Snacks From the Butler's Pantry

It is a long walk home, but I don't mind. In fact, I'm secretly glad I missed the bus. I dust the sand off of my flip flops, throw my towel over my shoulder, and start shuffling home. I'm glad I'll get to enjoy the afternoon sunshine a bit longer.

As I pass a new apartment building, I hear laughing and splashing coming from the other side of the fence. It sounds like a pool party. Well, I'm already dressed for the occasion. I bounce on my heels a few times, considering it, then leap into the air in a high arc. I easily clear the tall fence and land, with a splash, in the pool.

Everyone is a bit surprised by this stranger dropping out of the sky and into their party. They seem wary at first, but warm up to me after a few minutes. Most of the people seem familiar in a vague sort of way. I hang out for a while, showing off some fun tricks such as walking on water. Nobody quite comprehends why I have such confidence and control over my surroundings.

Eventually, I convince everyone to come out with me for a night on the town. I tell them I can give them the night of their lives, making all of their wishes come true for the evening. One pale blond girl complains that she is not dressed or prepared for an evening out. She seems awkwardly self conscious. I stand face to face with her in the waist high water, and hold her head in my hands. I tell her to imagine exactly what she wants to look like, and who she wants to be. I run my fingers through her thin hair, and notice she is more pale than I first thought. Her hair is falling out, and her skin is like paper, showing the spidery veins underneath. As I pull her hair away from her ear, I see a trickle of blood. I trace it down her neck to a ghastly open wound torn across her throat. It looks like her neck has been slit, or her throat torn out by an animal. She tells me the wound never healed properly since she died in an accident with her friend several years ago. Not put off, I continue stroking her hair and pouring loving energy into her. We both close our eyes, and when I open mine, she looks like an entirely different person. Her hair is full and freshly styled. Her skin is smooth and flawlessly healed. She is even fully dressed in evening wear, with a professional makeup job.

The club we want to go to, "Point A," is the newest and hottest nightclub in town. The crowd spills out onto the street, and the line stretches around the corner. I calmly make my way through the crowd, walking slowly. I teleport around people by focusing on the space right in front of them. Every time I blink my eyes, I am moved forward another few feet. I take a seat at a crowded table in the corner, surrounded by a group of strangers. I close my eyes, then open them to see the crowd of strangers has transformed into all my new friends from the pool party.

I get into a conversation with one of the guys. I can tell he doesn't like me much. Now that he is out of the pool, I see he is in a wheel chair. His legs are mangled and withered. He says he has grown accustomed to his condition, and doesn't want me to take the injury away from him. I show him how I healed his girlfriend, who is now talking to a random girl from the crowd. He still refuses. His injury has become a part of who he is, and curing it would be like stealing the experience from him. He does admit to wanting a sex life again, making a joke about his legs not being the only thing that got taken from him in the accident. This admission seems to suddenly release him. He instantly transforms into a ghostly 8 year old child in a white suit, and climbs into my lap. I hold him with one arm as I continue chatting with everyone.

From the corner of my eye, I notice a man staring at me. He gets up from his table, and starts making his way across the room. Did I go to high school with him? Is he someone's older brother? I know him from somewhere.

I notice the blond girl I healed is talking to an old friend. This friend looks almost exactly like her. I realize that when I told her to imagine what she wants to look like, she chose this friend as a model. They have the same haircut and the same clothing, but their faces still look different. This new girl has dark, sunken eyes, where my blond friend has brilliant sparkling green. There is something sinister and cruel about this stranger. She climbs on top of me in an aggressive way and kisses me forcefully. She teases me, saying I smell bad, and that my lips are greasy from sunscreen and lip balm. I defend myself, explaining I was at the beach all day rescuing swimmers from shark attacks. I remember back to this part of the dream, and wish I had a dream camera. It will be difficult to remember all the details from that previous adventure.