LARP and A Concert

I am in a large hotel and while walking through the lobby, I become aware that there are many people around me in costume.  "Ah, a Sci-Fi convention!" I think to myself, but looking more closely, I realize it's a bit more - all the people are gearing up to go outside, into the wooded area next to the building.  "LARP!"  I say to a young woman dressed as an elf warrior, and she smiles back at me while saluting me with her sword.  (LARP - Live Action Role Playing)

I continue down the wide black polished stairs and see a couple of oriental young men dressed in black suits with red capes.  I wonder why they hadn't chosen capes that are more dressy to suit their smart suits, instead of pieces of unhemmed red broadcloth, but say nothing.  We smile at each other and one of them says that sadly, this will be the last time they will be able to use these facilities for their fun.

The scene shifts and changes - I am now with a group of people that are setting up for an outdoor concert.  I am supposed to provide piano accompaniment for someone playing a cello piece, but am very disorganized and ill-prepared.  I hear that the concert has started, and am looking for something to wear in the suitcase filled with all sorts of clothes that resemble underclothing only.  

The people around me have a very old-world feeling to them - it's almost as though I have traveled back in time, to the late 50's.  I also realize that it's a very ethnic community - Greek, to be exact.  The women congrate together, chattering over each other, while the men huddled over a table with a chess set on it.  None of this makes me feel any easier, since I can't even see the stage.Finally i find a blue patterned polyester dress and just as I start putting it on, I hear the opening chords of the piece I am supposed to play - Saint-Saens' Cello Concerto.  

I hurry to finish dressing but am told by one of the women that my services are no longer needed - they found someone else to play the piece.  I become very upset, and loudly start blaming "that man" (the stage manager) for not giving me the proper time cues.  I become more angry, irrationally so, and start yelling at everyone, "Who are those clowns playing out there anyways!?  I know that piece, it was my father's favourite piece, and he constantly was practicing it - I remember it well from when I was a child.  You just don't know ANYTHING!!"  

Even as I'm storming off, I think to myself in disbelief - this is not me, why am I screaming like that?

SWEEPING THE SCREEN AND ROUND MONEY

One of those "barely there" dreams that started out very strong and clear. Here's what I can recall:

I'm in a huge movie theatre. It's filled with people, and there's a sense of something special happening - excitement in the air, everyone anticipating the viewing. As in the theatres of the 50's, there are ushers to show us to our seats. As the movie begins, I notice that the screen is smudged with all kinds of dust and debris. An attendant/usher comes out and with a very long broom begins to sweep this dirt away. Somehow that breaks the mood and we all feel rather disappointed at this interruption.

Not sure how this ties in, or even if it does, my next scene is me getting paid for a job I did. I'm very excited because I get paid in "round money" - the bills are rounded, like coins, but larger. The denominations are clearly marked, and I become more excited as I see a few "circles" of brown, indicating $100 bills. I can't stop talking about it and show them off to all my friends. 

A very vague presence of Baroness Fiona and Lady Celeste is also there. 

My last memory here is of me thinking how everyone needs round money, much like everyone needs "A Round Toit" - because everyone has says that they'll get "around to it" with various projects.

A PERFECT JOB

Just images like a faded postcard from last night:

I am starting a new job, but don't quite know what that job entails. I'm taken to a small office occupied by two other women, and am told I'll be working on a computer. The work is easy and familiar, the office atmosphere very friendly. The morning passes quickly. Suddenly someone comes in and says, "quarter to 12!" and immediately the head co-worker shuts off her computer, the phone, and reaches over and does the same to my monitor and phone. It's obvious that no one works during breaks here!

We go down to the lunchroom - a comfortable space filled with tables, chairs and couches - and one of the women hands me a sub sandwich, while telling me it's their custom to treat new employees in this way. I thank her, and then I see something down the hall that looks interesting, and leaving the sandwich behind, I go to investigate.

It's a fitting room, and I see a beautiful bridal dress ready for a fitting - and look! Here comes the bride! She is a young woman with dark hair and eyes, small in stature. Without any second thought, I help her into her gown, which has now changed from the traditional white to a soft green, adorned with iridescent crystals and green gems. She looks like a forest elemental in it, especially when I place a head-dress of dark green leaves entwined with more crystals and red berries on her head.

I do not wish to go back to the computer, and instantly I know that I don't have to. I sigh happily, as I fuss over this enchanting girl...

SOME STRANGE SCI-FI STUFF

The world has gone post-apocolyptic.  We are in the grips of a take-over by a stronger power - sometimes it feels as though it's aliens from "out there", and some times it feels as though it's from a stronger military force here on earth.  The cities are just piles of rubble and the only habitable places left are under huge domes set up by the conquering forces.  Many people do not want to go in there, and really, no one is forcing them either.

I am with a group that chooses to stay on the "outside", and we soon meet up with more such groups.  There is little water or food, but we manage somehow to find enough to sustain us.  The earth has been scorched to an unhealthy yellow colour and we scramble over and through blasted craters.  Overhead, we see huge machines of all shapes flying about, and sometimes landing in the distance.  The sky feels bloated and is almost the same yellow as the earth, blurring the perspective.


Eventually we get to a top of a hill, and find some solid structures there that are obviously made by human survivors, and we find welcome and respit there.  There is a large laboratory here and some exciting work being done.  From what I can understand,  they are trying to create a temporal vortex through which they could bring fighter planes from the past, and are almost on the threshhold of achieving this.  The next morning, our group is taken outside, along with everyone else, and we witness a sudden rush of compressed air as the atmosphere around us explodes with all sorts of bombers, World War I and II aircraft, and 21st century sleek planes.  We fall to the ground, and I scream, "This is just like in my dreams - I see this sort of thing in my dreams all the time!"  

A young boy, about 10 or 11 huddles close to me and I wrap my arms around him for comfort.  The reaction of the scientists is one of ecstatic joy, because now, they say, we have a fighting chance to survive.  It doesn't make sense to me, because I know that soon all the planes will run out of fuel, but let that thought go - they may know more than I do and may have a found a way to power them.  We all go inside, breathless from the experience, and I see someone new - a man dressed in dark blue jump suit with a cape.  He's very tall and muscular with dark hair, and, once he turns around, I see he's got black eyes.  He looks almost amused by all that's going on, not at all upset for being pulled out of his own time line.  He also looks vaguely familiar to me.  I shake my head, trying to remember.  The boy does not leave my side.

In another hall, food is being set out for us, and we all go there.  The man begins to entertain us with stories, and even though we know a lot of what he says is nonsense, we listen avidly - this is something new for us! - and a few minutes into the commentary, he asks if anyone would like some chocolate.  We all swoon with groans at that word and the images of rich, dark, creamy chocolate, something longed for but never to be had again, when he reaches inside his cape and brings out a couple of large slabs of that heavenly stuff.  There is just enough for us all to have a morsal.  

It is now some time later, and things have changed for the worse.  Certain groups of free people are now being hunted down, and although they haven't reached us yet, we all know that our time is coming.  We have seen how huge cages are dropped by the settlement and everyone herded into them, then one of the large flying machines comes and takes the cage away.  In visiting another settlement, the young boy and I barely had escaped this, as the thick grill came slamming shut.  He and I rolled away just in time from this, hiding behind some upturned earth.  The screams of the people captured were heard long after the cage was flown away.


But for now, our settlement is not faced with this, and we decide that perhaps it's time to be on the move again, but we do not have to walk.   The planes are ready to take us somewhere else.  For some reason, the planes have been completely ignored by the powers, and were looked on as nothing more than annoying buzzing insects.  Plans are made, things are packed, and all is ready for the evacuation at the appointed time.  The Man in the blue jumpsuit comes over to me and tells me the boy and I will be flying in his plane, then takes me in his arms and kisses me with a familiar passion.  I am startled beyond reason to finally recognize him as someone from my past for whom I had intense feelings.  I am further shocked when I notice unmistakable signs of arousal in him as he continues to kiss me.  And it is with the feel of his lips on mine that I wake up, myself startled and breathless!


Whew!!   

CHURCH, HOSPITAL AND SANTA CLAUS

I am with my neighbour, Deborah, who is driving me to the hospital for some routine bloodwork proceedure.  On the way there, we pass a church.  There is some sort of a procession involving the priest, who is carrying a heavy ornate book (The Bible?); the altar boys with tall candles, and some women dressed in ivory robes with light brown hooded tabards.  They all march slowly around the perimeter of the church, and are chanting.  It's interesting but understandable that such processions take place every once in a while.  However, I am struck by the fact that the procession does not go back in through the door.  Instead, there appears to be a hole in the wall, as though it's been bashed in by a sledgehammer, forming a crude window, and it is through there that they all enter, crawling through it in the most undignified manner.  I catch up with the last woman and ask her about it.  She replies that it's "tradition" and that's the way it always has been done.

We continue on our way, and finally reach the hospital.  Deborah drives carefully along the path to the parking lot, which is covered with snow.  She waits for me in the car while I quickly go in and complete my procedure.  

Things and events kind of blur here, and indicate a passage of time.  Once again, we are on the road going back to the hospital and again we pass the same procession.  The woman whom I stopped to talk to before is there and looks at me with recognition.  Coming up to the hospital entrance, we are very surprised to see a man dressed in a very elaborate Santa Clause costume walk by.  It's not the usual red and white outfit, but more vintage - gold robes trimmed with ermine fur and garlands of holly and ivy about his head.  As we drive further I see more people dressed in very elaborate costumes.  As I get out of the car, I am suddenly aware that I too am wearing a costume, a beautiful 17th century gown of pale blue with ivory lace.  I pass another woman wearing a gown of the same era, but in rosy peach colour, and we both curtsy to each other.  Her face looks very odd, as though she has two noses, but I realize that it's because she's wearing a mask.

The follow-up procedure is done and I'm going back to the car.  My garb disappears and I am dressed in regular street clothes again.  Before I actually get to the car, I see a woman.  She has short spiky steel-gray hair and very hard dark eyes.  I know she's a writer of some sort and I stop to speak to her about this.  At that moment I also recognize her as the woman I spoke to in the procession.  

She tells me that she writes religious material and is very proud of exposing the "evil pagans" to the Church.  She is very intent on her work and doesn't even realize that she's holding me tightly by my left arm.  I almost laugh in her face, but decide to gently disengage myself from her first.  After I do so, and am safely in the car, I tell her she better go back and check her facts on paganism again.  "I will be very happy to help you with that", I continue, "because, you see, I am Pagan and very proud of it!"

Her face becomes the very image of hatred and anger as we drive away.  Quickly, I forget about her, and instead delight in seeing Santa Clause again, in his sumptuous gold robes... 

Water Disaster and New Employment

I had two very strong dreams last night, and both of them had the same intense quality to them.  Sadly, they're fading fast, so I hope I can capture them before they go completely.

Water Disaster in a Warehouse

I am with two people, a man and a woman who are obviously a couple, and for some reason we are all in a huge warehouse.  There is a bank of windows along one wall and they're all open.  The warehouse is empty, except for us, and we need to bunk down for the night in there.  We find a small office, enclosed in glass and facing the windows, which contain three mattress  on the floor, so we spread our sleeping bags over them and go to sleep.

Some time later, there is a huge crash which awakens us, and we see that the windows have been blown out.  A wave of water gushes in through them, and our mattresses are already soaked.  The couple get up quickly, as do I, and tell me that now is the time for us to join together to work great magic.  I'm feeling very scared and confused - magic?  Where did that come from? I think to myself.

Nevertheless, I quickly gather myself together, and the three of us raise our hands as the chanting begins.  I don't know what I'm saying, simply allowing myself to be the carrier of the words.  Now I'm aware of something else - a feeling that I'm in some story book, that any moment, I will meet one of my favourite fantasy characters.  I try and ignore this feeling and concentrate on - yes, now I understand what we're doing! - creating a shield around the windows.  

In time, the wind dies down and the water stops gushing in.  By now, we're standing knee-deep in it, and the warehouse becomes much smaller, now becoming a broken-down farm house.  We continue raising the power until the water recedes from the floor, leaving behind only a thin muddy film.  When we release this power, all three of us almost collapse and take a few moments to ground ourselves.  The man then goes to the bottom of the rickity stairs and calls up, "Thomas!  Come down and meet Lidia.  Again.  For the first time."

The way he says it indicates to me that I have lived through this before a number of times.  I am again very confused and scared, because I know who I'm going to see coming down those stairs - Thomas Covenant, the anti-hero from The Unbeliever series by S.R. Donaldson.  I just have enough time to wonder how all this happened and what kind of power the couple weilded before I woke up.  

It was 5:00 a.m., and I could not fall back asleep all that quickly; when I did, I had this dream:

New Employment

I am starting a new job in a very busy office.  Not only is it busy, it's very crowded with other employees, furniture and equipment.  Nevertheless, the people are extremely friendly, and I settle in quickly.  I walk around the building to get to know it, and am suddenly aware that there is nothing solid about it - the configuration changes, morphing from one form into another.  And then I notice something else - all the employees, are friendly to the point of being non-productive.  Everyone is just hanging around, chatting away, laughing but not working.  I ask someone about this, and do not receive any reply other than a joke of some sort. 

I try to go back to my desk, but find my way blocked by a woman who appears to be a nurse.  She's carrying a needle, and as we collide, that needle falls onto my hand and scratches the skin.  I know I was injected slightly by whatever that needle contained, but am told not to worry - it wouldn't harm me.  In spite of the assurances, I feel uneasy, especially now that the top of my hand is very raw and bloodied, much more so than what that tiny scratch would inflict.  I wrap up my hand in a clean bandage, and continue on my way.  

Suddenly I hear loud cheering.  I follow the voices and soon come to an opening through which I can see a lower level.  It's full of people wearing medieval garb and they're all hoisting tankards and horns, and shouting "Wassail"!!  I would love to join them, but cannot find the door that leads to the basement, yes, I can see clearly now that it's a basement, with rough stone walls covered with banners and tapestries.  So I kneel down by the opening, while someone hands me a goblet, and I cheer along with them all.

And with that Wassail upon my lips, I rose up from my knees and walked into wakefulness...

INITIATION AND REBIRTH

By now the dream is fading and only a couple of images remain. What has stayed with me very strongly, though, was the feelings this dream left behind:

I am trying to find a young couple in a large park - they are performers, and all I know of them is that he will be carrying a guitar and she will be dressed in white.  In my search, I run into a middle-aged woman who urges me to suolcceed with this task.  She is tall, slim, very toned and fit, her hair is salt-pepper in colour, wiry and long, and she is dressed in an outfit that is deliberately ragged, as though she is clad in branches, leaves, fur and feathers of the forest.  I acknowledge this and her by bowing to her, and continue my search.  

It is not easy, because there are a number of couples that fit th e description, but eventually I find them.  I do not know how I recogniz them - something simply jumps out from them, and instantly the Woman appears.  She whisks us off to another place, one that is deep in a forest and built high among the branches of tall trees.  It's more than just an elaborate tree-house.  It's also a scientific laboratory.  To one side I see a huge cage suspended by strong vines, and within the cage are two animals (I think they were some sort of felines), wild and feral, that pace and growl.  I understand instantly that they will be released after a certain ceremony is performed.

Suddenly, I feel gripped by pain that ripples through me, and I recognize this as labour pains.  I see that I am now dressed in the same wild outfit as the Woman, who is helping me sit down.  On a level below me, I see the young lady in white also shudder.  

I do not understand it all, but do know that I am experiencing something miracleous, like a deeper Initiation and Rebirth of my spirit.  

NAP DREAM - A HAZARDOUS SPACE JOURNEY

Had a rather strange science-fictiony dream just now during my nap.  I am with a group of people who are preparing for space flight. We also know that there is a danger that we are facing which is within our own ranks.  The last words I hear as I board the spaceship is "don't forget to eat the custard - it will save you", just as a small brown live teddy bear was shoved in at the last possible second.


I see this teddy bear land on a large white platform, which suddenly is occupied by a black table with six black and red chairs around it.  The bear is pressed against a lower shelf on the table, dislodging it slightly.  I see similar platforms being similarly furnished and all the crew sitting down for dinner. I make sure I eat a few spoonfuls of this "custard" as it makes the rounds.


At this moment the door (hatch?) opens and a man and woman enter.  They look as though they're from India or Pakistan, and are both wearing the official jumpsuit uniform we all are.  That is okay, because this is an international crew.  But there is something *wrong* with them, and I feel as though I'm seeing our sabatours.  The woman comes in my direction, and asks who has eaten the custard, those who didn't are asked to follow the couple, but I catch her hand and bite hard on it.  She doesn't even flinch.  I bite harder, feeling her blood in my mouth, but she keeps smiling and talking as though nothing is wrong.  There is a sickly green haze around her mouth, as there is around her companion.  I scream to the others to help me, to contain this couple, but it's too late.  I manage to deliver one savage punch to her face, with no effect.  The other crew have no more success in detaining the couple or their crew mates as they're led out of the room.


The theme music of "Stargate: Atlantis" gets louder as I wake up...

GYPSIES!

Last night, I dreamed I joined a wandering Irish Gypsy band!  I am asked by them to become their seamstress - but only for the men.  At once, I start working on a deep blue jacket for one of the men.  It is designed to have fitted seams in the back that are closed by way of grommets, while the front will have a double row of gold buttons.  I work on this diligently.  

He loves my work, and in a middle of a fitting, we are interrupted by a hoard of small children who excitedly bring in a stranger.  I am very surprised, shocked even!, to see that it's my son, Daniel, who has come looking for me.  I assure him that I'm okay, and will be on the road for a while.  He is asked to spend the night at the encampment.

We settle down for the night and I fall asleep quickly under the clear night sky, but soon am awakened by some boys who obviously want to play a trick on me.  They're creeping around my sleeping bag, giggling, and shushing each other up.  I smile to myself, preparing myself for whatever they may spring on me.  I see an hand and arm coming my way and on it, is the most gorgeous moth I have ever seen!  I gasp, and they think it's because of fear, but it's in total admiration for this creature.  It's huge, about six inches long, and it has silvery white wings of exquisite softness.  I hold out my hand and the boys carefully transfer it to me.  Its legs make a slight tickling sensation on my palm as it flutters the wings a bit.  

The boys call this The Moon Moth, and say it's a rare find, but one that brings good luck to the encampment.  But, they warn me sternly, it must be released and never harmed.  I look closely at it, as it turns it's triangler head towards me, still lost in admiration for it.  I get the distinct feeling that it's quite happy where it is, but will fly off when it's ready.

And so I continue, until waking up... 

FLYING ABOUT, AROUND AND THROUGH...

Some time at around 4:30, I woke up briefly, and decided to go sleep on the couch for the rest of the night.  Almost immediately, I felt myself gripped by paralysis, and know that I will be doing some flying soon.  During the initial separation of my astral self from the body, all was very clear and "real" but from that point on, the experience took on more of a dream quality; that is, it became more indistinct.  I also experienced something new and totally unexpected.  Here's what happened:

The paralysis and buzzing  is very strong, and my astral self sits up.  I am giggling inside because of what's about to happen and rise up above my sleeping body.  At this point, I recall a conversation I had with Charles about this and make very careful observation as to what I look like and what I'm wearing (in all other instances, I am always "myself" but have no knowledge of how I appear externaly).  For this, I float to the bathroom, and observe myself in the mirror.  I see myself just as I am in life, and wearing the gray robe nightgown.  I giggle more, and with a flick of a thought, change it to white.  Floating back into the living room, I rise above all the furniture and go through the patio door into the dark outdoors.  

For a few minutes I just do some lazy turns and loops, spread my arms wide and "will" myself to feel the cold wind go through me.  I feel ecstatic!!  For some reason, I decide to do something different, and take myself towards the highway.  The cars and trucks go by as I "walk" above them, and wonder if I would cause an accident if I suddenly made myself seen.  It's an entertaining thought, but I decide not to do this, for fear of really causing one.  

I stop by an overpass bridge and am suddenly aware that there is another astral someone huddled in the shadows.  I approach it and introduce myself to what appears to be a very young man.  He's very scared and bewildered, and it doesn't take long for me to realize that he's taken his first astral journey and doesn't know how to deal with it.  He takes my hand, as I offer it to him, and I assure him that this is something wonderous.  Slowly, I draw him out and he gasps as he finds himself able to fly effortlessly.  He wobbles slightly as I let him go, but steadies himself immediately.  I take him to the top of the overpass and together we dive down towards the cars, sometimes even passing through them, in our exhuberance.  Taking flight ever higher, we fly to the mountain and play among the trees, marveling at the lighted city below us.

Time does not exist in the same way when in that state, nor did we need to use words.  All was instantly and completely understood, and so it was when it came time to part company.  We said a leisurely farewell in a fraction of an instant, and a blur later, I found myself on the couch again...

... woke up just long enough to register where I was, and again...

... I go astral.  

This time, I am alarmed as I emerge out of myself.  My apartment is empty!  Someone has somehow stolen all my furniture - the piano, wall unit, tv, the bamboo screen - all of it is gone!!  I am furious and immediately fly out through the balcony doors again.  Following the trail - yes, I can distinctly see the distortion before me - I come to a large square building which turns out to be a theatre hall.  (Here is where the experience goes from "real" to "dream".)  I find all my furniture being used as a stage set.  There are many people working there - some holding rehearsals, some doing painting and stage work, others setting up lights and sound.  All the activities are very familiar but I'm still angrily wondering how and who was able to take my stuff.  

I feel I know these people, especially one woman who is the stage manager.  Familiar, but not so - it's as though I recognize another astral spirit, but not the person.  All the people appear to be that way - especially when I suddenly am aware of the fact that they're all flying and floating about, as needed.  All the heavy pieces, like my piano, also have the ability to weigh nothing and be moved at a touch of a finger.  They wave greetings to me and are in no way embarrased about being caught red handed in this "theft".

In all this activity, which is very indistinct and fuzzy as is the way of dreams, one other image stands out clearly - I am talking with someone about something, and am approached by yet someone else who enquires about the gray scarf I am wearing around my neck.  I'm startled to see it's the one I'm knitting in "real" life, but have not yet completed.  This person wants to know if he (yes, definately a male energy) could buy it, and how much it would cost.  On an impulse, I say $100.  I go on to say that there are thousands of stitches in this scarf, and I had spent far more than 10 hours working on it.  I also feel strongly that it matters not to me if I sell it or not, but if I do, I'll make sure to get a fair price for it.

So, now I have to ask - how many of you dreamers did I actually meet up with last night!?

DARK HAPPENINGS

I woke up very early this morning - around 4:00 am, because I knew I had to get up early to prepare for a very full day today.  However, 4:00 am is still a bit too early, even for me.  So I shifted around, closed my eyes and...

... find myself waking up again to a most extraordinary scene!  My laptop is on and there's a movie playing on the screen, or so I think so at first.  The screen is filled with images  that are too large to be so contained.  Indeed, I realize that what's on screen is just camera images of what's happening all around me - giagantic steel square structures are floating all around us, like Borg cubes.  They seem to be modular, and at first I don't know if the cubes are breaking apart or being built together.  Pieces the sizes of tallest skyscrapers now look like lego pieces in relationship to the cubes.  There are so many of these cubes that the sky, which is an ominous dark yellow-green colour, is almost completed blotted out.

I am on some sort of flying machine - a shuttle or a plane, not sure what - and it's carrying me through these structures.  I feel terrified!  The next thing I know is that I'm back on the ground in some park, sitting with my head down on a picnic bench and my computer beside me.  I look at it and am dismayed to see that the entire right side of it has melted into a gooey mess.  Although warped, I could still see the screen clearly.  Nevertheless, I am very upset about it, as I am over the fact that three men were coming over towards me.  One of them is dressed as a mechanic in dark blue overalls.  He grins and says that the computer can be fixed by 5:00 today.  I tell him that it's a new computer and I'm sure the warranty will cover it.  Inside, i'm very upset and not at all sure that is the case.  I just don't want to give up my laptop to him.

Somewhere along the line, I acquire a young girl, about 5 years old, for whom I am responsible.  We walk into an office where I got a job.  It's a very busy place and I tell her that she must stay quietly at my desk while I do my duties.  My warped and burned laptop is there and I set her up with some games.  Somehow I feel as though I am both too early and too late for being on the job - it's a very disconcerting feeling.  I photocopy something, but the tray is so full of papers that I cannot find my photopying, while the rest goes flying on the floor.  I start to pick it up, and a male co-worker joins me, telling me to be more careful.  Now I feel angry.  "If you'd all pick up your own printing and photocopying stuff", I say, "This wouldn't happen!"

I go off to get the child and find her missing.  I look for her and find her in the kitchen where she's picked up an old rotting pumpkin and is dragging it all over the place.  I tell her to leave it, and give the pumpkin to the young man who helped me pick up the papers, and taking my laptop, I lead her away.  I feel very overwhelmed and almost panicky, but decide the first thing to do would be to find adequate care for the child.  After that, I say to myself, I'll take one thing at a time.

We go out  into the nightmare world of giant cubes and dark yellow-green sky, and I lead her into a tunnel that takes me to my bed, where I wake up.  My clock tells me it's 5:30 am and time to get up... 

A GLIPSE OF THE FUTURE

Last night's dream took me into the far future:

Somehow, by science and technology, about a quarter of the popuation was propelled into a future time, and I am among those so transported.  I have a strong feeling that this may not be a very good thing, but do not remember why - there is a bit of disorientation among us all.  That does not last long and we all scatter.

I walk along wide, highly, silver-gray polished and empty halls.  Every once in a while I see large circles on the otherwise featureless walls in bright electric blue, green, yellow, and red.  These are accomponied by smaller circles leading into inner halls.  There are no written signs anywhere other than these glowing circles. I begin to understand that these lights identify certain establishments and business, but still have no idea what they mean beyond that.Eventually, I come to an outer wall that has windows, and for the first time I look out on this new world.  The streets do show the human population, all going leisurely about, all well dressed.  For some reason I feel hugely relieved to see trees and  flowers and lawns about, and now run to find the exit.

Eventually, I do and see that another couple of people from my group are also there - but we cannot budge the door.  Someone suddenly taps me on the shoulder and points up.  We all look there and gasp.Hanging above us is not the Moon, but a huge planet, swollen to blotting out half out the sky, which I recognize as Jupiter, because of the giant red spot.  "We're not in Kansas any more," someone murmurs.  Realizing that we will not be getting out soon, we begin to wander around again.  Somehow I figure out that one of the coloured circles (red) indicates a bank, and we try to access our accounts through it.  I know that I have a lot of money in there, we all do, but we cannot find a way get it out.  In fact, it has now occurred to me that money may not even be used any more.

Across the way, I see a wall move back (one with a blue circle) to reveal a brightly lit restaurant-bar.  We all head there, and someone asks what we're to do now.  The wait-staff cannot help with that, but says we are welcome to sit down and enjoy a meal.  No one says that we cannot pay, we all worry about it, but at the same time, none of us turns down the invitation.  I wander off a bit and somehow suddenly figure out how to get the cash!  Something feels wrong about this and shortly after I do this, a woman wearing a red and white outfit approaches me.  She knows exactly who I am, and what I have done.  I adopt a jaunty and confident stance, and respond to her queries that I took only what was mine.

This works for a short while, but I know that I am in trouble for some reason.  This gets me angry - no one met us in this new world, no one has told us what the rules and laws are, and this show of initiative is obviously wrong.  No one here raises a voice or becomes hostile, but the feeling that I and others with me will be punished is overwhelming.  I break free and run towards the exit again, hoping that it will be open.  Outside, I see another man from my group, and with a huge wave of hope, know that if one of us got outside, another one can - yes!!  It's open and I run straight for him!

He's easy to identify, because he's the only one that is wrapped in a blanket, which he opens up to envelope me in.  Puzzled, we look back and see that no one is pursuing us, and the feeling of peril has left me.  Hand in hand now, wrapped up in one blanket, beneath the baleful eye of Jupitor above us, we slowly walk off to make our way in this new world.