My Favorite

I ride the 125 to Shorewood in reverse, then get off and walk down the opposite side of the street that I normally walk on. The sidewalk is blocked by some bushes spilling out of a yard, so I get on my hands and knees and crawl under. Lifting my head I come face to face with a huge fluffy cat with an ugly squashed face. I freeze, terrified that it might be hostile. It stares at me until another skinny cat walks up and they have a conversation in French. Then the ugly cat turns to me and says, "Venez chez moi."

At this point I recount the entire dream so far to someone, including a bit I don't remember about getting on the bus because my mom told me I would be able to get a good swimsuit.
Then I continue along the street just past the point where I met the cats.

As soon as I reach the top of the hill I notice the sky and it catches my breath. It is filled with dark, swirling purple and gray clouds, which are frequently lit up with with flashes of lightening. But all I can hear is the sudden absence of gravity and the force of the wind that picks me up from the ground and gently tosses me into space.
It is the most amazing feeling I have ever experienced, and I am instantly terrified that I will never reach the ground again. I struggle against nothing, trying to swim to the ground, but the wind keeps me aloft. Finally it lets me down close enough so that I can touch and claw at the pavement, trying to reach the grass of my parents' lawn for more purchase. Up again, then down and I press my arms and face, then chest to the earth, finally reconnected. I crawl and roll my way into the house.

Again, I recount the dream to someone, determined not to lose it.

The inside of the house is smaller, filled with human-sized carpeted cat condos. I am a waitress and I fly around serving the customers inside.

What the Hell Is Going On?

My alarm has gone off.

I am awoken by my mother and sister returning to the house. I am alarmed, because if they are back, it means I have missed the IB test, which is at one o'clock. I glance at the clock. It says 5:07.
My watch says 2:38.
Panicked, I run out into the family room in my pajamas. The wall clock says 11:43.
My watch now says 7:24.
My father sits at the computer playing Everquest.
"Dad, what time is it?"
He tells me it is 11:43, like the clock says. I sigh in relief, but do not bother to reset all the clocks that are wrong. I know they will simply get off as soon as I turn around.
On the coffee table are mounds of food that look absolutely delicious. My mother and sister are sitting on the sofa, stuffing their faces. They have returned exhausted and famished.
The After Eight Mints and the bean dip are especially tempting, but I am not allowed to have any, as my IB test is in ten minutes. I am sorely disappointed. They will eat all this food without me.
"That guy was so wasted," my mother proclaims around a mouthful of chocolate. "Wasted."
"He always is."

I wake up, my alarm going off again. I try to roll out of bed to shut it off. I open my eyes to find that my floor has become cold and grey, and it is covered in maps of France and Europe. I am trying to put my feet on the floor, but something is obstructing me. Opening my eyes further, I realize that gravity is pulling me from the right. Instead of facing the center of my room, I am, in fact, facing the wall, with my feet up against it. No wonder I couldn't get out of bed.

Never before has sleep been that disorienting.