Lost In SF Dream
Dream 4/11/08
My mother and I were supposed to be spending the day together in San Francisco. Unexpectedly, my mom had to run off to a meeting and she asked if I would be okay if she took the car. I said, yes, it’s no problem—only this wasn’t the truth. I had no idea how to get home without a map, or a car, or without knowledge as to the whereabouts of the nearest Bart station.
I was left alone. The sky was slowly getting darker behind the tall buildings so I began to run. I ran and ran, trying to find something I recognized before the sun was completely gone. This was my biggest fear: to be lost in a city without sunlight.
I seemed to run for hours, hitting the ocean occasionally and cursing the fact that I was going in the wrong direction. Without realizing it I planned to run all the way across the bridge and all the way home.
My throat become uncomfortably dry and I found myself in a supper market desperate for something to drink. A particular shelf caught my eye and I stumbled over to it. On closer inspection it was crowded with juice boxes just like I used to drink as a young child. I picked up the pink lemonade flavored box and brought it to the counter. For some reason I couldn’t compose my features and all I could do was look away embarrassed and shyly hand the juice box to the casher. The man took one look at the flustered girl in front of him and chuckled, handing the juice box back to me. It’s all yours kiddo, this one’s on me, he said smiling.
After managing the quickest eye contact I could muster, I ran from the store. It was almost twilight and I knew I couldn’t stop. I reached a huge hill that stretched far up into the horizon. It must go on forever, I thought shaking my head. In the distance on either side of me tall building stood, but the hill was like a forest, chocked with trees and brambles. Maybe this is the end of the city, I thought curiously. I found what I was looking for.
I bolted into the wood, running without a care at how many brambles tore at my bare legs beneath the skirt I wore. At last I reached the plateau and a strange park unfolded before me, filled with peculiar people. I passed a group of idle, leather-clad bikers, who followed me with their eyes. Hey girlie, said one softly, I think you’ll be wanting to follow those guys over there. He pointed to a line of young men about my age, waiting behind what looked like an extremely long water slide tube. I finally stopped running when I reached them, felling in behind the last in the line, a guy wearing a plaid shirt.
It’s clear guys, someone shouted, lets get going. They climbed into the tube, one after another and I followed. Inside the tube was larger, and square, but without room to stand up. It seemed to be patched together using old cardboard and car parts. The farther we went inside, the smaller the tube became. There was one place inside the tube where I had to crawl through a tire with a warning posted next to it, informing me stating that the next section of the tube had shrunk to 14’’. I hesitated and watched the line of guys go first. My mouth fell open, shocked that they could all fit. They disappeared into the next section and I was left alone.
A few moments passed and I heard someone coming in the opposite direction. No! I shouted, not wanting to be pushed back to the beginning. I thrust my hands through the small opening, trying to keep them from coming through first. I wriggled my way through. It was dark for a moment, but then I made it into the fresh air.
I was standing on a BART platform. I looked around confused. Behind me I saw the tube miraculously disguised under a bench. None of the other passengers seemed to notice that a girl just crawled out from a hole in the floor. Just then a train came by and I dived on to it, thankful that they were still running. I sat down and looked out the window. A young high school boy walked to the bench from where I had just come and looked both ways. Then quickly he scrambled down the tube. What’s it for? I wondered. Why do people use it? But just then the train began to move and I breathed a sigh of relief.
My mother and I were supposed to be spending the day together in San Francisco. Unexpectedly, my mom had to run off to a meeting and she asked if I would be okay if she took the car. I said, yes, it’s no problem—only this wasn’t the truth. I had no idea how to get home without a map, or a car, or without knowledge as to the whereabouts of the nearest Bart station.
I was left alone. The sky was slowly getting darker behind the tall buildings so I began to run. I ran and ran, trying to find something I recognized before the sun was completely gone. This was my biggest fear: to be lost in a city without sunlight.
I seemed to run for hours, hitting the ocean occasionally and cursing the fact that I was going in the wrong direction. Without realizing it I planned to run all the way across the bridge and all the way home.
My throat become uncomfortably dry and I found myself in a supper market desperate for something to drink. A particular shelf caught my eye and I stumbled over to it. On closer inspection it was crowded with juice boxes just like I used to drink as a young child. I picked up the pink lemonade flavored box and brought it to the counter. For some reason I couldn’t compose my features and all I could do was look away embarrassed and shyly hand the juice box to the casher. The man took one look at the flustered girl in front of him and chuckled, handing the juice box back to me. It’s all yours kiddo, this one’s on me, he said smiling.
After managing the quickest eye contact I could muster, I ran from the store. It was almost twilight and I knew I couldn’t stop. I reached a huge hill that stretched far up into the horizon. It must go on forever, I thought shaking my head. In the distance on either side of me tall building stood, but the hill was like a forest, chocked with trees and brambles. Maybe this is the end of the city, I thought curiously. I found what I was looking for.
I bolted into the wood, running without a care at how many brambles tore at my bare legs beneath the skirt I wore. At last I reached the plateau and a strange park unfolded before me, filled with peculiar people. I passed a group of idle, leather-clad bikers, who followed me with their eyes. Hey girlie, said one softly, I think you’ll be wanting to follow those guys over there. He pointed to a line of young men about my age, waiting behind what looked like an extremely long water slide tube. I finally stopped running when I reached them, felling in behind the last in the line, a guy wearing a plaid shirt.
It’s clear guys, someone shouted, lets get going. They climbed into the tube, one after another and I followed. Inside the tube was larger, and square, but without room to stand up. It seemed to be patched together using old cardboard and car parts. The farther we went inside, the smaller the tube became. There was one place inside the tube where I had to crawl through a tire with a warning posted next to it, informing me stating that the next section of the tube had shrunk to 14’’. I hesitated and watched the line of guys go first. My mouth fell open, shocked that they could all fit. They disappeared into the next section and I was left alone.
A few moments passed and I heard someone coming in the opposite direction. No! I shouted, not wanting to be pushed back to the beginning. I thrust my hands through the small opening, trying to keep them from coming through first. I wriggled my way through. It was dark for a moment, but then I made it into the fresh air.
I was standing on a BART platform. I looked around confused. Behind me I saw the tube miraculously disguised under a bench. None of the other passengers seemed to notice that a girl just crawled out from a hole in the floor. Just then a train came by and I dived on to it, thankful that they were still running. I sat down and looked out the window. A young high school boy walked to the bench from where I had just come and looked both ways. Then quickly he scrambled down the tube. What’s it for? I wondered. Why do people use it? But just then the train began to move and I breathed a sigh of relief.
posted by Integrity at 5:50 AM
2 Comments:
BRAVO!
Well told. I could visualize the entire episode!
I wonder what it all means? I have my mom in both dreams. strange for sure
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