Check

It felt familiar somehow. Yet I can never recall being in a battlefield like this. It looked like some kind of abandoned industrial area. Half demolished storage trailers were strewn about like broken toys. Even in the afternoon sun, I couldn't decipher any of the graffiti sprayed along the buildings and trailers. I just kept crunching the gravel under my boots as I walked along.
There was a dry, chalky scent in the air. I couldn't place it. And the stillness was more than a little eerie. I soon came upon a charred and battered parking garage with a concrete spiral staircase. It was either up or down from there. Something compelled me to go down.
The further I went, the harder it became to see. My footsteps echoed sharply against the walls. So much so that I almost missed the sounds of steps from further up ahead. Eager to see who else might be here, I dashed down as fast as I could.
I stopped upon seeing a ghostly silhouette. I could've sworn I caught a glimpse of white armor, a helmet that was almost crown shaped, and the snakelike pattern of a barbed chain before it vanished in the darkness.
I didn't know where the gun came from, but it was grasped tightly in my hand. A small, snub nosed handgun. As I walked down the last couple of steps I was met with a few sharp cracks accompanied by sparks flashing in the darkness, momentarily revealing who was shooting at me. Nobody I knew. But considering the bits of pulverized concrete flying off the wall a few inches from my face, I guess they meant trouble.
My arm came up. Three shots were met with three flashes as my rounds impacted on my assailants bodies. Whatever this dream was, it wasn't realistic. That, and I had a feeling they were going to "respawn" any second, so I raced into the shadows to get away.
I stopped cold when the place lit up. I had to shield my eyes for a moment, but when they adjusted to the light, I found myself in a hallway of what looked to be a hotel. The dark mahogany paneling on the walls matched the thick carpet, though the art deco lamps placed evenly along the length of the hall felt a little out of place. But not as much as myself.
I walked a few steps down, just looking around at nothing. A crackle of a doorknob caught my ear, and a black mass slid out of the door up ahead to my left. It was followed by another figure in white armor, this one looking more like a samurai or knight. It shouted something to whatever was cloaked in black, which took off down the hall as the "knight" ran up to me.
It swung a punch which I was able to deflect before giving a swift kick, knocking it away. It then drew what I immediately recognized as a needle gun and opened fire. I crouched low and shielded myself with my left arm, but it ran after it's companion after that first barrage. I got up to chase, but the needles sticking out from the wall caught my attention.
They were slender white blades with stylized pommels. I grasped the first three at the top and pulled them out of the wall. Chess pieces. A queen, a king, and a knight. They were white as well, which was in keeping with the theme I was seeing so far. I reached back and tucked them into my belt before taking up my gun and giving chase.
I caught up to them at the lobby. It was sumptuously decorated, and as ostentatious as to be tacky. But the overstuffed chairs and ornate coffee tables made for decent cover as the knight opened up with the needle gun once again. I ducked low, and aimed for his boots under a chair. A few shots had him rolling to the side, and he fired once more from a different angle. I took another shot that barely nicked his shoulder plate before my weapon clicked empty. Just as his did.
I drew one of the blades from my belt and lunged. My best chance to finish this was to thrust it between his plates, but he wouldn't give me a chance, parrying with his gauntlets. When I had an opening, I gave him a sidekick that sent him falling back over a chair. That was when I pounced, thrusting the needle up against his throat. And held it there.
The black figure he was protecting came up. It was a woman in a black dress and cloak, complete with a hood and veil that covered everything except her dark eyes. As I stood there, posed to kill her guardian, she just stared at me. She didn't say a word, nor did she make any other move other than to blink when needed.
When I opened my eyes, I felt a sore stiffness in my neck. I knew it wouldn't last too long, but I would probably be feeling it for most of the day. And I was still wondering what was up with that particular dream. The first portion almost felt like a level in a shooter, probably Half-life 2. The second half in the hotel could've been something I've seen in Thief II, or a fan mission. As to the knight and his masked companion, I've no idea what they were about. I just know that, the next time I'm playing chess, I'll be thinking about dark eyes and white knights.

Reserve The Right To Refuse Service

I am completely at a loss as to what may have prompted this dream. Although now that I think about it, it might have to do with a certain up coming holiday. And I don't mean Halloween. I guess you'll see when I get to it, but this dream felt more than a little jumbled.
I was walking around with family at night, which is strange in and of itself. Not so strange, my sister found a shop full of knick-knacks and felt compelled to browse. I figured I should follow along to keep her out of trouble.
It was surprisingly busy for how dark it seemed outside. There were a number of people browsing around and shopping. The shelves were stocked with small items, figurines and such, and nothing of any real value. Still, I picked up one or two things for a glance but for the life of me can't remember what they were. I also can't remember any of the faces of the people around. Now that I think about it, they all seemed a little blurred. Except for one face that even now stands out clearly in my mind.
Her hair was a blond that was brilliant without being ostentatious. Her piercing blue eyes stared at me from across the room as she stood by a cash register. I wasn't a thief or anything in this dream, which made her scrutiny all the more puzzling. Her eyes followed me around the room. And as I approached her, she settled into a defensive stance. A sound like a crackle of wooden blocks falling made me turn my head away from her for a second. That was when she struck. I felt it coming more than I saw it and swatted her arm aside. She moved forward throwing her other fist out, and I blocked again, pressing her arm as I stepped forward and behind her. I turned back around, and she was already on the offensive again. The anger in her eyes almost had a physical pressure, pressing along with her attacks.
I jumped back a few steps, lowered my stance, and brought my right hand up in a pose my brother would easily recognize as my mongoose style. She let loose with a flurry of strikes, and I batted them aside waiting for the right moment when she was caught up in her speed. My arm wrapped around hers and I guided her body with mine, turning her around back towards the register. I unwound my arm from hers and gave her a firm push, sending her stumbling back to where she started. I was chuckling. This was actually rather fun. She was still fuming. she pointed firmly towards the door and I gave a curt nod, leaving the shop. There was a man standing by the exit, someone about as tall as myself, although his face was blurred like everyone else's. I got the feeling he was highly amused at the fight, and something gave me the impression he was the girl's father. No idea where that thought came from. I just stepped out the door.
It was still dark outside. In the faint moonlight, I could see that the surrounding buildings were of the pueblo style, and it looked like a kind of market place. There was even a sizeable dining area with tables and benches. Yet the whole place was empty, not a soul around save for the shop behind me. I kept walking.
Just beyond the tables was a row of two long buildings, drastically different in architectural style. They looked like the wing of a school complex, rather like Bishop Amat High School. Except not. There was a grassy strip in between the buildings, and I followed this down towards a street. The sky started to lighten up, but became overcast as clouds and fog rolled in.
The grass lead to a broad swatch along the street corner, and as I approached a pair of school children came out from the fog, running and playing around. Their faces were blurred just like the people in the shop. Although this felt a little creepy. I slowly backed away and entered one of the buildings through a conveniently placed door.
Inside looked almost exactly like a school. There was a trophy case just inside the entrance surrounded by a dark wood paneling. I walked up to find a long narrow hallway lined on both sides by lockers and entrances to classrooms. The lights overhead weren't on, but there was just enough illumination to see the doors at the end of the hall. It took only a minute to walk down there, and I emerged from those doors practically back where I had started.
The market place was decked out with skulls and black streamers. It was populated by a crowd in costume. Skull masks. Calaveras. It was the day of the dead. There was a long table not to far away by a dead tree covered in streamers. A number of people were seated there, and I got the sense that they were family. Makes sense. They were speaking spanish and I couldn't understand a word. Their faces were blurred as well.
I walked over, took a seat at the head of the table, and then I was woken up by the sounds of the morning.

Hm.

This was a strange one. I was in my backyard of my old house. While it was not unusual for me to have a machete while doing yard work, it was odd that I was using one to carve out a bokken from a branch. Once finished, I set aside the metal blade for the wooden one and made a few cuts with it.
My eyes caught sight of a strange aircraft overhead. It was shaped like an arrowhead with twin turbofan engines in the middle of the hull directed downward and the rest of the body being merely a frame and an open cockpit in the middle. It landed between the garage and the patio, it's pilot jumping out of his weird aircraft to enter the house through the backdoor. So of course I followed.
My bokken disappeared as I entered, and I strangely found myself in the kitchen I have at the place I'm staying at now. Along with the big orange form of Benjamin J. Grimm. The Ever Lovin' Blue-eyed Thing himself. Which is strange since I'm not a Fantastic Four fan.
After listening to him gripe for a minute, I continued on through the kitchen to emerge in a darkened room to see another member of the Fantastic Four, the Invisible Woman, doing battle with an armored foe. Not doctor doom, this was some kind of rust orange knight. Her force fields were illuminated with each blow, revealing themselves to be in an ornate shield shape. She seemed to be doing well until her foe teleported behind her. Reaching out a bronzed gauntlet, he touched the back of her neck and she fainted dead away.
Perhaps the most bizarre part of this dream, the armored warrior took off his helmet, revealing a tuft of black hair behind the collar. A head popped up, and a diminutive man jumped out, followed by another. Apparently he stood on this friend's shoulders in order to fill out the armor. They ran off in search of a treasure that would apparently restore their voices, although I'm at a loss to explain how I knew this.
The "camera" then floated through a barred window and outside to a darkened field. It was night, and I soon found myself in the middle of a strange zoo, with different animals both inside and out of the cages. There was a dog looking up at me with a strange smile, as well as a monkey hanging off a branch some distance to my right. Not knowing what else to do, I started slowly backing away and took a path to my left to get out of there.
As I walked down the path, a ghostly figure emerged from the darkness. As it drew closer, it was revealed to be a young woman in jeans and an unusual white sweater. I thought it was sleeveless at first, but rather the sleeves had a zipper going lengthwise which she had undone, revealing particularly skinny arms. I thought of Abigail Whistler in the latest Blade movie. Different outfit, but the same kind of sleeves.
Her hair was a dark brown that appeared almost black in this darkness. There was something behind her brown eyes. Picture a spotlight with a cloak thrown over it. Even though the cloak blots out most of the light, you can tell it would be blinding to look directly at it without it. That's what it felt like to look in her eyes.
I was wondering what a girl like her was doing in a place like this, and in reply to my thoughts, she said she was looking for a gyrfalcon. Unusual, since I didn't notice a falconer's glove on her arm, but I didn't question it. I walked on, and she stepped up next to me, following along. I don't recall asking her anything, but in due course I found out that she was taking classes at the local college. Something she wasn't too enthusiastic about as it was her mother's idea.
As we were walking on, I had the strongest urge to hold her hand, but as we've just met that would've been much too forward. But again, as if in reply to my thoughts, she threaded her arm around mine. The sky started to lighten in a morning twilight. Before long, it was a light blue, the day bringing out the orange in the leaves overhead and on the ground. The path lead through a small patch of trees and in between two gray apartment buildings.
It lead up a hill and as we climbed, I commented that she reminded me of someone. She did feel eerily familiar, even her smile, but she didn't reply. Instead, she said she was due at an engagement party. Again, her mother's idea, as was the marriage. I got the feeling she'd rather not go through with it. I said as much, and she said that she must "play her role". An odd thing to say, but I guess dreams are never normal.
There was a strong tension between us. I don't want to say sexual tension, although I'll admit, she was certainly more attractive than most of my dream girls. It felt like there was a lot left unsaid between us. Things that both of us knew without saying, should address, but are hesitant to do so. It felt like that almost from the beginning, and even moreso now with her arm in mine.
I blinked, and I suddenly found myself seated next to her on a couch in what appeared to be a hotel room. We weren't alone, there seemed to be a kind of party going on. People were talking, there were drinks in hand, and she looked rather alone. Someone had said she needed a snack, so I rose from my seat to get her something. There was an oven in the wall, and as I opened it, I took out a few bottles, closed it up, and turned it on before the absurdity dawned on me.
She seemed to have gotten impatient with the party. She grabbed my arm and pulled. The next thing I knew, we were standing in the middle of the street at the top of a hill. She walked on, and I followed, watching the sky darken overhead. I recognized this street. As we kept going, I knew we were going to find the mall, and she lead me down into the parking garage. The orange lights were on, but instead of parking spaces, I found a police station populated with all kinds of unusual people and men in uniform leading them to and fro.
As we walked on, she seemed to wither before me. She felt more frail, her hair whitened, and yet her face still kept some youthfulness, particularly in her eyes. At last, she stopped before a desk, took a seat, and said she had one last thing for me. She took a pen in hand and started writing on a plain sheet of paper left there.
A slight burning sensation in my chest had me gasping for breath. I had to stifle the urge to upchuck as I opened my eyes and sat up in bed. Waking up via acid reflux is not a pleasant sensation.
The first part of the dream I have no explanation for. Although yesterday, I did run into an old acquaintance of mine. She was heading towards the rail station, and I took the opportunity to catch up with her on the way. That's most likely where my subconscious got the idea of me escorting a lady. Except her eyes were green, not brown, and we aren't that close. I have her sister's number, something she reminded me of yesterday, but I rarely use it.
And we never did find that falcon.

Deja Vu All Over Again

It's been awhile since I've had one of my soldier dreams. I should have known that playing Halo 3:ODST would bring them back up again. This game actually reminds me of an earlier dream I had, except instead of minotaurs, ODST has ape like creatures called brutes. And I'll take a drop pod over a free fall any day.
It felt like one of my usual walkabouts, Glendale at night. Right in the alleyway behind my usual coffee shop, specifically. It leads off into some shops and restaurants, though quite a few of them have closed down thanks to the economy. My boots ground little bits of gravel into the concrete as I walked down the middle of the alley. The moon overhead gave plenty of light, but none of the electrics seem to be functioning as shadows enveloped the nooks and crannies in either side. Perfect for an ambush, but I'm keeping my eyes and my ears open.
I heard an animal like snarl up ahead and dove into one of those shadows, pressing myself against the wall. Stealing another glance into my hiding spot, I inched my way deeper and crouched between the wall and a ramp leading to a delivery entrance for a shop. I've no idea where the sub-machine gun came from, but I was staring along the suppressor waiting for a target. Slow, steady breaths. Twenty seconds later and I was starting to wonder if I had imagined it (can one imagine in a dream? I think so, oddly enough O_o). The sight of a furry paw holding a plasma rifle belied that thought, and I held my breath waiting to see if it would react.
As the creature walked on by, I listened and waited to see if it was alone before slowly creeping my way towards the corner. A quick glance around didn't reveal any followers. I emerged from my hiding spot and followed the creature. My gun went up as it stood straighter, slinging it's weapons across it's back. It continued down the alley, and I crept up behind it as quietly as I could. Then I gave it a solid buttstroke to the back of it's neck. For such a large, strong creature, it has surprisingly weak vertebrae.
Unlike in the game, it went down with an audible thump that blew up a sizeable cloud of dust, causing a loose piece of cardboard to tumble into the air. I swung my weapon around, but there didn't seem to be any other enemies in the area. Yet I kept alert as I walked back down the alley.
It opened into a small courtyard with a few short sets of stairs leading down towards the street and up towards the parking garage. And sitting on a bench right in the middle of it all was a statue of Benjamin Franklin. A curious place to find him, not as unusual as the brass pigeon feet atop the bench to his left. I've always wondered what happened to those birds. Was it an accident, or was some vandal feeling crazy one night? Probably the latter.
A sharp yelp caught my attention from the left. A troop of grunts, small simian like creatures wearing methane tanks that had a shape reminiscent of snails, and come around the corner, their leader spotting me. I drew the pistol from my left hip and aimed directly for the head. Three shots later had three of them on the ground. The fourth opened up with his needler weapon on full blast. I dove behind a planter, the needles locking onto Ben. He blew up in a crystalline crash and a puff of pink smoke as the needles exploded. He was avenged with another headshot a second later.
I checked the bodies to make sure, and scavenged a few plasma grenades while I was at it. They would help if I ran into some more heavily armored brutes. Walking on past an abandoned cafe, I made it to the main street. I had expected burning hulks of cars and charred debris with bodies strewn all over the place. That just made the emptiness all the more ominous. Not even an abandoned car in sight. Just dark buildings bathed in moonlight.
The crosswalk was usually lit, kind of a novelty but such things are expected in this town. And beyond that was the sculpture fountain in front of an office building that housed a few restaurants. The Olive Garden held some particularly fond memories for me. Other memories, not so fondly remembered, came to mind as well. As long ago as that kiss was, I could've lived without it. I pressed my hand against the window looking at that booth, remembering a face I would've preferred to have seen sitting across from me. And then I noticed the green glow and the loud whine if a charging plasma weapon.
Falling to my knees, I rolled to the side just as the window and a part of the floor had vaporized, leaving behind a molten slag around the edges. I barely had enough time to scramble to my feet and jump away as a huge blade came down on me. The monstrosity before me looked almost like an armored knight with a razored shield. Except instead of a sword or lance, it carried a plasma cannon mounted on it's arm. And the armor housed a colony of eel like worms, joined together with only one purpose. Destruction.
For a moment, I hesitated. The magnum had enough punch to take it down, but I'll need a few clear shots. Something the Hunter wasn't about to give me. If I strayed too far, I'd be an easy shot for that plasma cannon. But if I got too close, it'd cut me in half with that shield. That limits my options. So I took my pistol in my right hand and primed a plasma grenade in my left. It's blue glow lit up the night around us, and the Hunter hunkered down preparing to charge. Let's dance.
I sidestepped as it ran forward, swinging it's shield in an uppercut. I threw the grenade, watching it adhere to the exposed orange flesh of the eels. The Hunter swung it's other arm around to smack me with the cannon, and I jumped back letting loose a few shots from the magnum. My bullets pinged against it's armor, but the grenade blew with a gout of blue flame. The Hunter lurched with the explosion, but didn't fall.
It charged me once again, this time knocking me back a few yards. I could feel my ribs bruise with the impact but I didn't have any time to dwell on them as it opened fire with it's cannon. I fell back into the fountain as the green plasma bolts flew overhead. I wish I had planned that, but it worked for the moment. Vaulting back over to the floor, I ran right up to it, dodging it's next blow, and primed another plasma grenade. I fired a shot at it's exposed "neck" and it whirled, nearly decapitating me with the shield. I shoved my fist right through the body of worm-like creatures and released the grenade. As it flailed around, it knocked me back through the window of the restaurant, leaving a crack in my visor through which I saw it collapse with another burst of flame. This time, it didn't move again.
Walking back through the window, I nudged the charred armor with the nose of my SMG. It was dead alright. I was down a few rounds on the magnum, and I was out of grenades. It would be a lot harder to take down another one. And seeing another green glow off in the distance I remembered. Hunters always travel in pairs.
I let out a long burst from my SMG, hoping to deter it from firing. No luck. The plasma bolt washed over my arm, throwing me around with the impact. My gun was slagged along with my hand and a part of my arm. Oddly, it didn't hurt. But I didn't have time to dwell on it as another green glow caught my eyes. I picked myself up and shielded myself with it's defeated partner.
I could hear it edge closer, the pounding of it's feet punctuated by the shuffling of it's armor plates. I took up the magnum in my let hand. Without any grenades, this is going to call for some fancy footwork. Stepping up from my hiding spot, I ran, closing the distance with the Hunter. I fired a shot to it's faceplate and it slammed it's shield down to swat at me. I dodged clumsily, but managed to get behind it, shooting at it's exposed flesh. I got a few shots in before my pistol clicked, empty. Then I ran behind a pillar for cover.
A plasma bolt struck my hiding spot, raining debris upon my head. I was trying to figure out how to reload one handed when the sharp crack of a rifle broke the air. The sound was repeated, and I heard the crash of metal as the Hunter hit the ground hard. A glance around confirmed that it was indeed down, and I looked around to see where the help had come from.
Movement from a far rooftop had caught my eye, and a dark figure with a sniper rifle was waving. I couldn't tell if it was anyone I knew from this distance. But I knew how to get up there. I ran back across the street, and up the stairs of the parking garage. It was a simple jump from the third level, but I haven't tried it with one arm. Thankfully, I was still able to grab onto the railing and pull myself up. Grasping the lower rung of the fire escape was more challenging.
I had to swing my legs up against the wall awkwardly to make it, but I was able to make my way up to the edge of the roof. A firm hand grabbed the straps on my suit and tugged, helping me the rest of the way. I collapsed onto the rooftop, gazing at a pair of combat boots when the identifier tag for my helper lit up on my HUD. Yet before I could read it, or look at his face, I blinked my eyes with the faint sunlight coming in through my bedroom curtains.
Not that I mind getting down and dirty with the fighting, but I'm usually the one with the sniper rifle. What's up with that?

Eb and Flow

I've been here before. This whole place seemed familiar, but I've only been to a beach resort once in Hawaii. It was fun to stay for a week, but not the kind of place I'd frequent if given the means. Yet here I was once again. There was this rocky overhang on the path that wound around an artificial cove. In Hawaii, it was just a bubble of volcanic rock with a small tunnel carved out of it, as well as a portion of the side sliced off to provide a view of the resort through a waterfall. In my dream, however, it opened up into a cave.
I walked in, noticing that it was brightly lit in spite of a lack of light sources. The cave also seemed to be made of a non-igneous type, like limestone. Unusual for this part of the island. There were several paths leading deeper into the earth, and one leading off to the side that might have reached the surface. Hearing a commotion, I went down that way.
As I walked down the tunnel, I started to notice some spider webs along the sides and ceiling. It got thicker the deeper I went. Finally, it halted at a small room that opened up along the bottom, leading into the water. I could see the sun glistening from under the walls. Strangely enough, my brother was there, playing among the webs. I looked up and noticed a few black spiders with a bright red hourglass on the thorax. With that, I grabbed him by the arm and forcefully shoved him out, slapping one of the arachnids off his shoulder.
Then a solid weight settled onto my shoulders. A large piece of webbing landed right on top of me, along with a small army of the spiders. I swung my arms to shake them off, but more kept coming, threads shooting out from the walls for them to climb on towards me. I reached to my side and a sword appeared out of nowhere. I grabbed it, cutting at the threads, but they just kept coming.
When I was completely enveloped, there was darkness. Only to be replaced by the rays of the sun upon opening my eyes. I was on the beach, and was dimly aware of it being a dream. I could see my brother and my family off to the side, playing in the surf. The beach seemed to be parallel to another, as if it were part of a strait, or it could've been another island for all I knew.
There was a city on the other side past the beach. I could see a few skyscrapers gleaming in the sun, and there were a few boats floating between there and were I was. And somehow, I became aware of a presence on the other side of that strait. I didn't know who, what, or why, but it felt like someone I loved was in danger, just as my brother was earlier. Except he was safe with the rest of my family.
Even so, this feeling was so strong, I dove into the water and started swimming. Only to be pushed back to shore by a strong current. I kept swimming, pressing on as hard as I could when the waves started rising, their frequency increasing. The further I got, the stronger and more violent they became in an attempt to toss me back. I struggled onward, but could hardly make any progress. The water swelled over my head and crashed down, forcing me under. I tried to swim under, but when I came up for air, the waves swept me right back again.
I didn't give up. Just when it seemed I had made some progress towards the open water, another wave sent me under, and the current kept me there, tossing me around as if I were in a rock tumbler. I was almost out of strength, almost out of air. And as I struggled towards the surface, my lungs gave out on me. It was then that I had awakened, after only a couple of hours of sleep.

The following night, I was kept up by my little brother who needed to have a chat. I figured my dreams might involve another trip down memory lane through high school, but instead I was back at the beach. Or rather a different beach. This one had a wide blue stretch of ocean in front and a wide continent behind it. It wasn't any place I've been to before, but from the air and the sun, it was definitely California. What's more, there were a bunch of people around, lounging about on the beach, or in the waves. There were even a flock of surfers there was well.
It seemed like a nice enough day for a swim, so I dove right in. And just like the previous night, I started to get buffeted. The water rose higher, and hit hard. This time, however, I was able to keep my head up. I was never much of a swimmer, but unlike last night, I was doing some pretty decent body surfing. It felt pretty calm, particularly since I didn't feel that same sense of urgency as last time. It almost felt like I had tamed the waves when my thoughts started dwelling on the previous dream. After coasting back into the shore, I walked up the beach and picked a good spot to look things over. Whoever I was after last night, they weren't here. I guess that'll be a mystery for another night. I woke up, checked the time on my phone, and rolled right over. I was only asleep for about an hour and a half. -_-

A Raid on the Past

I was up most of the night talking to a new acquaintance. I probably could've kept talking with her until dawn. That was certainly the case with her. Just once again proving my maxim that the best girls are either taken or hundreds of miles away. There was one hiccup in our conversation after I had mentioned my father. I didn't elaborate, and thankfully she didn't press the issue. I wish I could say the same of my subconscious.
Not long after I hit the pillow, around 3:47am, I was seeing a cloudy gray sky through the window of a car. My mother and aunts were in the other seats, and we came upon the cul-de-sac that we used to live in. And there was my old house, looking much the worse for wear.
At one word from my mother we ran out of the car. My aunts and mother ran into the house, remarking at it's decrepit state. I had another target. I found the side door to the garage and picked the lock. The interior was dark and dusty. The faint lights overhead did little to help me see my way, but I saw a box on the broad platform we had at the back of the garage.
I flipped the top open and I saw my old electronic keyboard. This was something to hang on to. I pulled the box down and kept looking around. My aunt came up behind me to retrieve the keyboard and she told me to look for my trumpet. Looking around, I couldn't find the case, although did see a euphonium hanging on the wall.
The room brightened up suddenly, and out of nowhere came a bunch of little kids running around and playing. They were even outside and somehow I knew they were my father's. I ignored them, getting back to the search. I needed to grab anything of value while I still could. This wasn't my home anymore, and until I find one I'll need to hang on to whatever I can.
I opened a trunk and found a bunch of odds and ends. Mainly ancient, rusted thick iron tools. Laying on top of these was a pack of machetes, folded up in wax paper. I picked up a blade and one side was engraved with the mexican eagle, a snake in it's talon. As much as I love blades, I didn't care much for these. They were the first I handled, and a preferred tool for yard work. But these particular blades felt like the tools of a slave. I would be happy to leave the behind.
I closed the trunk and rose to my feet. I hadn't noticed before, but the garage door was open with what looked like a setting for a birthday party beyond. I looked over the cake and party favors. It was probably for the kids that were running around outside.
I walked back out of the garage into the backyard. This place hadn't changed much, the grass was still green and vibrant, the thorn bush at the door was still growing out of control. And the patio seemed as smudged and dirty as it did when I left. A little boy ran into me from the side. I looked down at him and our eyes met. He kind of reminded me of myself when I was younger. He ran off towards an adult that might have been my father and I awoke to the sounds of the TV from the living room.
I've left homes before. That one held more memories than most, some of which I've lost. I try my best to hang onto the ones that matter. I had to check soon after I got up, but I still have my trumpet. The keyboard is in storage.

The Princess Is In Another Castle

There wasn't really a princess in my dream, but I'm old enough to remember the 8-bit generation. And some parts of this dream really do remind me of those classic Mario games. Anyways, I was up until 5 am last night with a bad case of acid reflux. I should probably see the doctor about that, I might have had a decent night's sleep otherwise, but it took awhile for me to nod off.
The first thing I remember seeing is the road. I was on a motorcycle, a black cafe racer, winding in and out of traffic. The asphalt similarly winded through hills covered in dry grass, giving them a gilded look that was accentuated by the sun setting near the road's end on the horizon. Despite the speed at which I was careening around trucks and cars, I was feeling very calm, very peaceful. As if I was in my element and nothing can touch me.
Soon, I had left the traffic behind me, and the road stretched on relatively straight towards the setting sun, glowing a fiery orange in the distance. It was almost gone, barely a sliver peeping above the horizon, yet it's light still illuminated the area brightly without it being blinding to look at. Then I heard her voice.
I don't know who it belonged to, or where it came from. I didn't have a radio on me, there wasn't a passenger, or anyone else on the road at that time. But a female voice spoke as if narrating my dream. It came from everywhere and nowhere. I can't remember exactly what she said, but it was something like. "I've waited too long. I've saved myself for a reason I can't remember. It's not worth it any more. Next time, I'll give him everything."
Those words shattered the peace I had felt up to that point. I felt a jolt of sheer panic, nearly losing control of the bike before steadying myself. I could feel my heart crack with those words, but I steeled myself. Whatever happens next, I must be ready for it.
I wasn't ready for what happened next. I rode on until night fell, and the road ended in front of a stereotypical stone castle, with towers framing the front gate. It looked like a casting call for the next harry potter movie. A bunch of high schoolers in capes and uniforms swarmed in and out of the gates. And as I entered, many were walking down the halls toward what looked like classrooms.
I hadn't noticed at the time, but I know where this part of the dream comes from. On a lark, I had went to see a midnight showing of the latest harry potter flick with my sister. The entry room of the castle looked just like the entrance to the movie theater. Which explains all the cosplayers. Except where the concession stand was, there were a quartet of large wooden doors with velvet ropes stretched across them.
I took the hall to my right and peeked into a few classes. The first one, much to my surprise, had my old religion teacher, guiding the class in the basics of fortune telling. I think I know where that came from as well.
I was notorious in my religion class for not paying attention. It was when I was going through my angsty agnostic phase, and I cared little for the class. Still, it wasn't for lack of trying. She wanted the class to read a passage from the old testament together, but I got bored and skipped ahead, after which I stared out the window or doodled or something. Of course, that caught her attention, and she told me to open my bible and read along with the rest of the class. In the discussion afterward, she had mixed up the interpretations of the dreams and I had corrected her. She still gave me an F for that day.
I walked further along the corridor, which was lined along the ceiling and walls with a dark wood, and at the end, hit a trap door. I don't remember falling, it was more like I was teleported into a pitch black cellar. I felt a moistness in the air, it definitely felt like I was underground.
I crept along, using my hand against the wall to guide me to a passageway lined on both sides by pistons, which were illuminated in the darkness by intermittent flashes of spark and flame from beyond them. Their steel joints would jut out into the corridor with each pulse, creating a gauntlet before me.
I crouched low and broke out into a sprint, using small quick steps to avoid being hit. I had reached the end when a gout of flame burst from my left side, and I leaped over to the right to avoid it, landing on a type of flat cart. Reaching up along it, my hands grasped a set of handlebars like on my bike earlier when a motor rumbled to life beneath me. I barely had time to register this in my mind when it surged forward, and I found myself going headlong into another dark tunnel along with it.
I tried to steady it with the handlebars, bit it was still a wild ride. The tunnel opened up into a small dimly lit room, and I turned as hard as I could to avoid the wall up ahead. I could feel the underside of the cart scrape it as I pulled it around in a tight turn.
I had to stand, if only to regain my bearings. The air was a lot cooler here, and moist. I saw a faint glow coming from another running perpendicular to the one I had just left. And from there came a low grumbling sound, as if from an immense animal. At first, I thought it was an echo, but then I realized the sounds were coming from multiple mouths. In my mind, I envisioned the guardian of the underworld, Cerberus. My next challenge, perhaps?
I climbed onto the cart once more and grasped the handle bars firmly. I've always wanted to see if I was a match for a legend. Defeating such a beast sounded like fun. I opened up the throttle and the cart streamed into the tunnel. The glow started to get brighter. As I sped along, the right wall of the tunnel opened up to reveal a river of a bright amber liquid, swiftly flowing in an underground cavern.
I suddenly lost control of my vehicle and it gave a great lurch, flying out to the river taking me along with it. It skipped along the surface like a stone flung by a child. After the third skip, I jumped off onto the bank of the river before the cart started to sink. Despite the swiftness of the liquid, my ride sunk slowly, as if in molasses. Glad I wasn't going down along with it.
I followed the river upstream, and it led to some stone steps, above which were a set of four wooden doors. One opened up, and a fat bald guy in a starry wizard's costume came out. Looking beyond him showed the doors to be the same ones I've seen earlier. I came full circle.
He waddled past me, down towards the river and out of sight. I walked up, and to my left was another large wooden door with a thick red carpet leading up to it. My feet sank an inch into it as I walked up to the door. It had a large brass ring that was weathered with age. It still felt pretty solid as I hefted it and gave the door a tug. As it slowly opened, so did my eyes, and I found myself in bed with a very stiff neck.
I wonder what Tex would think of this.