I wake up to someone knocking, stand up, run down the carpeted stairs. It was a long eventful night and i haven't gotten much sleep. At the bottom of the stairs, Dennis's head appears in the window -
grinning - but when i open the door there is no one there. Two people are climbing into a large
SUV and i rush to jump in so i won't miss out.
Sitting in the second row of back seats, i sink into roadtrip lethargy, watching the city go by and start transforming into suburbs. As usual, i can't hear the conversation in the front seat, so my mind wanders. The landscape becomes more and more strangely abstractedly suburban, it dawns on me that 1) I don't think i know these people and 2)I don't think they realize i'm in their car.
How embarassing!
I'm not sure if i have the nerve to speak up: they've already gone too far out to turn back. And will they panic if i make myself known? Will they shoot me? The longer i'm mired in indecision, the farther i get from Portland. This part of the dream seems to go on forever.
Finally, they pull into a driveway. This is ridiculous. When the engine shuts off, i - tentatively - get their attention. Hey, hey guys? I um, accidentally, uh, got in your car? I'm, really sorry. Do you - know - how i could get home?
They are surprised and baffled, but not violent. They let me come into their kitchen for a bit. I ask if the MAX goes out this far and they laugh. "We don't take the train, kid." There's a garland of dried chiles hanging, covered with dust, and several uncomfortable chairs. The man thinks a friend of his might be able to help, so he leaves the room to find a phone number. I realize that they both have the same haircut. I am handed a long list and left alone in the sterile yuppie kitchen.
I wake up to the phone ringing. This is for real. I still have not had much sleep.
I later tell this dream to Dennis and Megan in the van. Megan says, do you feel alienated from people? I said, yeah. don't you?