new dream

Scene 1:
i was being driven down the I-5 corridor southbound. at some point i must have been dropped off, because i found a place to camp on the outskirts of Tacoma (a city in Washington for those unfamiliar). it was a slightly wooded area in an urban setting adjacent to a parking lot. it was twilight. knowing it was very late to begin making a fire, i very briefly set up my stuff and gathered some wood to make one. in a short time i was successful and soon had a small but workable blaze going. while looking around for some additional firewood to put on it, so to get it to burn long enough to cook with, i realized there was someone watching me, telling me all the things i already knew which were obstacles to my progress, such as it was very late, and the area was generally overrun by squatters, and critiquing my (reportedly) dying fire. when i returned with a small handful of wood i saw that the stranger (an older fellow) was correct about the fire dying. i noticed i'd built my fire atop a small running stream, merely a trickle of water. by this time it had become downright dark. the stream, which had originally flowed well below the fire's fuel, seemed to be welling up, wetting the bottom-most layer of sticks and putting it out. not wanting to let the fire die, and rather than start a new one to gain a better spot, i laid one of the sticks i was carrying across the current to dam up the water flow and slow its rise. i managed to get the fire going a little better but it was still pretty small.

Scene 2:
i soon knew that despite the effort to build the fire, and despite not having eaten yet, i'd have to go meet some people, relatives who were also camping some distance away. this would require leaving my things to the mercy of whatever squatters might be in the area. there was no way to bring all my stuff with me- i had to risk leaving it. i set out on foot carrying what i needed. i emerged from the wooded area into a parking lot, crossed it, and followed a long road down a huge hill, in the dark, along more parking lots and stores (a very urban setting) for a long time, until i finally found their spot.

Scene 3:
meeting up with the people, i felt welcome in the way that you feel welcome around family. i had a conversation with a woman who was evidently my aunt, and though she was a dream figure she reminded me of Aunt Penny. she was wearing a coat and a backpack. she told me how much her sons (my cousins, not present- possibly corrolating to Jim and Craig) would enjoy my joining them where they'd be camping in another fairly distant area the next day. she handed me a small piece of paper with the information on where to find them written, as they all wrapped it up for the evening and got ready for bed. i turned to go but was quickly asked to wait, evidently by my dream sister, who's corrolary might have been Nichole. her children wanted to hug me good-night, but weren't quite dressed presentably to come out. i waited a moment then peeked in their tent, where a young boy (possibly an Ethan or Cole corrolary) was sitting on the floor struggling to put on a pair of pants. i said something about not worrying about it all and went in and gave the little guy his hug. then i said my goodbyes and started back for my campsite.

Scene 4:
it was a very long walk back to my original spot, and i worried about the squatters as i trudged up the steep urban sidewalk, carrying what i'd brought with me. i was hungry and tired, and i tried not to be distracted by thinking about what the drivers in the passing cars were thinking of me. i just kept my head down, thinking, watching my sneakers on the sidewalk, and putting one foot in front of the other. the older gentleman i'd seen at my site earlier now appeared as a sort of voice in my head, talking to me, and again seemed to reiterate what i was already worried about.

finally i made it to the familiar parking lot outside my wooded area, and as i crossed the stretch of pavement diagonally, walking by a few vehicles (i noticed the same white van i'd walked by earlier), i saw a teenage boy sitting on the steps of an old, beat-up white RV before an open door. a few more teenagers, boys and girls, were hanging around the area. somewhat daunted by the number of people i was about to confront, knowing this large group had squatted on my things and likely appropriated them, i walked up to the RV, past the first teenager, and entered it. inside the RV, a certain teenage boy seemed to be in command and holding court over some others. i looked around and didn't see much of my stuff at all. many of the teenagers were spread out around the floor of the main living area of the RV, almost in slumber-party style. i asked a girl there a few questions about my things, briefly describing some of them to her. she wasn't much help. i saw a kid writing or drawing something in an open binder. he also had a small metal clipboard-type-thing that somewhat resembled a metal clipboard of mine, but wasn't. the boy in charge came in from the kitchen and directed everyone to let me look around, but i didn't have much confidence i could find anything, and didn't.

Scene 5:
evidently i left, because i was back in the wooded setting with the older fellow. at some point i realized i wasn't satisfied with losing my stuff, so i soon found myself back in the RV, talking with Teenage Leader Boy. the thing i was most upset about losing was a red, white and blue checkerboard quilt my mom crocheted for me in the real world. i pointed out its similarity to some other checkered blankets in the room, careful to state that none of the ones i saw were mine. he "let" me look around again, and soon enough, hidden on the floor beneath a small pine tree (inside, possibly a Christmas tree, pre-decoration) i found the blanket. i also found a few other things, including a stylish button-up shirt that belonged to Loren in the dream, which was laid out neatly. it still had the price tag on it. i gathered up the things i found and was preparing to leave to get my fire started again.

then the phone rang, and i dreamed no more. it was Loren calling me.