Bambrielle

(2/24/14)

I don't remember how I got here, and I'm pretty sure that 5 seconds ago I was somewhere else... But this doesn't seem to matter to my dream self—staring out the car window as we drive past farm after farm after farm...
"Where are we going?" I ask, eying my mother as she practically vibrates in her seat from excitement.
"You'll see," she says, and upon seeing the skepticism apparent in my frown, adds, "don't worry, you'll like it."
I'm not convinced.
We drive past another three farms.

About a minute later mom pulls into a dirt driveway for a rather rundown, two story farm house composed of rotted grey wood and just about nothing else. Sitting on the porch steps is my cousin Courtney. I'm surprised but pleased despite myself. Which is also surprising. I get out of the car and run toward Courtney who stands to catch my hug. She looks genuinely surprised as well, but also pleased.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"I heard you were having an event today so I thought we'd come support you," Mom says from behind me.
I take Courtney's hands in my own and whisper excitedly to her, "Will I be able to see all the pets that I've been liking photos of on Facebook?"
She smiles sweetly at me and squeezes my hands, "Definitely, they're all here, hanging around." She lets go of a hand to motion around her arbitrarily.
I smile back but can't help myself and my smile turns into a grin as I think that within the next hour I'll be frolicking with Daisy the deer and her two new foals. Courtney squeezes my hand once more then lets it go, successfully distracting me from my day dream...in my dream...
"If you'll excuse me," she says, "I have to go grab the things for the event."
She retreats up the steps and I turn to Mother expectantly.
"Courtney has been talking about this for months, whining and griping, trying to get everything set for it. I thought we should come and support her," She explains. I shrug. I'm fine with it. After all, if we make good use of our time I may have time to wrestle with Ringo the raccoon before nightfall. Though, somewhere in the back of my mind I know that there is a reason we don't visit Courtney more often. I just can't seem to remember what it is...
Courtney comes back with a box of dried leaves and tobacco paper, two other guys tailing her down the steps. One, I know, is her boyfriend. The other I come to understand as one of those sidekick type friends who is always hanging around but never really says much.
They sit down together on the steps and I sit down on the lower step in front of them, peering curiously into the box. Mother chooses to stay standing. Courtney takes some of the dried leaves from the box, rolls them into the tobacco paper, then hands to me what appears to be the last 1/5th of a self-rolled cigarette. It is... so tiny... I wonder to myself if I will actually be able to smoke it without burning my lips.
"...What is it?" I ask.
"Pot, " Mother says.
I look up at her, eyebrow raised. Her response is to gesture to the mini-joint pinched between my fingers. I shrug, put it to my lips, and Boyfriend gives me a light. I give the joint a pull and in a bright puff of smoke and light it disappears into oblivion. I blink my eyes, then exhale the smoke I did manage to take in.
Nothing happens.
"I've never smoked pot before. This is... weaker than I thought it would be." I frown at my empty hand, still confused as to what the hell just happened.
Courtney just smiles, then hands me another one-hit-wonder joint.

We all smoke and talk together, and after a while I feel a slight wooz coming on and my head feels light like its being filled with helium. I can't decide if I like the feeling. I realize I have to pee and Sidekick offers to show me to the restroom. He leads me to the second story of the rundown farm house, which is apparently a loft, and points to the restroom across the room on the far side of the bed. I use it, and when I'm done I exit to find Sidekick tapping away on the computer, obviously doing something that requires a reasonable amount of focus. Not wanting to distract him, and not really wanting to go back down to the others yet, I take instead to jumping on the bed. The bed is soft and springy and with each jump I am launched ever farther into the air. At first I think it's just the drug, making me feel light like a balloon, which is causing me to believe that I am jumping higher and higher. But when my hands brush against the peak of the A-frame ceiling I realize with a start that I really am 20 feet up in the air. As I fall I honestly believe that I won’t live to see another day. But with an, “oomph!” and the squeak of springs I hit the mattress and sit up, bewildered.
“Note to self, never do that again.”
“Probably for the best,” Sidekick says.
He stands from his spot in front of the computer and starts to make his way toward the door. I swing my feet off the bed to follow him but before I can stand up the scene suddenly changes and I find myself in another room, my own room, by myself, sitting on the bed. I don’t remember how I got here, and I’m pretty sure that 5 seconds ago I was somewhere else… But before I can pursue the thought further my mom bursts in the door and I’m pulled back into the dream moment as I turn to her, startled, and wait for her explanation.