Amish Paradise

Dream 11/18/2015

My family has moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

We live in a trailer park. Everyone in the park is friendly and community oriented. My mom joins a group of friends. They want to take her to their clubhouse. I have a bad feeling. As they walk through a field to their club, I run up to my mom and tell her that they are an evil cult. My mom and I run away. Afraid that the cult is chasing us, we hide under a neighbors porch.

Someone is coming. We hear them approaching. A girl lowers her head to see us under the porch. It isn't a cult member, it's a friend of mine that I knew once upon a time in Texas. She brings us to her trailer and lets us clean up. She gives us fresh clothes to wear.

We get in her car and drive. We drive near an amusement park located on a cliff. It was once a great place but has recently started deteriorating. We return to the trailer park.

I go hang out with my Amish friend. His father tells me to grab the net in the shed and catch some fish for dinner. A pond is directly in front of their home. I take the net to the pond and drop it in the water. A grizzly bear sneaks up on me. I run to the Amish home. All of us stand on the porch watching the bear. A baby bear walks up to the porch. We play with it. The Amish father says that he'll catch the fish.

Neighbors from all over the park come to the pond to watch the Amish man fish while avoiding ferocious grizzlies. A man standing next to me says, "hey Keith, haven't seen you in a long time." It startles me because not many people know me. I turn to see who it is. It's a man that I knew back in Anderson, Indiana when I was young. Back then was was socially awkward and nerdy. He's changed a lot. He has gauges in his ears and wears a hoodie.

The Amish man catches the fish. Tables are set up outside the house. The Amish family cooks delicious food. The neighbors find a place to sit and we eat together. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Lucky Strikes

Dream 11/14/2015

I'm eight years old and playing in a baseball league.

It's my turn up at-bat. I completely and utterly strikeout. I see the disappointment on my teammates faces as I return to the dugout. We lose the game.

The coach thinks that we need more practice with our batting game, so he takes us to the batting cages. My teammates are upset with me. They give me glares and talk behind my back. I walk into the batting cage. I miss the first two pitches but hit the next eight. I walk out. My coach proudly says that I bat 80%. I walk over to the bleachers, where my team was sitting and yell, "losers!" I look and see that my team is gone and the bleachers are full of police officers. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Magic Swirling Ship

Dream 11/13/2015

I'm in the upstairs of my old church in Anderson, Indiana.

Me and three other guys are having a Bible study. The man leading the study tells us to turn our Bibles to the book of "Amarish." I've never heard of that book before. I look through my Bible but can't find it. I ask the leader if the book is in the new or old testament. He helps me find it.

My friend Joel, points to the dark ceiling and says, "I want one of those, but they're pretty expensive." I look but see nothing. Although I see nothing I know what he is talking about. It's a magic pirate ship, floating in the sky. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Leatherface

Dream 11/13/2015

I get into a fight with my dad and punch him.

Before he can retaliate, I speed out the door and run away. My friend, Derek, and I go to an arcade. Derek's family is there. My cousin is there as well. He spends his time at the arcade trying to crack a code on a computer.

In a nearby auditorium, Gunnar Hansen is giving a speech. I walk in and listen for a bit. Gunnar becomes angry that nobody cares that he once played the legendary horror icon, Leatherface, in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." He puts on his mask, grabs a baby chainsaw and starts chasing us. We board a bus outside and take off. Leatherface chases us. Somewhere down the road, something goes awry and the bus tips over. Leatherface jumps on top of the fallen bus and tries desperately to get in to hurt any of us. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Cul De Sac

Dream 11/13/2015

I live in a beat up camper in a field at the end of a cul de sac.

My aunt and cousin live up the street. I enter my aunts trailer. She tells me that her daughter, my cousin, has moved out of her trailer and I can now move in. I walk down to the now vacant trailer. I move in. One night, I am sitting in my recliner having dialysis. My nurse tells me that their is a shot that the gov't will pay me $1,000.00 to take. I tell her to give it to me.

A woman walks into my trailer. She tells me she is from Bethel church and I need to come to her house tonight. I think she will heal me. As my nurse gives me the shot, I fall asleep. I wake up the next morning, having never gone to that stranger lady's house and I can't help but wonder what would've happened if I did. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Super

Dream 11/11/2015

I am in a trio of superheroes.

One has the ability to change the size of anything or anyone he encounters. I have a jetpack. I don't know what the other's ability is.

The arch villain is chasing us through town. We enter a warehouse. He tries to get in but the other hero causes him to grow so that he can't fit through the door. We run forward through the warehouse. we find an air vent in the floor. The other hero shrinks us and we slip through the vent. The villain has his sidekick chase after us.

We find a toy car in the vent. Being the size of ants, we climb into the toy car and drive through the air ducts. The villain sidekick somehow changes size and starts chasing us through the ducts. A family reunion is happening in one of the tunnels. We avoid it. I can hear the sidekick behind us saying, "Oh, the family reunion. I've anticipated that," like he's got something up his sleeve.

We exit the vent to find the villain inside the warehouse. He stands on the catwalk above looking down at us. We are under his control somehow. I left my jetpack at home so I ask the other hero to make me grow so that I can beat the villains face off. Dream ends.

I wake up.

American Sniper

Dream 11/11/2015

I'm in a town called Macy's. An area where people are scarcely seen.

I sit in the second story of a small building. Why am I here? I don't know. What is the name of the person that is with me? I don't know. Why is there a rotting human carcass on the floor? I don't know.

I pick up a handgun lying on the floor. I go to the window and fire it into the air. I don't know why. I think it was an accident. Something is wrong. People are coming down the street. They are hostile. I look at a pile of empty shells on the floor and rummage through them trying to find one that is unused. I cannot.

I grab the sniper rifle and escape the building with the stranger I am with but he/she is immediately shot and killed. I see someone coming over the hill. I drop to the ground. I see him standing there. I aim my weapon. He comes into my sight. Pull. The. Trigger. BANG!!! The lifeless body drops to the ground. I get up and run.

I see a jeep. I run to it. "Press circle to enter vehicle," comes up onto the screen. I press square. After that doesn't work, I press circle and enter the vehicle. I drive like a maniac down the road toward the part of town where people can be found. I come to a stop near a creek. I step out and grab the rifle. I aim down stream where I see mermaids. I shoot several times trying to kill them but they just won't die. Dream ends

I wake up

Apocalypse Now

Dream 11/9/2015

I overhear someone say that the apocalypse is upon us. A wave of panic washes over me. After the initial fright wears off, I critically think about what to do. I run to a store and buy as many packages of seeds as I can find. After that I decide to buy some rabbits. Dream ends.

I wake up

The Rising Tide

Dream 11/9/2015

We are driving down the highway. I am sitting in the back seat. Coming at us is a hundred foot wave. I can see the top of it through the sunroof. We speed up and ram directly into it. We come out on the other side. Someone in the car says they're glad it was a small wave. Dream ends

I wake up.

In The Arms of Love

Dream 11/3/2015

My family is vacationing in a foreign land. Possibly Europe.

     We walk into a town with snow blanketed streets. A man owns the whole place. He rents apartments out to vacationers. We seem to be the only people staying. My aunts, uncles, and cousins are here as well. Each family gets its own apartment. I walk into mine. It's luxurious. Fit for a king. I walk into the bathroom. It's the size of a gymnasium, with a big open space in the middle and all of the bathtubs, showers, sinks, and toilets line the sides of the room.  Near the entrance of the bathroom sit a few hot tubs where a lot of the family are hanging out.

     My cousin points to a bar on one side of the bathroom. He suggests a drink. I tell him to find the strongest thing they've got. We settle on a bottle called "Cognac Hardline." It sounds like the hard stuff. He pours me a glass, but pours way too much. I tell him to stop. I know I won't finish the glass but that's ok. I take a sip. The drink is so hard that it has no taste. I can't pinpoint the flavor. I take a few more drinks.

     Suddenly, I am a woman and I see myself from a third person view. She is attracted to a man who lives in this town. She sees him in a snowy field dancing by himself. She walks to him. She has had too much Cognac Hardline to walk straight. She collapses into his arms. He doesn't know where she is staying so he carries her through the town. Her half opened eyes catches a glimpse of the architecture as they trod through the streets. It's beautiful. Reminds her of 1930's Krakow, Poland.

     They enter his apartment. His neighbors are having a poker night. Drinking and playing cards. Too loud. He quietly closes their door. He gets to his apartment where he lays her down on the bed. He'll most likely take the couch tonight. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Blind Wedding

Dream 10/27/2015

I'm getting married to a girl I knew in high school.

     I'm trying to make it to my wedding. My sister, two friends and I jump into a boat. We float on down a winter river. My sister says she knows the way.  As we go, we find that the river splits into several different paths. We go down one but find it's not right, so we turn around. We do this several times. One path leads us to the ocean. 

Below our boat is a giant squid. Me and the guys grab what we can and start wailing on it. We kill it.

     My sister starts yelling at me for being lost even though it was her that got us there. She tells me that I am supposed to conduct the choir. WHAT?!? I didn't know this. Who would make the groom conduct the choir? What kind of wedding is this? She tells me to call my fiancé. I feel a little weird calling her because I haven't seen her since high school. That's right, we haven't seen each other and we're getting married. I try calling her but when I dial the number, the only thing showing on my phone is 0V0. Dream ends.

I wake up

Gasoline

Dream 10/15/2015

I'm at a gas station filling up.

     A man is filling up at the pump next to me. Some gas from my nozzle accidentally sprays everywhere and hits the man. In a sarcastic tone the man responds, "hey man, I don't think I got enough on me, how 'bout some more." Although I understand it, his statement makes me furious. I take the gas nozzle out of my tank, aim it at him, and shoot gasoline at the man, full force, uninhibited.

     The man comes unglued. He comes over, grabs me, throws me into the grass and starts wailing on my face. He beats me senseless. I don't even fight back. Dream ends.

I wake up

Haunted Basement

Nightmare 10/9/2015

We are at my cousins house in Sandoval, Illinois. Halloween is in the air.

     All of us are hanging out in the living room watching Television. My high school math teacher and his wife are sitting on the couch. My sister can't find the remote control so she decides to check in the basement which is incredibly haunted, to the point of poltergeist. I go with her. As we walk down the basement stairs I continually commands any demons living here to leave in the name of Jesus Christ. The basement is surprisingly nice. It's finished. There is a nice sectional with a TV and refrigerator. No luck on finding the remote, so we head upstairs. Every stair that I step on cracks in half. I make it to the landing. My sister is behind me. I don't know how she will make it to the top without the whole staircase collapsing. She makes it.

     The front door is open. I see a black mist in the doorway. I command the demons to leave in the name of Jesus Christ. I walk to the door and put my hand in the mist. I bring it back. Only cobwebs. Dream ends.

I wake up

The Legend of Pineapple Express

Dream 10/9/2015

I am in the movie "The Legend of Bagger Vance."

     My grandpa is the character of Rannulph Junah. We are at the golf tournament. On one of the holes, there is a water hazard directly in front of the Tee off point. Will Smith, I mean, Bagger Vance tells my grandpa to use a sand wedge instead of a driver to get the ball over. The rest of the golfers laugh at him. The golfers drive their cars to the Tee. My grandpa is fourth to Tee off. I check on the competition and find that John Goodman is in the tournament. I say hello. I tell him that he is my favorite. I say, "Hey John, do you remember when you were in 'The Flintstones?'" He responds, "I remember 1973. Everyone wanted a piece of John Goodman but their was only enough John to go around."

     We walk back to my car. My dad rolls down the window. A load of pot smoke exits the vehicle. My dad's hair is electric and his eyes aren't much better. John says, "Oh, your grandfather is Rannulph Junah?" I tell him that he is. He seems impressed. Dream ends.

I wake up

AMERICAN PICKERS

Dream 10/9/2015

I've been put in charge of a garage full of antiques.

     The person that put me in charge is a picker. He travels around the country to buy antiques, then he refurbishes them and resells them. He is letting me live at his house for the time being.

     One night I am lying on my bed watching youtube videos when a beautiful girl comes into my room and lies down next to me. We watch videos together. She asks me if I want to learn electrical wiring. I do. She says that she will teach me. "You know about electric wiring?" I ask. She does. She gets up and leaves. A sad feeling comes over me. Dream ends.

I wake up

Busted

Dream 10/9/2015

I am working security at a recycling plant. 

     My jeep is parked where I can see all entrances to the property. I fall asleep in my jeep. I wake up at 7 AM to my mom honking her car horn. I immediately panic because I've slept four hours past my clock out time and at any moment the upper management will arrive and find that I am a horrible security guard. 

     I tell my mom to hold on and I check out the premises to see if anyone is here yet. I see my boss and some other workers. I try to avoid them. Dream ends.

I wake up

The Dancing Man

A Nightmare From My Past

One dark night, my mother is driving home.

     She drives lonely roads lined with corn and bean fields. Off in the distance, in the middle of a field, she sees a light. As she focuses her gaze, she sees a man. He is dancing. Not elegant dancing, SCARY DANCING!!! His moves point to his insanity. Who is he? Why is he there? Why does he dance? He knows she is watching and that is the point. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Now and Then

Dream 10/4/2015

The school that I went to in my youth has changed.

     Today we go and see what is different. Instead of an emphasis on education and spiritual growth, we find the opposite. The small brick building has been opened up to fit the large 5 story water slide and roller coaster. I see a room filled with pinball machines and arcade games. When you walk up the stairs of the water slide, you get to another part of the school. There we find a bar that serves Mountain Dew and Pepsi. There is a button on the opposite side of the bar where you find a wall covered in flatscreen TV's. If you push the button, the bar will disappear and turn into a regular classroom. I am pissed at what I see. The school that once taught me how to live is nothing more than a day at a fun park. My mom and I decide to leave. We slide down the water slide which barely has any water. Dream ends.

I wake up

Australia

Dream 10/01/2015

I'm in the "land down under" with my family.

     We are staying in a log cabin in the wilderness. My brother-in-law and I are in the front room when a bear busts through the front door. He comes for me. I jump around to avoid his bite. I get him back out the door and lay my body against it so he can't break through. He tries and tries but I keep on resisting. After a while, I fall asleep against the door.

     When I wake up, I see the bear asleep on our living room floor. I look at my brother-in-law with eyes that say, "how could you have let him in?" I feel my body, particularly my face to make sure the bear didn't eat my ear or nose while I slept..

     My sister catches my attention. She tells me to guess what she had found. I have no idea. In a little grocery bag was a yellow-haired kitten that she had lost named Angel. Glitter covered its fur. It had an uncanny resemblance to a cat that she had recently ran over with her car. That cat was named Olaf. Someone suggests that we go out to eat. I couldn't agree more. Dream ends.

I wake up

Ticket to Ride

Dream 9/17/2015

My family and I are going to an amusement park.

     My mom keeps telling us that she doesn't want to go to the park but rather to the sensation. We get to the park. We get on a roller coaster that is made of clear glass. I don't want to get on because we haven't paid for tickets yet. My sister assures me that it's fine because the entrance to the coaster is before the entrance to the park. When we exit the coaster, we will then pay for tickets. We ride the coaster. It is the most unreal thing I've experienced. I feel as if my body is flying instead of riding an amusement park ride.

     Meanwhile, my mom goes off to the sensation. When our coaster makes it's final stop, my sister thinks we should ride a little more and so she pushes our coaster forward. We get about twenty-five feet before a park attendant stops her.

     I leave the park in search of my mom. I come to a boggy swamp land and find her in a log cabin, which is known as the sensation. We enter and find my mom lying on the floor. The floor is sloped and moves back and forth. The purpose is to lie there and let the floor move you. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Security

Dream 9/11/2015

I am a security guard.

     I walk the grounds of the Recyclery that I watch. The facility is close to town but fairly secluded. At one point, I hear a noise. A girls faint voice finds its way to my fearful ears. I try to convince myself that the voice is coming from off the property, but before long, I realize that it's coming from inside a large box just inside the factory. I am the only one here. Nobody works tonight. The way she's talking sounds like she's having a conversation with someone, but I hear no one else.

     I sneak over to a place in the shadows, where no one can find me. I call the police and tell them to get here quickly. They arrive. I point them toward the box. They have to climb over a load of cardboard to get there but when they do, they find a girl in a box talking on her cell phone. She doesn't seem homeless, just someone who wanted some privacy.

     The company rewards me. I come in the next day and they give me a cape and a crown. I walk around the place like I'm a king, but nobody recognizes my royalty but me.

     A few nights later, I'm patrolling the grounds when I hear a noise. I get scared and hide inside a portable shower. I turn the shower on and get soaked. The police come and catch a guy and haul him away. Two other security guards show up, a girl and a guy that I know. They both tell me that the last time they heard a noise, they too jumped into the portable shower. All of us laugh. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Robot Village

Dream 9/8/2015

I'm working on an assembly line.

     The warehouse is a three story open room. A dangerous man sneaks in while we work. He wants to hurt whoever he can. He chases someone. Like a stampede, we all start running. He chases me. He shoots and kills with a sawed off shotgun.

     Outside the warehouse is The Honor Academy Internship. Dave Hasz gives a speech by the pool. Everyone shows up. The HA has built a village around the pool. Me and my friends go exploring. We find a little cottage with a basement, but the basement is huge, like you would find in a hospital, except its dirty and old. We're looking for clues as if we're on a treasure hunt, but the clues are scary and gross (unfortunately I can't remember any of them.)

     My cousin DJ and I continue exploring outside. There are a hundred little cottages in this village but over to the very back corner is a large building. We're told not to go into it. DJ and I walk to the front door and peek in. There are a lot of people, except they aren't people, they're ROBOTS!!! We run to the backside of the building and check that door. There isn't anybody to be seen so we sneak in. We roam the halls like mice, trying not to be caught. Eventually, we are spotted by a robot and chased through the halls. We try to take an awkward path to throw him off. We enter a room and turn off the lights. We never see him again.
   
     We stay quiet for a while until we hear an aerobics class happening outside in the hallway. We search for another exit and find two. A staircase leads from the dark room up to the second floor. I run up to the door and peek out, an aerobics class is taking place up there as well. The second option is another door down the stairs. We pop our heads out to see. A woman finds us. She tells us that she is on our side. She gives us ID cards and a fake history written up for us. She also tells us that we've been assigned spouses and that we need to go find them.
   
     DJ and I start walking down the hallway for everyone to see, but if anyone asks, we do have ID badges. We try to blend in. The robots walk funny, kicking their feet out real far whenever they take a step. DJ and I imitate them. I look forward and then back at DJ, but when I do, he is gone. Dream ends.

I wake up

Running Scared

Dream 8/29/2015

I'm in a drive-thru at a fast food restaurant with my cousin, Deeje.

It's winter. Snow has blanketed the ground. Three strangers walk up to my truck. I suspect that they have had too much to drink or are on pills because one of them sticks his head in my window while the other two laugh about it. I push him out and try to drive forward. They start  throwing snowballs at me and my cousin. Snow and water drench the interior of my truck. My anger becomes too much to restrain. I rev my engine. They act like they're scared. I take off in their direction and run over the youngest of the three. He isn't dead, just badly injured.

I get scared. I fear that I am going to prison for a long time. My cousin and I forget our food and take off.

Suddenly, there is no more snow. Suddenly, we are no longer in our truck but on foot. We pass a nice sea food restaurant. Everybody knows its the best in town. Deeje says that he sees somebody that he knows in there. We enter the restaurant. I'm still afraid to be caught for my crime. Deeje finds his friends and talks with them. They are four elderly people. Deeje runs into the girls bathroom and locks it. I say, "what are you doing, having your period in there?" Then, out of the blue, Walter Matthau walks past me toward the mens room. He mumbles something as he goes but I can't make it out. Dream ends.

I wake up 

Birthday Boy

Dream 8/20/2015

It's my birthday.

Lot's of stuff happening today. Me and some family members are shooting guns in the backyard. I drop a loaded 9mm on the ground. Thankfully, it didn't go off and maim someone. Random people are showing up at the house, mostly my sisters friends.

My dad says it's time to go to my moms. So I head that way. When I get there, my mom and I leave for an undisclosed location. I know there is a surprise party planned. Over the years I've become an expert at knowing when a surprise is afoot. All the classic signs have been signaled.

We walk into a large building and enter a gymnasium full of people. Nobody says anything 'til about thirty seconds in and then "SURPRISE!!!" A choir and orchestra start the familiar song, "Happy birthday to you..." I don't know what to do or how to act. I knew a surprise party was coming but I didn't expect it to be this big. Having a little more time to take things in I notice the gym is decorated in items from my childhood.

I start to think about all the presents I'm going to get today. I sit in the bleachers next to people I don't know. I find it odd. I'd expect a king's throne or something, I mean, I am the man of honor, it is my day of birth after all. The MC tells everyone that under their chair is a free encyclopedia. He then goes on for minutes on how to use it. My mom is sitting a few people down from me. I want to move to where she is but I don't want to offend the people sitting next to me..

A lady comes by with a huge bin full of presents, it's only a fraction of what I really got. She says, "okay, which one of you is Keith." Does she really not know who I am? How is that possible? I'm the birthday boy! Dream ends.

I wake up

Skinny

Dream 8/6/2015

A bunch of us guys make little figurines out of glass and clay in our friends house. It's a business.

One of the workers becomes a little too rowdy for my friends taste so he is asked to leave. The man leaves but returns later looking like Brandon Lee from the movie "The Crow." He stands against the wall in his black trench coat and face paint. Only difference is that he is extremely skinny. Scary skinny. Like a cartoon with human skin. The man goes on a rampage in the house breaking everything in sight. I sneak out to an upstairs balcony. I grab a nearby drain pipe and slide to the ground. I run to the front of the house and get into a car but by then the skinny crow man is subdued by my friend and John Heard, the actor. Dream ends.

I wake up

Back on Track

Dream 8/6/2015

A friend of my sister asks my mom and me to go with them on a road trip to Fort Wayne, Indiana.

     We take separate cars. My mom and I ride in her Prius and everyone else is in the other car. We get on the road and my mom starts talking to someone in the backseat. But it's just the two of us in the car. She tells this person how the principal at her school used to be mean to her.

     She gets distracted and we lose our friends in the car in front of us. We don't know where they are. We speed up to try and catch them but we come to a "T" in the road. My mom calls to ask where we should go. They say to turn left. We're back on track. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Demon

Dream 8/6/2015

A girl is possessed by a demon.

Her eyes change colors and her voice deepens. She speaks continuously in a language which I've never heard. I think it's Sumerian.

We lay our hands on her and cast the demon out in the name of Jesus Christ. The demon doesn't like this. She fights back. We lay our hands again on her and speak to the demon. We tell it to leave in the name of Jesus Christ. It leaves. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Screamin' Eagle

Dream 8/5/2015

Screamin' Eagle is a trick accomplished only with a bike and a steep hill.

Several people are flying down the hill trying not to crash their brain buckets into a tree on the way down. Their are two steps to the trick. As you shoot down the hill, you must first stand up on your pedals, then let go of the handle bars and spread your arms in the wind, like a Bald Eagle. I sit on my beater bike at the bottom of the hill awaiting my turn. A group of girls pass by giggling. I want so badly to impress them, so I climb to the top.

I sit there with a rumble in my stomach and fear in my eyes. People are watching me. The steed rolls forward until I am in a full out downhill jam. Scared out of my mind, Too fast to think, I stand up on the pedals but can't find the courage to spread my wings. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Bombshell

Dream 8/1/2015

I arrive at my high school one morning a few minutes before the first bell.

     If you get to school a little early, you can sit in the bleachers and talk with friends. A man that we don't recognize stands in front of the students. He says that for now on, we the students will have to remain completely silent when sitting in the bleachers before school. The students are not happy. We barely get any time to relax and talk throughout the school day and now they're going to take one of the only times that we can talk and say we can't. The students pull out their cell phones and call the office to complain. A few minutes later a voice comes over the intercom and tells us that do to much complaint, the "silence rule" will not be implemented. The students unanimously let out a roar of elation.

     The school day begins. I need to grab a book from my locker and head to first period, Bible class. My locker is a train wreck. I lack basic organization skills. Most of my books are jammed at the bottom of the locker. I can see many of them are torn up and abused. I grab what I need and walk to class.

     I know I am running late because the hallways are mostly empty. I can feel the final bell ringing at any moment. In a moment of desperation, my walk turns into a full sprint. I just might make it. When I get there I am met by an empty classroom, a handful of students, and no teacher. This is odd. The class is usually full to the brim. My first thought is that I am in the wrong place. Then the intercom comes on. A lady's voice is heard throughout the halls and classrooms of the school. The lady on the other end tells us that they have found a military machine outside the school that they believe to be a bomb, and that all students need to stay where they are. We can see the machine from the windows of our classroom.

     I still wonder where the students are. Did they know something that I didn't? Are they the smart ones? I would think so. If there is a possible bomb anywhere near you, the smart people disregard orders to stay. Why is nobody panicking. The rest becomes fuzzy. Perhaps the bomb went off. Perhaps it didn't. Maybe I am just a tiny bird ready to peek my head over the edge of the nest to get a fresh look at the world. Suppose I woke up and their was no sun and I spent my days wondering whether it was day or night. I've been here before, I know it. This place is too familiar to be strange. I can't seem to find where it fits in my past, but I know I've been here. Perhaps the bomb went off. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Pasqually

Dream 7/31/2015

My friend Robby and I walk up the basement stairs to the first-floor landing.

On the right side of the stairs are shelves of stuffed animals. We observe them as we walk. Three of them are six feet tall and still in their box. I point out that these were won by our friend Tim. Behind them is a stuffed animal twice their size, about twelve or thirteen feet tall. I show Robby the one that I added to the collection. It sits on a shelf near the door upstairs. I call him Chuck E. Cheese but his real name is Pasqually, a little Italian chef with a full mustache. He is by far my favorite.

Before our eyes, the toys come to life. I have a gorilla at my feet that wants to be held. The six-foot animals are looking at me. I raise my hands, growl, and beat my chest. They become angry and try to escape their boxes but they only tumble over. Robby wants to stay but I don't. I've seen enough. I escape through the upstairs door. The gorilla tries to follow me. I can't get the door closed without squishing him. I nudge him with my foot through the door before trying to close it. I have to do this a few times before it finally works.

I am met by a grumpy, old man. He wants to go to the basement. I let him through. He probably won't enjoy his trip down. Dream ends.

I wake up

"The road to hell is paved with unbought stuffed animals." -Ernest Hemingway

The Drifter

Dream 7/30/2015

I want to make some extra money so I look for a second job.

I start working at a store that sells sports equipment. I know some of the other employees from school. The job isn't too hard but some of the other employees laugh at me for my lack of sports knowledge. At the end of my first day, I tell the manager, a sweet old lady, that I won't be coming back as an employee.

When leaving, I see limousines and paparazzi spilling into the parking lot. I see many famous people. I think I see Gene Simmons, from KISS. They enter the store that I just left. Part of me wishes I had put off quitting until later.

I then get a job at a clothing store. I work there for a while but there is too much heavy lifting. So once again, I quit.

I join a Basic Algebra class. I never did well at math but I want a second chance at it. I notice everyone around me cheating left and right. I tune in to hear their answers but then I have a thought. If I depend on them now, I'll never be able to depend on myself. Dream ends.

I wake up.

"Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul." -Douglas MacArthur

Redding, California

Dream 7/28/2015

My mom gets remarried to Bill Johnson, the pastor at Bethel Church in Redding, CA.

      I move to Redding. They live in a nice house and he treats her well. I go to a night service at the church. I see Bill. His hair has grown very long so now he keeps it in a pony tail. It hits me that he is my stepdad. I have a seat about three rows back on the right side of the auditorium. I sit next to a few jokesters.

     The worship service begins. Suddenly, I am holding a Fender Telecaster. I start to play it and notice the sound coming through the church speakers. The guys next to me take the guitar and start messing with the band on stage. I move a row back and sit next to a guy named Robert Graff.

     When the service ends, I need a ride back to my stepdads office. Robert offers to give me a ride. As I sit in his car, I notice that he looks like a blind man. He tells me that he is. How is he driving a car? We're going the wrong way. I ask him where he's taking me. He thought I wanted to go to London Town. I correct him and he takes me back to Bill Johnson's house.

I mention to a lady in the house that Robert Graff gave me a ride home. She looks confused.

"Robert Graff is dead," she says. "He's been dead for years."
"Are you sure?"
"I can show you where he's buried."

I am in shock.

     I am asked to help some of the churchgoers build a deck and some diving boards for the lake. On the way to the lake, I am met by a young, black boy. Their is something familiar about him. He tells me that his name is Robert Graff. Maybe he's just a ghost who needs a friend, like Casper.

     We make it to the lake. Much of the work is already done. We relax and have fun under the summer sun. I climb to the high dive where everyone is hanging out. It's really just a wooden dock ten feet in the air. One by one people take turns jumping into the lake. I love living in this town. Dream ends.

I wake up

Behind The Chaos

Dream 7/26/2015

My mom, both my sisters and I are at a football game but we're all sitting in different areas.

     I see a friend of mine, Seth, and I go down to sit with him. My brother is playing in the game and at one point scored more points than all the other players. My family is proud of him.

     Suddenly, all of the stands and bleachers begin to collapse. I watch as the crowds of people disperse in every direction. Chaos ensues. I search quickly for my family members. I find my mom and one of my sisters, but Kristen, the other sister is still missing.

     We stop by the gift shop. I tell my mom, "at least my brother had a good moment," I hold in my hands a t-shirt with my brothers face on it and the score that he accumulated during the game. In the sky, near the field is a spaceship. I know that it's behind the chaos. I wonder if that is where my sister is being held. I fly up to the ship. I search it but I don't find her. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Hocus Pocus

Dream 7/23/2015

I am watching a magic show on TV.

     Two people stand on a stage, the magician and his assistant. The magician announces his next trick. He then presumes to grapple the assistant's neck. They wrestle on stage. Then, out of nowhere, the magician rips the assistant's head from his body. I am in shock and have a strong feeling of fear. The assistant then grows another head in a matter of seconds. Dream ends

I wake up.

Highway To Hell

Dream 7/21/2015

My friends and I are relaxing in a green field on Halloween.

     A beautiful but strange lady comes out of nowhere and asks for two volunteers for a dangerous mission. She makes it sound like we are running guns. She asks each of us if we are fans of AC/DC. She picks my friend, Jordan, and me. Jordan is the leader of the dangerous mission. Our assignment is to sell illegal copies of AC/DC's album, "Highway To Hell."

     We jump into a school bus and drive down the road to where my Jeep Wrangler is parked. Jordan drops me off. He then drives through a small pond to get to the parking lot on the other side. I meet him over there. We sell the albums to a group of kids.

     Jordan tells me to take my Jeep and get back to the lady as fast as I can. I take off. I get onto the highway but discover I am on the wrong side of the road. I quickly correct my mistake. I make it back to the green field.

     When Jordan returns, the lady pays us. She pays Jordan $100,000. She pays me a stack of food stamps. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Rebel Rebel

Dream 7/20/2015

My senior class takes a field trip to the middle east.

     Many schools have come from America to watch David Bowie perform. Hundreds of kids pile into the auditorium. I notice everyone holding a paper. I ask a friend what it is. They tell me that it is the ticket to get into the concert. I don't have one. I panic. I stand close to a group of people and sneak in. The chairs are full and many of us have to stand in the back. David Bowie performs.

     After we leave the auditorium, we head toward the Titanic, a ship in the harbor where we will take a guided tour. When we get there, a gentleman tells us that the tour is cancelled but we can stand in one room of the ship just so that we can say we did.

     After we leave the Titanic, every one of my classmates disappears. I find myself alone in a strange country. I notice many Islamic men giving me the stare of death. One of them tries to shoot me with an automatic rifle. I find a gun. I shoot back and kill him. The moral argument plays through my mind; Is it wrong to kill in defense or should I just let them murder me. I eventually throw the rule book out the window and walk around shooting anyone who seems like they want to do me harm. Dream ends.

I wake up.

The Rooftop

Dream 7/14/2015

I am given a job at my school to walk the rooftop and watch for pirates in the distance.

     I walk on one side of the roof and follow the edge all the way around. The roof is shaped like a horseshoe. Some of my friends join me in the walk. It becomes clear to me that the roof has become a storage area for the school. There is stuff everywhere.

     We wander over to one of the more lonely parts of the roof and find an elevator. We don't remember an elevator in our school. Just past the elevator is a door, kind of hidden, kind of not. You could find it if you were looking. We open it. We walk through. We come to a section of the roof that hasn't been touched for years but just like the other side, it is full of stuff. Stuff from years ago. We find a beautiful leather sectional pushed up against the wall, a pole with endless Halloween costumes strung across, strange machines that make lemonade in odd ways. We even find a canopy with gold and diamonds and rare jewels hidden away. I think that this section of the roof belonged to the senior class years ago and its been forgotten.

     On the other side of the roof, the normal not-so secret side, we find hidden in the corner many molotov cocktails. My friends and I get a sneaking suspician that the pirates have been here before and they have stashed weapons for the war. A noise catches our attention. A pirate ship is docking next to the roof. The ship is full of battle-thirsty men ready to kill. I tell my friends to grab the cocktails and light them. Before the ship is completely docked, we launch the molotovs into the boat. The men have nowhere to run. If they jump they will die. If they stay they will die. I guess you can figure out the outcome.

     We win the battle over the pirates. Perhaps they were coming for that secret stashed treasure over in the old senior wing. We celebrate. My friend, Tim, tries out one of the those strange lemonade machines. He follows the instructions. He takes a clear glass bowl, and puts it under the first spout and some ice falls into it. The second spout drops sugar, the third must be flavoring or something and finally the fourth is lemonade. I don't want to try it because it's been there for years, everything in it is old but Tim tries it and is pleased. Another friend, Kelso, comes over and tries it and likes it as well.

     My shift is over for the day. As we head for the exit, Tim finds a fridge full of drinks. I look at the expiration date for a Mountain Dew. It's only a few months old. Have at it, Tim. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Cult Fiction

Dream 6/13/2015

My mom and I take a drive into town. We lose track of time. We find ourselves in Chicago five hours away from where we started.

We search for the Willis Tower.

We end up in a room with many familiar faces: People we’ve known much of our lives--from church, from school etc. They are holding a christian conference.

 One issue with this location is it’s problem with tarantulas. Every now and then you’ll find one crawling on the floor below you, someone will scream across the room and you figure they found a big, hairy friend. A small Asian boy sees one and tries to pick it up. He gets bitten and let’s out a scream. 

The leader of the conference asks us to split off into groups for discussion. I end up in a group that I don’t care for.

Within a matter of seconds, the conference turns from a good-hearted, christian conference into a macabre, Occultish meeting of horrors. The leader (who looks suspiciously like Meryl Streep) is now in the crowd and her daughter (looks like Rachel McAdams) has taken the reigns up front. 

In a chant-like way, the mother says, “I don’t know where the children are but I’m sure you do,” pointing at her daughter. Streep let’s out a series of “whoos.” Some are longer (Whoo-hoo) and some are short (Whoo). Cheering and applauding, she screams out, “I just got married to a man yesterday,” and then she turns to where nobody can see her face, when she turns back, her face is old, as if it has aged thirty years. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Monster

Nightmare 4/8/2015

My friends and I come to school on a Saturday.

     We hang out and play games together. Their is about ten of us. A guy from our school is here. We didn't invite him. We think he's weird. His name is Joe. He tries to hang out with us at times during the day and other times he wonders off by himself. Every once in a while we can hear him down the halls talking to himself.

     Joe walks into the room that we are hanging out in. He demands out attention. He tells us that at 6:00 PM he is going to murder every one of us. Then he exits the room. His statement surprises us but Joe's a weird guy, it's what you'd expect from a weird guy. As the day goes on, Joe reminds us several more times about our fate at six o'clock. We become uneasy about him. It wasn't just an offhanded comment, he really is going to do something. All of us try to leave the school but the doors won't budge. We try all of them. The windows won't open either. It's as if a spell has been cast over the school and we have no say in the matter.

     Six o'clock is approaching fast and we feel that we have to do something about Joe. We find a pair of handcuffs and throw them around Joe's wrists. I start to feel uncomfortable about the situation. Joe is too calm. It scares me. I make a call to my sister. She comes and opens one of the windows. I climb out. We leave the area. Many of the others call people and inform them of the situation. Lots of people come to the school but not before six o'clock happens.

     All I know is what I hear through the grapevine. Four people dead. Two of them were good friends of mine. Their bodies, unrecognizable. They didn't even look human when he was done with them. He did it with his mouth. Dream ends.

I wake up

Misery Loves Company

Dream 4/7/2015

My family and I go on vacation to West Virginia, only it looks more like Dubai in the U.A.E.

     I see many tall skyscrapers and lots of fun things to do. We decide to live here. My cousin DJ lives with us. We get by in a humble mobile home. One of our next door neighbors has a 747 Jet. The ceiling is missing from it. We watch him take off, knocking down trees with the wings. He takes people up into the sky, barely strapped in. It gives you a feeling of no gravity. He takes me up free of charge. The adrenaline rush is intense.

     When we land, my family is missing. I search for them. I find my cousin, DJ, floating on a raft in a hidden river, a stale look on his face. He takes me back to where my family has been living for months. Was I up in the plane that long? Upstream is a shell of a house. Another mobile home. I walk into a dark space. My family is shaking, most of them in a fetal position rocking back and forth, half starved. They look miserable. What happened to them? My mind wonders but I can't find any answers. Dream ends.

I wake up.

The Dropout

Dream 4/2/2015

I drop out of school. Now, my friend Garrek and me are home schooled by a strange lady.

     She shows us a stairwell that leads ten stories down into the earth. She tells us to go down and dig out ten large rooms into the earth. Garrek says he's not doing it. I won't either. Besides, it's haunted down there.

     I go home. My backyard is filled with exotic animals; Gorillas, lions, tigers, bears, oh my! My family is sitting around these animals as if they are tame. A tiger walks up to us. He acts aggressive. I wrestle him but it's no use. He goes after my family. I run inside to get a revolver. I run back out and shoot the animal dead but it's too late. My family is dead.

     I run out to the road and call the police. I struggle through my words but somehow get them out. The man on the other line says he is a talk radio host and that he knows who I am. I walk down the road a ways and see a large 'Acquire the Fire' Bus in a field. Apparently, Ron Luce and his family are my neighbors. He invites me into his family. I now have forty brothers and sisters.

     The children keep getting murdered one by one but no one knows by whom. One day, I walk into the bathroom and find one of the girls dead and one of the boys wiping blood from his hand. A nonchalant look on his face. I know who the killer is. I live my life with caution, not to cause the killer any suspicion, after all, I don't want to be next. I eventually tell the mom. Everything goes haywire.

     While a bunch of the kids are playing around that large stairwell that leads ten stories into the earth, the killer pushes three of the other boys in. They fall ten stories. The bottom is filled with water. I jump down into it. I pull the guys from the water. One of them is alright but the other two need medical attention. I start to pray for them in an authoritative manner, commanding their injuries to be healed. They come to. They are alright. We climb the staircase to the top. The killer is trying to close us in with a large covering. We make it out. We fight him. I take out my revolver and shoot. He falls over the edge and ten stories down. I don't want to take any chances that he'll come back in the sequel. I unload my gun on his downed body. Blood mixes in with the water making it a muddy, pink color.

     The family is happy again. We play instruments on a roof top until the mom says it's time for bed. We all run to our house, which is situated inside a large clothing store. I find a pair of shoes that are Coca-Cola brand. They're tennis shoes that run halfway up your leg. I run toward the house. Dream ends

I wake up.

The Office: After Hours

Dream 3/25/2015

Michael is sitting in his dark office, after hours.

     All the lights of the office are down. He gets excited, picks up the phone and calls Pam. She picks up. Michael asks her how to see the Moon Lady. She tells him he has to open up all the window blinds and let the light from the moon inside. He follows her instructions.

     The door opens. Pam, Jim, Andy, Erin, Dwight, and Angela walk in. They just got back from having drinks. All of them crowd around Pam's desk to watch her play Solitaire. The rest of the office workers come in for a late night work shift.

     A lady from corporate shows up. She starts yelling at Michael. He tells her he loves her. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Sex and Things

Dream 3/22/2015

My family and me are walking through a store before church.

     We get into a disagreement. They say something like you don't deserve to go to church. They leave me at the store. I tell the cashier that my family left me and then I leave myself.

     I go down to a camp. It's mixed genders and ages. I start dating three girls at the same time. One I think is brunette, another is tall and has red hair, a bit on the quirky side. The last one has dark, blonde hair, she defines the word 'sexy.' Beautiful, she moves slow and cool like a wild cat on a hunt.

     I walk into one of the cabin bedrooms and there she is waiting for me. The blonde lies on the bed naked. Her bare breasts staring back at me, her bottom half covered up by the blanket. I crawl into bed with her. We kiss. We do things that you're not allowed to do at camp.

     Later that day, the leadership of the camp is in an uproar at how all the campers are having sex with each other. They hold a meeting at the cafeteria. I pass my old friend Adam on the way. He very proudly says he convinced them of just giving him fifteen minutes in detention. Once I get into the cafeteria, I find my lawyer, a thirteen year old kid. I ask him where we can meet. He says at the flower shop. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Clean Side

Dream 3/21/2015

I'm spending the day at my aunts house.

     Everyone is here. Everywhere you walk, there are people. I suddenly get the urge to clean my aunts house. I ask my cousin, Wendy, if she can get me some cleaning supplies. I follow her into the house where more of my cousins are. While I wait for her to bring the supplies, my other cousin, Danny, who lives here, asks me if he can watch the game on TV. I tell him that it's his house and he can do whatever he wants. He turns on the Cubs game. Wendy returns with the supplies. I thank her.

     I walk to the front of the house which looks out to a beautiful lake. I start cleaning the front window panels. Each panel of glass is mixed with a picture. There are many of them. I find one of me. When I am finished, I walk to the front porch where it seems everyone is hanging out. My mom is making a birthday cake for someone. My friend Jack is helping. Jack is on house arrest so every five minutes he has to run back to the house so that the police don't show up. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Ice Cold

Dream 3/20/2015

My friends and me are playing a pickup game of Ice Hockey.

     Thousands of people have come to watch. Instead of playing with hockey sticks, we're playing with axes. By the end of the second period, my team is ahead 8-4.

     Right before the third and final period begins, my friends on the team, the good players, wave goodbye and say they other obligations at this time. They are replaced by less than mediocre players.

We start to lose the game. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Beer Run

Dream 3/18/2015

I'm having a get together at my house.

My sisters and my brother-in-law, ask my mom and me to run out and get a 24 pack of Bud Light. puts in a special request for a few Miller Lights.

We run into town.

We end up picking up a six pack of Bud and bringing it back to the party. Everyone is a little disappointed in our ability to follow instructions.

We really dropped the ball. Dream ends

I wake up.

This River Is Wild

Dream 3/17/2015

Today is my birthday.

I decide to go to Chuck E. Cheese. Although it's a place for kids, I do enjoy the atmosphere. I talk to my friends about how somebody needs to create a place for adults that has the games and the tubes that you crawl through. Somebody says that there is such a place. It's called 'Dave and Busters.'

The next day, my mother takes me to her work. (I guess it's take your child to work day.) She works at a Brokerage firm where people buy stocks. She takes me upstairs, sits me down, hands me a piece of paper full of different companies to invest in, and tells me to buy some stocks. I pick the companies that I want to invest in but when I turn around, my mom is gone. I search all over the building but cannot find her. I know she is hiding from me.

I leave.

I walk into a neighborhood that I don't recognize. An SUV full of gangbangers pulls up. I hide in the bushes. They have a dog. It comes right to me. I push it away. They go into the house and then walk back out. They get into their car and drive away. 

I get out of the bush and walk behind the house. There is a river. I jump in and start to swim downstream but then I see the rapids up ahead. I swim back against the flow. On the banks of the river are a bunch of flotation devices. I grab an inner tube. I brace myself for a ride. I fly down the rapids. I'm surprised I didn't fall off. I come to a clearing. I jump off and make my way to land. I'm on a mountain. I can see an entire city in front of me. There are roller coasters all around me. One roller coaster has a gap in its track. The coaster jumps off one track and lands on the other. I think about my mother. Dream ends.

I wake up.

Jon

Dream 3/10/2015

I'm walking to my mom's house with my girlfriend.

Along the way I run into Jon Stewart. He's standing outside my mother's door. He asks me to turn my mom on to the idea of Nazism. I ask my girlfriend to stay outside while I go in. I walk inside, tell my mom what happened, pet my persian, go for a swim in the pool out back, and leave just as quickly as I came. 

I walk out the door and can't find my girlfriend. She is missing. Somehow I think that Jon had something to do with this. Dream ends.

I wake up

Dark Hallways

Nightmare 3/6/2015

     It's night. I'm at my old high school. Other than the two friends with me, there is nobody here. I think.

     Inside the dark hallways of the school is an elevated tram. We step onto the tram and it begins to move. A loud noise from below frightens us. We look over the tram bars and see a demonic man dressed as a clown with a circular saw as a hand.

     He chases the tram. He reaches up with his saw hand to hurt us. Several of us get slashed and cut. I tell my friends that I don't want to be here anymore. I take out my smartphone and push exit. A loading bar appears. It takes way too long.

     I jump from the tram and make a run for the exit. I make it out of the school. My friends don't. Dream ends.

I wake up.

A Night In Walmart

Dream 3/6/2015

I'm working night security at a Walmart.

One half of the store has it's lights out. On the other end of the lit half of the store are a bunch of drama school students working on a play that they are performing for their school.

I'm riding a bike up and down the aisles of the darkened half. I stop when I see in front of me a fat boy pushing a grocery cart. When he sees my eyes catching his, he takes off. I chase him. He makes it out the doors and to a light, purple mini-van. It takes off. I go back into the store to inform the drama club of the break-in. The continue their practice.

They're talking about how they will enter the stage on motorcycles. I try to impress the girls by telling them that I have a motorcycle. They don't believe me.

All of us leave the store. I follow them to the theater. Dream ends.

I wake up.