The dream

I awoke the other morning knowing I had been very busy in the night - seeing friends and strangers, and tackling those oh-so-important and intricate tasks that make sense only to the sleep-freed mind. Awoke, with only the memory of the dream’s ending.

I had been walking a dark peaceful lane, with woods and a few gestures at fencing them in, appearing and disappearing as I passed them, and as the dim star-light allowed. Minding my own business, busy in my own mind with the thoughts about nothing much, thoughts that come and go in an easy rhythm, metered out by my crunching footfalls in the quiet night.

A car full of roistering people approached from behind, fast, with lights stabbing the road alongside and ahead, too fast, and as I hustled to the shoulder I shouted something angry and crude. They replied in kind, as if I had been nothing more than an inconvenience in their path to fun times ahead. I watched as they, distracted by taunting me, went off course toward those woods, toward that steep drop into who-knows-what. I thought of warning them, but then thought “no, serves them right.” As their red lights disappeared into a deep ravine I thought, “no, it doesn't,” and woke with the urgent thought that I should get help for them.