Seemingly Mundane

I park the car in front of a large trailer next to a strange building at night. I follow a stream of people into the building.

The band is taking part in a district-wide concert, in which all the high-school bands will play the same song. We are setting up our instruments in the practice room as the streetlights shine in through the tall and narrow windows. Mr. Fosberg, being his normal crotchety self, tells us we're all sitting in the wrong places. He moves the horn section to sit behind him, facing the rest of the band. We are joined by Bertha, a lower band member, and Philip Van Wyk. I try to tell him that he should be in the clarinet section, but he won't listen to me. Bertha pulls up a chair between Matt and Sarah, and I am insulted because with the addition of Philip it makes me look like fifth chair. I want to tell her to go sit on the other side of Cindy, but decide to let her enjoy her moments in our prestigious section, as it's likely to be the only chance she'll get.

Foz tells me and a few other people to go ask the organizer of the event when she wants us onstage. I exit through a side door, which opens onto the backstage area. I am dwarfed by the monstrous set pieces and heavy hanging curtains.

I approach a short, squat woman with a commanding voice. She tells me that before she can answer my question, I have to go tell the people in the booth that they missed Daylight Savings Time and they should turn their clock back an hour. We need the extra time to finish setting up.

I am led to the booth through a series of metal hallways by a black-clad tech. A small child trails after us. The tech motions me through a door into a cavern-like area behind the auditorium and underneath the booth. The child is afraid and latches onto my leg. As we proceed over paths of metal grating, I sense movement from the side. Pastor Ann (who is almost legally blind) stands and says "It's nice that Kathryn was able to bring her sister along." The child clearly is not my sister, but I decide to not say anything, because Ann lives in this cave and is therefore blind. We continue.

The tech leaves us at a playground to wait for the people in the booth to see us, where we are joined by several more small children (my cousins), Jenny, and a young man (who auditioned after me on Friday). It suddenly becomes imperative that we keep the infant entertained, because if she cries then the entire performance, happening on the other side of the wall, is ruined. To do this, we scale the wooden jungle gym and hand the baby from one person to another, higher one higher than the last. We reach the top, and the construction grows more to accommodate our efforts. The growth is, however, much too sparse, and we cannot climb any higher. We panic to find a way to keep the child quiet, but before we can solve the problem, the concert is over. We collapse to the ground in relief. Keeping an infant quiet is harder than it looks.


A separate dream, but not, we are two warring factions. I have amassed an army of real and imaginary animals to combat the Kingdom of Ice. We enter the practice room where Mr. Fosberg stood not long ago, and the opposing sides bristle at each other as I try frantically to make them listen to me. My side will be decimated, though, because it appears that our King and Queen have been drugged. The Ice King laughs as we rush to their sides. A mountain lion with a large sled tied to its back tries to haul them out of harms way, but a mountain lion is not designed to pull things, and our woozy and effervescent rulers giggle as they are towed awkwardly out the door. We are dismayed.

No more hoops for me

I sit in on a lecture Ms. Kestle gives to the IB English class in Meany Stdio 267 about how difficult writing essays will be in college. She looks to me to affirm her claims but I just say, "Sure... if you want to believe that," because my essays are obviously shit and I do alright. Bored with her class I walk down the hall to talk to my dance teacher, Kory, and another instructor, Jurg. Just then class is dismissed and Mr. Fosberg asks me to guide everyone to the cheap food.

I take a group of some boys and a girl to the Hub, but since we come in through Allen Library we end up in a small three-story house that has been converted entirely into a Christmas display. It is terrifying. There are nutcrackers and elves and fake snow everywhere. We eventually find our way out and into the bathroom. I have to pee, but Mr. Fosberg yells that class is starting.

We all file out through another door, which leads to an outdoor pool. This is supposed to be Kathryn's family reunion, but Mr. Lerwick is ruining it and teaching gym class instead. We all pair up and wade grumpily into the pool. Then Mr. Lerwick gives us a long patronizing talk about how we've all been slacking, as we tread water, steadily becoming exhaused. Finally he gives us instructions for one partner to stand on the edge of the pool with other other in the water. The exercise involves the partner on the side gently tossing a piece of Styrofoam in the shape of a triangular prism (like something i keep having to draw for art) at the partner in the water, who is equipped with a hula hoop and a giant floating Q-tip. There is also a specific procedure for throwing the Styrofoam back to the side that I pretend to understand until Mr. Lerwick turns his back and leaves.

I get out of the pool, exhausted and rebellious, but when Kathryn and I lay down on the nearby lounge chairs, Lerwick returns, asking if we finished all of our repetitions. We give him the, "What do you think?" look and he replies, "Don't try to lie on this one! That's why I had this tree installed next to the pool!" We look at the pool and are astonished to see a huge deciduous tree with partially bare branched overhanging the pool. The rest of its leaves rest, yellow and orange, completely covering the surface of the pool. As we watch more leaves fall a a constant rate, as new ones constantly unfurl and yellow on the tree. Kathryn and I laugh in astonishment as Mr. Lerwick says, "I knew it! All I have to do now is show the undisturbed surface to the Superintendent and you'll finally get punishment!"

As hilariously entertaining as he is, we leave Mr. Lerwick by the pool and walk out to the playing field, where Mr. Sullivan sits in the bleachers. My bike balances, waiting for me, on the pitchers mound. I get on but feel unsure of how to ride it. I seem to be sitting on handlebars. I tell Mr. Sullivan that mom's bike had handlebars that fit my ass better, and create a mirage to show him what I mean. Then I get confused, because that bike wasn't even the right size, and besides, I like my new bike much better, and I tell him so. The mirage vanishes. He nods and encourages me to continue, waiting to evaluate my bike-riding skill. I get on the bike and pedal a few feet, but feel unsteady and decide it's best just to get off. I don't really need to do the evaluation right now, or I don't know why I need to do it in the first place.

Gasp! How Scandalous!

It is the family reunion. I am sitting at the table with my oldest cousins and my aunts and uncles. I am pleased that Katie and Bisbee remember me. I realize how much we all look alike simply because of our eyebrows and eyes.

I get up to get something and find myself on some sort of carnival ride, which is actually transportation to another part of town. I am very high up, and the fog pushes past as I whiz along the rails. I wonder why I am not cold, as I am wearing short sleeves.

I am deposited in a run-down area of Downtown San Francisco. Examining my surroundings, I see a squadron of Black-American policeman, advancing menacingly on me. I run for my life, around the corner of a large brick factory building and down the stairs to an iron-wrought door. I wrench open the door and run inside. The purpose of the small company seems to be to provide a bathroom if you are really desperate. I guess there weren't any others around. I dash past the elegantly decorated and nicely lit entry and lock myself into one of the spacious stalls. I decide to unlock it again, because if it's locked, it's obvious that there's someone inside. I can hear the guards slamming open the stall doors next to me, looking underneath for feet. I manage to crouch on the porcelain toilet, then I lose my balance and fall off. I think they have gone away, but when I open the door cautiously they are there. I slam the door in their faces, delaying them as they barge in. I throw a couple of punches, one's lip begins to bleed, but the two large men are able to overcome me. With a secure grip on me, they open the stall door to take me back to their squadron.
A clean-shaven young white man stands defiantly in their way. Between the two of us, we are able to take down both the policemen. Very relieved, I decide this man is now my boyfriend. He wants compensation for saving my ass, but I tell him not right now because Mister Fosberg is in the cubicle right next to ours. How embarrassing that would be! So we exit the bathroom (without paying for its use) and sit together on the back steps. I have grown very fond of him in a short time.

I stand on the same steps heartbroken, my family tries to comfort me. I think my boyfriend has been abducted. My father, in a sudden flash of inspiration, turns into a werewolf in order to track his scent. We set off down the block.
I notice that there is an abundance of small dogs in this city. Two chihuahuas take a liking to us, and begin helping us track down the missing person.

We find ourselves in an underwater dungeon. The search party splits up - I follow dripping pipes and grimy walls to a large room. The light is soft and ambient, such that the blue walls seem to glow. I feel like I am deep in the open ocean. In the middle of the room, a large black sphere spins slowly. There is an opening on one side. Near another entrance to the ocean room, my boyfriend is standing, transfixed. I am very glad to see him. Joining him, he tells me he thinks this is some sort of portal to another world. I decide the only way to find out is to try it, and together we dive through the opening. It is no portal, but the inside of the sphere is dark and embracing, like a womb or a nest. We decide it is an excellent place to give and receive compensation.

Unfortunate school day

At school, I get ready for a dance audition. When I go to class in studio 266, Mr. Fosberg chats with the boys, waiting his turn to try the combination from the corner.

Uncomfortable, I leave and have to jump onto a legde to avoid Kris, but accidentally avoid Modessa as well.

I try to go home on one of the 70s, but instead of getting on a bus I end up in the giant auditorium on Campus Parkway, where I get the results of my math midterm. The next class is Engineering, and I wonder is I should stay.