Nocturnal Electrician

I'm sure I constantly have weird dreams; it's just how my brain is wired. I probably don't remember them all, but when I do, they're doozies.

Monday morning held the perfect example. After seeing the A Nightmare on Elm Street remake the day before, I suppose it could have been a lot worse. Everything took place in mostly one location, although the place flickered and things overlapped. It was kind of a strip mall, with at least one Chinese take-out place, but sometimes it was a completely enclosed mall, and other times it wasn't a mall at all, but a Best Buy. Even that occasionally shifted to a Buy More with sporadic sightings of Casey, Morgan, or Jeffster. I was shopping with my parents, although they were doddering about like they were 10 years older, and I wasn't sure what we were looking for. Possibly cookies....

At some point, I think some of the items on the shelves became bombs before shifting back to appliances. Outside the semitransparent walls, Spring was giving way to Fall and leaves were turning. And then there were two armed gunmen locking the door and barking orders. I think one was American and the other of Middle Eastern descent, the latter shouting in his native language while the former made more rational requests that we all stay on these mats that had suddenly appeared on the floor. “EVERYBODY DOWN!” was clear enough for me, but I noted with dismay my demented Uncle Jerry meandering down an aisle of vinyl records, somehow out of his nursing home and unaware of the danger. My mom quickly shepherded him in to the Chinese food place while he sported an innocent smile.

We all had assigned spots for some reason, and I was in the back corner, away from my family. I could see everything that was going on, including two police offices in full riot gear slowly moving toward the building. The walls weren't just turning invisible at set intervals; they were turning immaterial. Soon, both officers were inside. I stood up, and one turned toward me. I waved, and suddenly noticed something small and orange in his raised hand. Before I could say a word, two barbs shot out and embedded in my neck. As the taser pumped voltage in to me, I somehow managed to (painfully) yank it out, and grumble, “I'm one of the HOSTAGES, dumbass!”

I lay slumped in some concrete and leaves while more officers poured in, launching smoke bombs and subduing the bad guys. A trio of cats circled me, sniffing curiously and occasionally walking over me. I was paralyzed, and couldn't move, even for about a minute after I woke up in real life and processed the whole bizarre thing. And the morning prior, I dreamt of those same cats outside our back door. Two of them were neighbors' cats that my mom sometimes feeds, one of whom disappeared a few weeks back. That cat occasionally became some other cat I'd never seen before, while the third cat also switched between various strays and neighborhood cats that haven't been around in years.

I definitely type up quick notes whenever my brain puts together such rich tapestries. MCF dreams, because my mind is a terrible thing....something something....