non-lucid

I spent a lot of time in the DV Chat recently. It has influenced my dreams, much the way the forum does. Truly frightening.

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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I’m in a un-real world, a fantastical setting that couldonly exist in a computer or movie. My viewpoint is that of an aerial cameraover a land devoid of substance. A whitish-blue mist forms the “bottom” of myview and appears to be the only defining feature of this landscape.[/FONT][/SIZE]
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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Out of the mist rises a platform, a lift about five meterson a side by my guess. The platform is a vehicle for the IRC DV chat and theletters of text pile up on it like stacked blocks. The tower of text isbuilding as it comes closer to my vantage point.[/FONT][/SIZE]
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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Before the platform can reach me the chat reaches a lull andthe letters begin to collapse as the chat dies following something said by ‘bennerman’,his user-name visible as the last text characters on the top of the pile. Asthe lull lengthens the platform begins to fall, a representation of the dyingchat that any member can cause with one poorly chosen reply.[/FONT][/SIZE]
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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]And the dream ends.[/FONT][/SIZE]
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I often dream of celebrities. I can't explain it.

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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I’m outside a local school which resembles a nearby juniorhigh. The ground is parched and dry and there is little grass. A lone treestands like a long-dead sentinel watching over a once-lush field. Now the landlooks abandoned and discarded, the hot sun baking any possibility of life outof the setting.[/FONT][/SIZE]
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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I find myself kicking around a football with Vince Vaughn,Angelina Jolie and Kevin Pollak. We seem a lively bunch for this barren areathough it’s clear by how the land is pounded down that children once playedhere. Angelina is laughing vibrantly and Kevin is sporting his usual smile thatalways makes it a little hard to tell if he’s truly having a good time or if hewouldn’t prefer to be watching football with a cold beer.[/FONT][/SIZE]
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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Vince Vaughn stands out from the bunch. He is wearing a blueterri-cloth bathrobe and is talking on a cellphone with little interest for thegame. He proclaims he wants to play with us but every time the ball comes tohim he attempts to absent-mindedly kick the ball, even when it’s not within hisreach. After a couple minutes we all stop and stare at him, slowly approachinghim from three sides and giving him our best sneers. [/FONT][/SIZE]
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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]All I can do is think that Vince Vaughn is a terriblefootball player and I doubt we will invite him next time.[/FONT][/SIZE]
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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]And I wake up.[/FONT][/SIZE]
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So I keep waking in the night with an abrupt start...adjust my hair, and turn over to fall back asleep. And this is the result...




I am E-Con, God of Lucid Dreaming. It is my duty to send out bolts of lucidity to all the dreamers in the world, and I take in energy from the people on DreamViews.

I am in a white room, though 'room' isn't a good descriptor. It's more like a place that can't be quantified by mortal dimensions. Behind me (visually) are what appear to be cloud-like walls, though I suspect they are just a construct of the mind to give an area boundaries.

Before me is a large spinning disc, electrically charged with the power of dreams. As it spins bolts of energy (lucid dreams) are sent out in all directions to be absorbed by the dreamers of the world.

I seem to be angry...or perhaps determined...as though my task required a lot of attention and I had nothing to spare for questions or diversional thought. If someone were to walk up to me I would probably respond by yelling or simply ignore them as unimportant.


And I wake up.


I think I like my job better as a DG.




I had at least two other dreams but I can't recall them now. Too much headache going on today. :(

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]I wish I could recall more of this dream because I'm under the impression more happened, but my children wanted food, and my recall efforts only gave me this fragment.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]My friend’s daughter is going to build something, a creationout of junk and leftover gardening material. She has located an old rosetrellis, something buried in a pile of detritus. When she lifts it the wood iscovered in mud and dirt, and some breaks off and lands on her arm. She brushesit off as though it was merely a speck of dirt rather than the clump thattrails across her skin.[/FONT][/SIZE]
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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“What are you going to do with that?” Her father and I areboth curious.[/FONT][/SIZE]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]She replies in her eight-year-old voice just three simplewords. “I don’t know.” Her tone suggestsshe has a use figured out for the wood but it either isn’t fully developed as athought or she just doesn’t want to tell us because she knows we’ll just takeit away from her.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]The dream shifts to an interior room with a high ceiling andbright overhead lights, similar to a TV studio. The lights are only on theimmediate area, creating darkness for the rest of the room, and my camera-viewdoes not penetrate the darkness.[/FONT][/SIZE]
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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]A carpeted riser is in the middle of the lighted area, andon it are a number of clear plastic blocks, boxes used for building astructure, about 8 inches on each side. The girl is using these blocks to buildsomething in the same manner one would use normal-sized wooden blocks, thoughit is not clear what she is making. I ask but I never get an answer.[/FONT][/SIZE]
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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]And then I wake up.[/FONT][/SIZE]
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This dream wasn't lucid but the imagery of the half-naked woman will haunt me for some time.

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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]The earliest thing I recall is standing in the conferenceroom at my former job. Along with several others I am setting up food forpeople returning from a meeting where it will be announced that we haveachieved a big win, an announcement that we have been awarded a major projectwith lots of money involved. On this scale such awards happen only every fewmonths at best so this is a big deal. [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]One of the engineers I work with, J.W., is standing near meand talking about the project. I don’t really pay attention to the specifics,though I am glad for our success as a company. I’ll be attending the meeting,though my work on the project may not come for months.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]A gathering of people has been set up on the top floor ofthe parking garage, a makeshift receiving line designed to welcome ourreturning staff with honor and fanfare. The problem is that other offices sharethe parking garage, and their clients happen to wander inadvertently throughthe receiving line. The first couple of people don’t really cause any stir, butthe third person, a large woman in a car with no roof, really causes some commotion.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]The woman is older, perhaps somewhere between 55 and75,though it’s hard to determine exactly as she appears quite unhealthy and obese.She is wearing a muumuu and as the car rolls by she sticks her legs in the air,revealing her cottage cheese legs and bulbous calves. What’s really grotesqueis she has on no underwear, and her misshapen crotch is a sight that makesseveral people ill, including me. [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I turn to my dad who is standing next to me in the line and ask,“Did you just see what I saw?” He confirms that he did and we both just faceaway, still looking for our expected staff. When some employees do arrive weshout and throw stuff in the air.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I make my way back inside the building and head downstairsvia the elevator. Some of the other staff members have arrived through thisfront door. I pass a group of older men dressed in suits, talking and laughingas they head in. I keep heading for the door.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]As I walk out into the sun I encounter a young man in aservice uniform and cap, coming in with a load of boxes. He’s slightly blondwith a charming smile, fit though not heavily muscled. He does not seem out ofplace in any way.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“You sure have a lot of boxes there, “I say. “It’s like you’vegot a bomb or something. I recall that we had received a notice that someonehad given us a bomb threat, someone who had been causing trouble in other partsof the city, and we should be on the lookout for a person with a lot of boxes,but I do not suspect this guy. I’m joking with him when I mention bombs.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]He turns slightly and his gaze settles on me. He still hashis bright smile but as he faces me the happy grin disappears, and is replacedby a look of determination. Something about the change in his demeanor alertsme that he is the bomber I’ve been told to keep an eye out for, and my fearlevel shoots up a little. [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]By this time I’m standing on the opposite side of my SUVfrom him. He has been unloading boxes from it and has one more box to carry inbut it is still inside the vehicle. I am standing by the open driver-side doorholding the keys, and as he reaches for the back passenger-side door to get hisbox I press the button to lock the doors.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]THWUNK! All the locks go down at once.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]He looks through the vehicle at me, starting to look alittle bit shocked that I’m keeping him from his bomb materials. He has his ownkey fob and presses the button to unlock the doors.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]SHOONK! The locks all go up.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I know I can’t let him get in so I press the button againand hold it down so he can’t operate them from his fob. I’ve managed to keephim from getting in but there isn’t anything to stop him from coming around thevehicle and attacking me, and this realization spurns me to action. I jump intothe driver’s seat and start the vehicle, still holding down the lock button onthe key fob. I can’t risk him getting in before I get away, and without hislast box he can’t do any serious damage.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I manage to get the door shut and I start driving as fast asI can though I am going terribly slow and can’t seem to pick up speed. The viewahead is of a street on the U.T. campus and there are speed bumps along theroad. I stop worrying about my speed, not wanting to fly up if I hit a bump toofast, and instead turn my attention towards looking for a police officer. Theyseem to be abundant whenever I don’t want to find any but I can’t locate any ofthem now when I need them.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT="Calibri"]And then I wake up.[/FONT]

I had two fragments this morning. I'm amazed I remember them.


Dream 1 - I'm sitting in a room with a box, similar to a Jack-In-The-Box but less interesting. It has some odd decorative shapes on the sides so I can only assume it's a toy. The box sits on a plain table.

The table sits in a plain room, perhaps 8 feet on a side, and one wall has a window set in it. The window is covered by a blind which blocks any view to the other side of the window.

Out of the box pops a purple monkey wearing a hat. It's not actually part of the toy but seemingly sitting on top of the box. It waves around like a toy but I know I would never buy it. The monkey talks to me and I talk back but I have no recall of what is said.

And I wake up.


Dream 2 - I'm walking along a hike-and-bike trail and the most fascinating thing for my attention is the asphalt. Usually the trails around here are crushed granite but this one is paved, and I'm lucid enough to not only know I'm dreaming but enthralled by the detail in the pavement.

A runner comes by, one of the many who runs this path, and as his foot passes in front of me a spray of dirt is lifted into the air. Time slows down and I can examine each particle of dirt as it floats in front of me, tumbling in slow-motion at a pace slow enough to reach out and touch it. I can't believe no one else but me notices this, but I really don't care. It's incredible, like having a nature show in my mind.

I think to myself, "I love slow-motion."

And I wake up.

I forgot some of the details in this dream but the scenes I do recall are quite vivid. Sadly, I was not lucid.

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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I’m in a photographic dark room, a vision I recall from highschool. Around the room are enlargers and counters, boxes of photographic paperand bottles of chemicals. In the middle of the room is a station for trays ofchemicals to dip prints in. It’s quite dark in the room so I presume it is setup for doing color dark room work instead of black and white.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I’ve made my daughter a birthday cake and I bring it to herin the dark room for her to blow out the candles, an action of questionable judgment.In general, people do not appreciate light sources in the dark room yet I’mhaving her blow out the candles right in front of them. Her face emerges fromthe darkness, briefly illuminated by the candles before she blows them out.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]And I wake up.[/FONT][/SIZE]
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This is a fragment I had on the 21st. I woke up and simply couldn't recall the entire dream by the time I got to write it down.

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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Inside the house I find myself standing near a table withparty supplies on it. I seem to be cleaning up after a party that has takenplace recently. The room does not resemble my house but is akin to a party roomin one of those places where you can hold a birthday party for 25 people andrent a party room for everyone to eat cake in.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Sarah and Jen are helping me clean up stuff and pick uptrash. Napkins and plates seem to make up the majority of the offal. The roomseems surprisingly clean otherwise. No food or drink remains in the room, andeven the floor seems obscenely sterile.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Something in our conversation brought up the fact that Sarahhad recently been to Consumer Credit Counseling. She asked me, “Don’t you goanymore to Credit Counseling?”[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“Me?” I replied with some degree of incredulity. “Hell no! Idon’t trust those people anymore!” [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I don’t recall what it was that led me to distrust them,though I think I remembered the fee they charged for every transaction,essentially charging me to do something I could have done on my own withouttheir help…but they had never told me that.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]This dream had more to it but when I woke up all I couldretain was this fragment.[/FONT][/SIZE]
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A simple dream, though an interesting one.


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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Curt was driving his truck. I knew this because he passed meon the road headed to the farm bank.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“See?” I said to someone I was with. “There’s Curt with histruck. He’s always willing to help out when someone needs it. “[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Curt worked at the Subway located in the small buildingadjacent to where Terminix used to be back in the 80’s. He was walking out ofthe building with his wife, one arm wrapped around her shoulder. He lookedhappy to be off work.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“I need some sandwiches and a truck.” I was in a hurry toget my task done. I hoped the desperation in my voice would convince him of myserious need.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“Hey, M-A-B! Here you go. The truck’s in the back lot.” Hegestured over his shoulder in the direction of the back parking lot, slightlybeyond a chain-link fence, and then tossed me a set of keys. He continuedwalking with his wife, presumably towards her car and a night out on the town.He was smiling the whole time, and I was happy that he hadn’t changed in theyears since we stopped working together.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I was so happy not to be driving my own vehicle. I left theSubway and almost immediately I found myself on a country road, lined mostly byfarms and occasional homes obscured by clumps of oak trees. Around this timethe truck I was driving switched from being Curt’s to a rental vehicle, atleast in my mind.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I was driving along a road I identified as Steck, butinstead of the busy multi-lane road which exists in real life the road was asingle lane track constructed on a dirt berm designed to prevent flooding. Theroad was probably six or seven feet higher than the surrounding land which wasmostly dry scrub and fields that had been allowed to go fallow. Along each sideof the road was a steep pitch that dipped a few inches below the level of theadjacent fields, creating a small ditch just big enough to prevent mostvehicles from properly descending the hill. I was glad I was driving a rentedJeep Grand Cherokee because I didn’t want to hurt my vehicle going over thatditch. I knew I would drive my front fender directly into the ground had Idecided to drive off the road.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“Since I’m in this Jeep I’m going to give it a try.” I don’tknow who I was speaking to. There was someone else with me but they weren’timportant enough to have a face or a name. I turned the wheel and drove rightoff the road, bouncing down the hill and then leveling out, a feat I could nothave done with any other vehicle, including my own. I was glad I made it butnow I had to drive through the scrub field and on through a patch of woods. Iwasn’t sure I could make it the whole way.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]When I came to the woods I chose a path which looked thinwith vegetation, comparatively, and simply stepped on the accelerator, hopingmy momentum would carry me through any rough spots. I bounced through someweeds and splashed over a foot-deep pond of muck before going up a slight rise.Here I rumbled over the train tracks and on into Doc’s Back Yard, though itlooked more like Freddie’s Place, an indoor/outdoor restaurant and bar locatedin south Austin. The outdoor seating was surrounded by tall oaks reaching 50feet plus, creating a nice shaded area perfect for an afternoon beer.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Instead of enjoying the food or drinks I got out of thevehicle and walked straight through to the front parking lot. I needed to getto the post office across the street, though I could no longer find my package.I figured the logical place to find what I’d lost was the dumpster to my rightand I opened the metal lid on the big metal box. The trash was unusually cleanto come from a restaurant and I had no trouble searching through it, locatingseveral things I wanted but had accidentally thrown out. Unfortunately I couldnot find my package, and I gave up my search feeling sad. Still, I had threerecord albums to listen to and I wanted to go show them to my friend David. [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I left the dumpster and headed towards the street, but thetraffic was too intense to cross. I knew I needed a car to get there so Iwalked to a nearby white Toyota and opened the door, figuring whoever itbelonged to wouldn’t mind because they parked it in a public place. I knew thishappens every day in the city.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I couldn’t find the keys to the car but I figured all thesenew modern cars had a button to start them so I began searching around thebuttons on the center console. I found the A/C, the radio, and the charger, butI never could find one for ignition. I began to get mad and decided I wouldsteal all the coins from the little compartment between the seats. Let’s seethem use a parking meter now, I thought.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I heard a loud sound on the window and turned to find a guywho looked like a dirty bum except he wore an apron. I wasn’t sure if he ownedthe car or just wanted to get in and go for a ride, but I didn’t want to findout either way. He was starting to drool on the window and that made me want toget out of there.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]And then I woke up.[/FONT][/SIZE]
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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Dream 3- (fragment)[/FONT][/SIZE]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]I’m in downtown Austin, heading west on what appears to be 7[/SIZE][SIZE=2]th[/SIZE][SIZE=3]Street. I’m driving my vehicle with some friends in the back seat, and everyoneis talking.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Ahead of me is a female jogger wearing bright green shorts.She has a companion but my eye is drawn to the bright green shorts and her nicelegs. I find myself wishing to be her. She’s clearly in great shape, and Ihaven’t been able to run with endurance like hers since high school. [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]The jogger turns south onto a cross-street. I think aboutfollowing her but I don’t want anyone else in the car to know I’m payingattention to her. She passes a pedi-cab and this gives me a good reason to lookat her. [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“Look!” I say, “It’s a pedi-cab!” I point out the vehiclebut then realize I could have looked at her and simply not said anything atall. I feel more conspicuous than ever.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]As we pass the cross-street my vehicle changes into a rickshaw.It feels weird pulling the weight of three people up a hill, and I’m surprisedI can make it. [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Somehow we end up in an area of downtown that looks like the1880’s, and all the buildings are made of wood. I have the impression we aresomewhere near Joe’s Crab Shack though it isn’t visible. Perhaps it was theappearance of the buildings that made me think of shacks. I don’t really know.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]And I wake up.[/FONT][/SIZE]
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[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Dream 4-[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri](Oddly, despite the vivid detail in this dream I don’tbelieve I was lucid, unusual for a dream where I examine carpet and grass indetail)[/FONT][/SIZE][FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3] [/SIZE][/FONT]
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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I’m holding a party at my house. I know this because thereare tons of people around, inside and outside, and all seem to be carrying theplastic Solo cups with their drinks in them. Some people look a bit inebriated,despite the early hour.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Walking down a set of stairs I am doing my best to allay thefears of one of my friends. Apparently the party is being held for a reason,though my friend is expressing concerns about something important. “Relax”, Itell them,” look around. All these people paid admission to be here.”[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Indeed there are plenty of people around, and raising themoney necessary should be no problem. Sadly, I never find out what the problemis.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]One of my friends came up behind me at some point and placeda headband on me with pointed cat ears sticking up from it. I smiled andthanked them when it happened but then promptly forgot about their placement onmy head, much like I forgot about the important reason for having a party.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Downstairs I walk into what appears to be the cafeteria, andalmost immediately I freak out. I know my hair is pulled back and I wanted itto be down. I hate walking around with my hair pulled back unless it’s a hotday and hat weather. I reach up to feel my hair and find the cat ears stickingup from my head. This calms me down and I relax. I look good in them, and theymake me feel like being in a party mood.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I walk around the room and talk to various people, playingthe role of a good MC. I pat people on the back, check to make sure they arehaving a fun time. Oddly the triplet daughters of my friend are at the party,and I say hi to them like they were any other party-goer. I think one of themgave me the cat ears.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]The party continued on outside and I headed out to the poolhouse. I could see people roaming around in the sun on the lawn between thepool house and the main house but I was more interested in the carpeting justinside the doorway. It was shaggy, an orange-brown color, and seemed out ofplace in a pool house. My view zoomed in and I examined the loops and swirls ofthe fabric that made up the carpet, in much the same way I would examine an oldcoin. [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]From this view I shifted to examining the blades of grassjust outside the sliding glass door. They were excessively bright, andrealistically vivid, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. I wanted to liedown in them and just feel them, but I never did. I could smell them, adistinct smell that was accompanied by a hint of chlorine and suntan lotionfrom the nearby pool. I never saw the pool but I knew it had to be aroundsomewhere. The grass was apparently more interesting.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]And then I woke up.[/FONT][/SIZE]
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This dream was powerful enough to affect me even after I woke. I still have the visions from this dream in my head. The moments of lucidity were both realistic and surreal. I feel lonely after dreaming this.

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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]A friend and I are walking around downtown at night.Something serious has happened and we need to get off the street, get tosomeplace safe. I know I’m not in danger but my friend is. I knew she was indanger and needed to get as far from the situation as possible, so I decide weshould head to my mom’s house.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]We go to the house I shared with my mom back in the 90’s yetthe house still appears as it did then, with a few additional rooms that neverexisted in real life. I send my friend into a downstairs bedroom to clean upand change and my mom goes to get a few things to help her out. I head upstairsto get cleaned up myself. [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I begin to undress, knowing that my door isn’t fully closedand quietly hoping that my friend will come into the room. I glance over myshoulder several times to peer at the door but it never opens. I am a littledisappointed but it doesn’t make me sad.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]No longer dwelling on the door I head into my walk-incloset. The light inside works and the closet seems quite spacious. Along theback wall I have several pairs of underwear hanging from small lingerie hangers,and it is these that attract my attention. Nearly all of them are lacy and colorfulwith blue trim, and I know a couple of them didn’t belong to me. I recognized acouple pairs as belonging to a friend from several years back, though I neverfigure out how I got the underwear.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3] I hold up several,trying to decide which one I want to wear. I like the stretchy lace and how itcurves around my butt, and I wonder if my friend will like it also. I am stillhoping she will come upstairs and into my room.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]After what feels like several hours I head downstairs and I findmy mom leading my friend to the front door. Her belongings are packed up in abrown suitcase and she is wearing different clothes than before. A brightyellow top sits rests on her shoulders, allowing a decent view of the top ofher chest. Below she is wearing a blue denim shirt, short and above the knees,which complements the yellow of her top.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]What is really striking about her is her hair. She hadpreviously been a brunette but in the time we spent in separate rooms she diedher hair blonde and put blue streaks in it. This has the effect of transformingher into a new person, someone I can only recognize in the cheeks and eyes. Ifind I really like this hair color on her.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“You’re…leaving?” I ask with undisguised sadness.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“I think I have to.” She tells me this at the same time shelooks up to meet my eyes, and it is clear she has been crying. Her eyes are notred and puffy but tears are gently rolling down her cheeks, and I admire herflawless skin. As we look into each other’s eyes I can see the pain in them,and I realize she loves me as strongly as I love her.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]My mom continues to lead her outside and around the side ofthe house. I tag along close behind, wanting to hold my friend’s hand butafraid it might make things too hard on her if I do. The sidewalk we are onleads us to the back of the house, through a hallway and on into a garage witha sleek black car in it. Again my friend and I share a look and she says shedoesn’t want to leave but it would be better if she did because not only wouldshe be safe but so would I. At this moment I don’t care for my safety, I just don’twant her to leave.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]As I walk around the car I suddenly find myself in thestreet, staring at the vehicle parked along the curb. I recognize the car as aRussian Zil, though it is considerably shorter than the typical Russianlimousine. As I stare at it the car moves out into the street as if it canglide sideways. This is confusing but I realize it must be my mom’s fault andnot me changing perspective.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“Why did you park the car out in the middle of the street?”I look at her with wonder and ponder how she thought any other car would beable to get around her vehicle. I know old people have a harder time parkingclose to the curb but this is ridiculous.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]She is about to get into the car to move it and drive myfriend away when the car begins to fade, as though it was a phantom. Theghostly image of the car becomes lighter and lighter and in less than tenseconds has disappeared completely. I am upset and freaking out, but it’s notthe disappearance of the car which bothers me. My friend has gone with the carand I am mad and hurt that I didn’t get to say goodbye. I feel wronged that shehad to leave at all, and I want her back.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I wake up still feeling this way, and the image of her sadface remains ingrained in my mind.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]

I had this dream during my first sleep period, so it's amazing I recall this much detail. I am still dreaming of celebrities. I had a few moments of lucidity towards the end when I jumped off the loading dock.

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I’m taking a class for some type of college credit. Thecourse has nothing to do with automotive skills yet it is being held in anauto-shop. Parts and equipment for fixing cars line the walls and are groupedin various spots around the room. Despite this, the room is quite clean, andhas a large carpeted section in the middle of the room.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]The instructor looks similar to Michael Ironside, and evensounds like him. He is wearing a light blue coverall, and he paces as he talks.He is lecturing me and a group of co-ed students about something but I’m notlistening to his speech. [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Sitting cross-legged on the floor, my attention is occupiedby a stuffed animal that someone left behind on the floor. As I turn it aroundin my hands I feel a sharp lump in the body, and I push against it to find outwhat is poking me. A small crystal emerges from the fluff of the toy bear, andI wonder how it got there. Surely no one would stick this there on purpose.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]The crystal isn’t super-remarkable, other than being stuckinside a toy. It looks like the kind of blue-colored crystal often worn on necklacesby young teens or hippies who believe in crystal power. It does not have anymarkings or attachments to mount it to jewelry. It’s just a crystal.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Still wondering how it got there I start pushing around onthe toy and I find more crystals, some white, some clear, and these are largerthan the first one I found. Some are as big as my thumb, and amazingly they donot leave large holes in the toy as they emerge.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I peer down at the carpet and discover there are morecrystals in the floor. I begin digging at them, lifting them out with myfingertip and placing all the white and clear ones a small paper bag. The clearones seem more important than the colored ones, which I simply place into apile in front of me.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]The instructor stops pacing as he notices my growing pile ofcrystals, and he seems very interested in them. Without telling us why he setsan assignment for us to dig up and gather as many crystals as we can in onehours’ time. As I already have a head start I figure this should be an easytask. However, as I look around at my classmates gathering up their own pilesof shiny crystals I begin to doubt myself.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]My classmates are nearly all female, and a couple of them seemto be working together. All the piles begin to grow quite rapidly as we findthe crystals in the floor, in stuffed animals, and even in plastic play-setsscattered around the room as though we were in a daycare for small children.The crystals that come from the toys and play-sets are even a pinkish hue as ifthe toy company had placed them there to be more attractive to girls.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]At the end of the allotted time I look around at thecrystals I’ve gathered and the piles of the other students. Other girls havepiles as big as mine, and I worry that I don’t have enough. Some of their pilesare made up of rounded lavender rocks and I don’t know why they have gatheredthem into piles but I fear that I should have found some also. Still, mycrystal piles are quite large, and I have even held some back for my ownpersonal use, which I can use to supplement my piles if needed.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I never see the instructor again. Instead of waiting for hisreturn I take a walk around the auto-shop, looking at various equipment andpiles of rocks. I eventually wander into the office and I see several importantpeople, as well as a black male worker. He is thin and dressed in coveralls andwhile his look appears bright he has been relegated to menial tasks and dirty jobs.I feel for him, seeing the supervisors enjoying their air-conditioned comfortin the office.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Turning slightly to my left I walk away from the office areaand head over to a loading dock. Knowing that I am dreaming I decide to jumpoff and see how my mind handles gravity. I fall but it’s slightly slower thanin real life. I land with a thump on the concrete below, and the feel issatisfying, but I know it’s not quite as strong as it would be in real life. Ifeel happy that my mind has come close to duplicating the real world.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I wander up the light slope to a set of nearby stairs toreenter the building. It’s a sunny day and the bright light makes it hard tosee the interior of the garage. My eyes finally adjust to the dimmer room and Ifind that several auto workers, all black, have begun working on cars in theroom and the piles of crystals have been picked up and removed. I’m glad Istill have my paper bag of clear crystals, which I know are quite powerful. Ithink about taking them home and hoping they will still be with me when I wakeup. As I walk to the other side of the building towards the front exit I decidethe best place to put them would be in the bathroom at home, and I give the baga satisfying shake.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]And then I wake up.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I’m lying in bed in my dream and the noise outside tells methat the world is in trouble, possibly a nuclear apocalypse, but instead ofpreparing for doom or looking after my kids my first instinct is to go to thekitchen and make coffee. Somehow I know that everything will be alright becauseI can make coffee and my friend will be happy to have some because I know I don’tdrink it.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I tried putting on a robe but it wasn’t mine, and I didn’tlike the green color of my furniture anyway, though I can’t imagine what coffeeor my furniture has to do with the end of the world. What is important is thatI have six dollars in cash and eleven cents in pennies and this means I canpurchase a can of Fix-o-Flat down at the mart for my neighbor.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]And I wake up.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]

I have been trying to find Link at a lake recently, and I did not find him at the lake or the bistro table; but I did find Saddam!

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I’m on a drive in the hills in what appears to be acombination of California hills and the Alps. I’m on a high road in a vehicle,and off to my right and slightly below my elevation is a small lake, a body ofwater I can occasionally glimpse through the trees and in gaps between houses.I really want to get a better view of the lake, but every time I think I’mgoing to see it the view is obscured.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]The vehicle I’m in is headed uphill to some unknowndestination. As we climb, different lakes are visible off to my right. Ipresume that I’m seeing different lakes as I climb up the hill; each oneappears to have a different shape and different volume. Sometimes they seemquite close to my level, as though a short walk would get me to the edge of thewater. Others seem far below me, hundreds of feet below and perhaps as much asa mile distant.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]The scenery is beautiful. While I am driving up narrowstreets occupied on both sides by houses and small businesses, the view to myright is the occasional shot of tree-covered mountains, deep blue waters, andlake-side hotels of luxury. I really want to get out of the vehicle.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Ahead of me the road splits, and my dad, who seems to be driving,takes the road on the left. We don’t go more than 50 feet before we are stoppedby a table and chairs blocking the narrow road. A bistro with a storefront onthe road has set up a large table right in the middle of the street. The road, onlywide-enough to allow passage for one vehicle, is now impassable. I can’timagine why they would set up this table in the street, though I suspect it isfor me and my guest. Some thought crosses my mind that the restaurant waswaiting for me and some other person who has failed to show up. My concernsturn immediately back to the problem at hand.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]To our right side and slightly below us is the other fork ofthe road. My suggestion for getting past the obstacle is to back up and takethe other road, and hope it leads to the same place. Moving forward isn’tworking at all as the bistro-owner won’t move the table and the water is nowrising around the van we are in. [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Someone tells me the situation is okay because the van cantake a bit of water, though I doubt their information. The water has risen upover the hood of the van and is lapping gently at the bottom of the windshield.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]My initial reaction is slight worry about the van and thepossibility of water coming into the passenger cabin. I look over at mydaughter and find her sleeping, her head resting upon her arm. She is aspeaceful as any child ever was while asleep, and this reassures me enough tostop worrying about the water.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]More comfortable with my surroundings I exit the van.Someone has to scout out the way ahead and figure out how to get the group pastthe table and other obstacles that might lay ahead. A little ways in front ofme the road makes a sharp turn around the corner of a building, and from thatcorner someone is shooting at me.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I pull out my weapon and shoot back, ducking behind the nowupturned table as projectiles fly past me. I have the impression that theprojectiles are made of Play-Doh or some other colorful substance, and I’mcertain they are non-lethal. None of the impacts around me seem to cause anydamage, confirming my suspicions.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I move swiftly around the table to chase the shooter who hasdisappeared around the corner. What had been a road is now a brick-pavedsidewalk, and below me is a 50-foot drop to the water below. I’m not far behindwhoever I’m chasing and the sidewalk dead-ends at a brick wall, the only placeto hide being a few stacks of supplies and some crates.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I run to the end and what I took to be refuse and emptycrates was actually bags of flour and various food supplies. Finally getting agood look at my attacker’s face I realize I’m chasing Saddam Hussein, and I’ve accidentallystumbled upon his hiding place. All the people searching for him throughout theworld and I find him in this little alley with his bags of flour and stockpileof supplies.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I only have a moment to realize I’m mad at him before we arefacing off, his back to a wall overhanging the water. I seize the moment andrear up with my foot, shoving him against the wall with a thump that knocks hisbreath out. Without a pause I kick at the crumbly wall next to him, sendingseveral ucubic feet of material plunging into the water below. Saddam, stillwithout breath and now nothing to hold onto, lands in the water on his face andslowly sinks into the depths, and it is clear I am seeing the last moments ofhis life. I feel little in the way of regrets.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I head back along the tiny sidewalk, around the corner, anddown the path towards the van to tell everyone of my triumph. The table hasbeen cleared and the way is no longer blocked, but something feels out ofplace. I start to look around for whatever is picking at my mind when Isuddenly wake up.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]

I love dreams that make no sense. Carrot, you are in this dream!

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]The first thing I recall is being in my apartment, though Isuspect activities happened in the dream before that. My apartment has brownshaggy carpet and a narrow window that extends from floor to ceiling. A shaftof sunlight comes in through the window and illuminates the floor and a smalltable.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Next to the small table is a soft chair and I sat down touse the phone. I call the pharmacy, because I want to get some ecstasy for meand my friend. Knowing that they will never just give it to me without a goodreason I invent a story that I am a war veteran with post-traumatic stressdisorder. I had heard about a local veteran being stressed and this seemed likea believable excuse.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]The pharmacy never doubted my story for a second. Feelingtriumphant, I left my apartment and got into my car to head up the hill. I’venever had a pharmacy perched high on a hill before but this seemed like a goodplace for one in my dream.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Walking in I notice it looks like most pharmacies; clean,white, and filled with overflowing shelves of health products. I walk rightpast all these and up to a counter where a pharmacist is leaning over on hiselbows.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“I’m here to pick up a couple of prescriptions.” I say tothe man, who shows no specific interest in me.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]He asks for my name and I tell him. He turns to his shelfand brings me one of the two scrips I phoned in. He then turns to his computerto check something, making me wait a moment while he figures something out. Hishead is down and he is not observing me.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Finishing with the computer task he obtains my prescriptionand starts counting out pills. One by one he moves them along a blue tray andinto a catch area, counting out loud as he goes.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“Half of these are full strength and half of these are goingto be half-strength. You understand?”[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“Oh, Yes, I understand.” I wasn’t about to argue this point.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Looking up at me, he suddenly asks, “So, why do you need aprescription for ecstasy anyway?” [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I think OH SHIT! I hadn’t really thought this perfectlythrough. I had my reason, but I certainly didn’t look the part. I NEED TO PLAYTHIS UP A BIT, I thought.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Placing my hand on my head and acting uncomfortable I said, “It’sbeen so difficult lately to get by.” I glanced up and shuffled my feet asthough I had a limp. I was doing my best to make him think I was the troubledwar veteran. [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]The pharmacist just gave me a non-committal look, as thoughnothing I said mattered to him. He slightly shrugged his right shoulder andsimply said, “Okay.”[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]If he hadn’t turned right then to head into the back of thepharmacy, he would have seen the look of relief wash over my face. I couldn’tbelieve he actually bought it. [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]The pharmacist hadn’t been gone for even a minute before Ibegan to doubt myself. Perhaps he was in back calling the police. Maybe he wastalking to his boss about me. I had to find out.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Deciding the only way to find out was to go where he had, Iwalked around the counter and down a hall towards a back room. Opening the doorI walked right in on the pharmacist and his partner, the other pharmacistworking in the store. Their white coats were gone and it was evident that theyhad been having butt sex.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I stuck my hands in the air defensively and said, “Hey, whoa!I didn’t mean to walk in on you. I know how much you like butts. I like butts,too!” [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]The two just looked at me but never said anything. It wasclear that I should just leave. I grabbed the bottle of medicine located on thelamp table to my left and exited quickly.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Walking through the pharmacy I went ahead and took one ofthe ecstasy pills. I was hurrying, knowing it was lucky I even got themedicine. I uttered a huge sigh of relief when I was through the doors andoutside, knowing my chances of getting away from there with my prize were stillremote.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]The taste of the pill is barely noticeable, but already Ican feel the effects of the drug in a mild way. The sensation is more like theanticipatory build-up to a drug experience than the actual effects of the drug.Still, it’s enough to get me excited as I get behind the wheel of my car andstart the engine. I feel exhilarated as I put the car in reverse and begin toback up.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Glancing off to my left side I notice my friend has arrived,clearly on his way to the pharmacy to pick up his prescriptions. Like me, hewas supposed to pick up one legitimate prescription and one bottle of ecstasythat I had ordered for him. I decided I needed to talk to him before he made itinside so I pulled the car through the lot and parked along the curb near hisapproach path.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I had to roll down my window to get his attention. “Hey,dude!” I got him to come closer to me so I wouldn’t have to shout.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“Yeah?” Something about his voice always sounded like he hadhis hands in his pockets and it didn’t matter what you told him, the answerwould always be something non-committal. Indeed, his hands were in his pockets,and the slouch of his body suggested he had the weight of the world on his shouldersbut he was used to it being there and he was just trying to get through hisTuesday.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“Listen, I know I got you into this and you don’t have toget the prescription for ecstasy if you don’t want to, just please, don’t fuckme on this! That’s all I ask!”[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]He took this in stride as though I had asked him to addfabric softener to the laundry load. He simply said, “Okay.” [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“Okay.” I watched him walk away towards the pharmacy. As heentered the sliding doors I pulled away from the curb and onto the road whichled back down the hill.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I felt so light, so free, and I began speeding down theroad, faster than was probably safe. The road was wet and had several spotswhere the pavement flattened out before dropping off sharply, causing me tocatch air and land with a bump strong enough to make me wish I had slowed downa little. Still, I was making good time and was nearly at the bottom.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]The slope of the hill eased and became a mostly flat roadthat ran along a wide creek or small river. The water was contained bycobblestone walls from which people would hang their poles out over the waterand attempt to catch the fish-of-the-day. Mostly it was just a bunch of oldpeople that liked to get together and talk about sex.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I went speeding by all these guys in my car, driving rightinto their fishing lines and equipment as though I belonged there more thanthey did. I upset several fishermen as I tangled their lines together and gotthem caught up under my wheels, though I didn’t come to a stop until I reachedthe end of the waterway, at which point the road made a sharp turn to the left.This is where I finally parked my car and got out, handing a net and some thickfishing line to the man who was standing closest to me. He was still yelling atme with his thick accent as I walked off through a nearby park and beyond to arestaurant with outdoor seating.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I strode right up to a long table about chest high where Ifound my mom waiting for me. I hop up onto a barstool type seat and beginlooking over the menu, telling her I’m glad to see she came. I briefly considertelling her about the ecstasy I consumed, but think better of it and decide notto a split second before my dad shows up. [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I had not expected my dad to come to the dinner, and mydispleasure should be obvious. I’m clearly scowling and hunkering down in mychair like I didn’t want him to talk to me. I was bothered by everything abouthim, from his odd-looking beard to his Nehru jacket which seemed so out ofplace for this day and age. I wanted him to leave.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]He converses with my mom for a moment and she is polite tohim. As he excuses himself to visit the bathroom I ask her how she can havepatience for him and his act. She says something motherly about how time haspassed and I accept her answer.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Realizing I need to go to the bathroom also I excuse myself,and as I walk from the table I find my mom needs to use the restroom also. Aswe approach the bathroom and the unusually long line I find I am standing nextto Carrot and we are talking while we wait for available stalls. We haven’teven entered the bathroom yet, still standing outside in the cold with aboutten other strangers who all need to pee. I start giggling about something andthis sets Carrot into a smiling fit.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]When free stalls finally open up we go running in to use thebathroom, our bladders overly full with piss from our beers. I don’t recallactually using the toilets but we came out pretty quick and went straight todrying our hands, skipping over anything to do with water or soap. The DysonAir Blade by the door warms up our hands in the cold air.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Walking out I pass the line for the men’s room and everyonein it is wearing lumberjack plaid, almost like what you’d expect if it was aplaid holiday. Some men even sported coonskin hats and thick gloves, though theweather didn’t seem cold enough for such accessories. I laughed with Carrot aswe ran away and back towards our table.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]And then I woke up.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]