To understand this dream that I had, you're kind of going to need to suspend belief in reality for a bit. And it isn't necessarily because the train itself was a physical impossibility (that will make sense later), but because in it, I star as something of an action hero. Unbelievable, right? That's the part that let me know it was really a dream.
Starting off, there was me, the eyes and ears of this bizarre world. Along for the ride were the Most Awesome Person I Know, her Youngest, and some old guy who thought he was Indiana Jones. Really, I guess my subconscious picked some random old guy to put in Indiana Jones' trademark fedora. The guy even carried a whip. But it wasn't Indiana Jones. Just needed to clarify that.
So this small crew of people was hired to accompany a shipment to its destination. We were going by train. I'm not sure exactly what this precious cargo was, I just know that it was worth a lot of money and could cause a lot of damage if it fell into the wrong hands. So of course the powers that be would want to hire me to make sure it got to its destination safely. Me, an Indiana Jones wannabe, a mother of five, and her 3-year-old daughter. I think the 3-year-old girl was the secret weapon.
We're on this train, moving steadily along, when Indiana Jones and myself decide it's time to turn in for the night. The Most Awesome Person I Know and the 3-year-old decided that they should take the first watch. Just as I slip into my sleeping bag and close my eyes, and as Indiana Jones pulls his hat down over his eyes (just like Indiana Jones would do), some strange character sneaks into car we're sleeping in. I lie there and pretend to sleep while the bad guy has a conversation with Dr. Jones.
"Is this the train going to Japan?" My eyes popped open at that point. First, because I knew that this was the train going to Japan. Second, because I knew it would be impossible for us to take a train all the way to Japan. But Dr. Jones keeps the guy talking, all the while, the bad guy thinks I'm asleep and harmless behind him. Like a ninja, I jump up and wrap my arms around his neck, attempting to hold him with some kind of sleeper move. Not that I know what I'm doing in reality, but in the ensuing scuffle, he ended up getting knocked out. Job done.
But there was a problem. During the scuffle, I could hear him trying to yell to his son, who was apparently waiting just outside the train. Not sure where he was, maybe riding on the roof, maybe just behind the car. But he had to be somewhere. We tied up the bad guy though, holding him in a seperate car until we got to our next stop, where we would then turn him over to the authorities. Oh, and that seperate car? It was off to the side of the car in which we were holding the unknown valuable item. And when I say off to the side, I mean there was a 90 degree turn to get to it. Definitely not possible on a train.
We got to the next stop and turned the Bad Guy over to another strange character with a mechanical leg. But I knew he was okay, because he had a badge. And apparently I knew Mechanical Leg from a previous meeting, so the Bad Guy was in good hands. I also informed Mechanical Leg of the Bad Guy's son that may or may not still be somewhere on the train. So I let him and his deputies do a search, while my crew took a break while we were stopped.
We split up for a while, but it only seemed like a few seconds, and then the train took off without us. And I mean, it took off. We're talking zero to 150 in half a second. I don't remember it going that fast when we were on board, but that doesn't really matter at this point. The cargo is still on board and its protectors are nowhere near it. Indiana Jones disappeared all together. The Most Awesome Person I Know and her Youngest tried chasing the train down, but there was no way they could have caught it.
At that point it started to rain. It wasn't just a little rain. It was like a monsoon opened up on us. All the people at the train station scattered, trying desperately to take cover. Meanwhile, I got the idea that I could find a way to get us back on our train if I backtracked a bit. I started along the rail in the direction we had come from. Eventually I got to Cape Canaveral and witness a space shuttle returning to its platform. It was like watching a launch in reverse. And I knew that's not how it's supposed to happen. I knew that this was a disaster in the making. So I turned back around and started running again. I was running faster than any human being has a right to run.
I found myself in a familiar place. I knew I had been there before, but I just couldn't place it. I also knew that I didn't want to be there at this particular time. Not exactly a safe neighborhood. People kept looking at me, as if they knew I didn't belong there. I tried to run again, but I couldn't pick up any speed this time. It's like I was stuck.
And then I woke up...
Analyze that one. If you can.
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