In What My Soul Does When I Am Asleep by Stephen Simpson, the narrative follows Gaby, a teenager convinced that her soul leaves her body during sleep, resulting in lucid dreams and a feeling of exhaustion upon waking.

After her grandmother suffers a stroke, Gaby's family travels to Australia, where she encounters a comatose boy named Barclay Thomson.

Gaby discovers a mysterious connection to Barclay, as he appears in her spectral dreamscapes while she reads to his unconscious form in the hospital.

The story explores themes of astral projection, the subconscious mind, and the thin veil between dreams and reality.

Through her interactions with a digital forum and her grandmother’s theories, Gaby seeks to understand her out-of-body experiences and her destiny.