she is. Just ask your grandpa when he returns since it's a complicated event after all."

                A red-haired woman wearing an oversized jacket and shorts smiled and ruffled Phil's hair.

                                "Here's my gift for you kiddo, some running shoes. Since boys like you need to run and exercise more if you do not want to be like your uncle Kaoru. And speaking of your Uncle Kaoru here's his gift for you, he could not make it since he fell asleep and you know how Kaoru is if he falls asleep."

                Phil accepted the running shoes and a high-class pillow from his aunt.

                                "Thank you Auntie Cathie and give my thanks to Uncle Kaoru as well."

                Cathie walked away smiling while waving her hands.

                A while later, a car stopped in front of Phil's house. Phil saw Eric walk out of the car frowning at the man in the driving seat. Eric saw Phil; he smiled and waved at him as the car drove away.

                                "Sorry about that, I wanted my dad to come in and wish you a happy birthday but it seems he has somewhere to go."

                Eric apologized as he handed Phil his present.

                                "Here's my present, I had it made just for you."

                Phil accepted Eric's present and was in awe as he stared at the high-class item. It was a golden yellow handkerchief with a silver snake holding a lantern as the main design. Phil liked it very much since it looked like a crest and was perfect for his collection.

                                "Thank you very much, Eric, but it looks too expensive."

                Eric waved his hand.

                                "Nah, it's not too expensive and besides I cannot take it back."

                                "Phil there you are!"

                A girl wearing a cute white dress ran and hugged Phil.

                                "Happy birthday Phil. Sorry, I'm a little late."

                                "You're not that late Sonj, and why dress up so much; you even put a little makeup."

                Sonja proceeded to kick Phil's shin and scold him.

                                "Why can't I dress up a little huh, I just want to since it's a party even though it's just only your birthday, and you're an annoying friend hmmph."

                Clutching his shin, aggrieved Phil glanced and stared at the irrational girl.

                                "By the way, this is my present for you."

                Sonja handed over a white paper bag to Phil and looked away angrily. Phil looked at the thing inside the paper bag; it was a bottle with a liquid that has a slight pinkish hue.

                                "What is this?"

                                "It's perfume obviously, it's made from the flowers of a fragrant camellia. It smells great and I hope you use it."

                With her hands on her hips, Sonja explained angrily.

                                "Hey, this is great thanks. I'll use it and maybe Jess will like it."

                Sonja's face frowned a little, she was clearly annoyed, she was about to kick Phil on his other shin but heard Eric laughing.

                                "What are you laughing at?"

                                "Nothing it was just funny looking at you bickering like that."

                Sonja kicked Eric's shin but he dodged it narrowly, she was about to kick him again but heard Phil's parents calling them as the party was about to start. The three of them walk towards the back of the house and celebrated Phil's birthday.

                Phil was very happy at his birthday although it was a little sad that his grandfather did not come back. Phil really loved his grandfather although the last memories he had with him was when he was five years old, he went missing after that and it was eight years since then. Phil was about to go to his room and rest but he was called by his parents.

                                "How was it, Phil? Are you happy with the party?"

                Phil nodded and answered his mother's question. His mother smiled and looked at Phil lovingly, his father came out of the master's bedroom carrying an old black wooden box.

                                "Phil this is our gift to you."

                His father said. Phil, curious about the box looked at it carefully, at first glance it was just an ordinary black wooden box but if you thoroughly analyze it, it was filled with drawings of different creatures overlapping with each other some painted darker in color while others were faded. Phil's father watched his son's curious eyes as he took out a strange key and opened the lock of the box. Phil saw a strange hallucination where the creatures untangled coming to life and black mist spilled out of the box but after he blinked it returned to normal. Inside the box was a figure, Phil's dad took it and handed it to him.

                                "I know you like to collect strange trinkets and this is one that was given to me by your grandfather when I turned 13. Since you are 13 now, I will give it to you."

                Phil took it and examined it carefully. It was heavy and black in color, it was made from a strange material that Phil had not seen before, a figure of a majestic owl spreading its wings as it stood on a log was carved from the strange material. Phil looked at it closely and saw a pattern of a rose under the log and in the center of the rose was a keyhole. Phil confused looked at his parents and saw them holding their hands as they look at him.

                                "Dad, Mom are you okay?"

                                "Yes, we are fine son. It seems you have found the keyhole in the figure didn't you. You only need to know is that the key to open that is with your grandpa, well you can say that it contains the secret of your grandfather's disappearance and many more."

                His dad said cryptically. Phil found it odd since his parents were just a normal couple although his grandfather was a little strange since he once saw his room filled with creepy carvings and parchments filled with strange writings and drawings. Phil still accepted his parent's gift and hugged them, tired from the party Phil excused himself and made his way to his room.

                Entering his room, Phil found it strange since his bedroom window was wide open, the wind blowing through the curtains, he walked and closed the window and saw a strange package on top of his bed. A rectangular package covered by brown paper and red twine holding it, Phil furrowed his brows and checked his room to see if something was stolen but saw that nothing was touched. Curious Phil opened the package and in it was an old book. The book was bound by leather and it has an image of a compass, a crescent moon covering one side, and a Greek ship at the bottom, on the title "Liber Somniorum" was etched in gold.