Wednesday, February 20, 2008

The Electronic IQ Test

MORNING OF FEBRUARY 20, 2008

I was back in school. It looked and felt like high school, but I was my current age. One morning I was running late trying to get there. I arrived at the school and would have been just in time for my fist class except I had to go and clock in for the day (yes, just like I do at my actual job) and I knew that would put me just a few minutes late into the classroom.

After clocking in, I was walking hurriedly down the halls when I realized they seemed utterly empty. Not only empty, but deserted and long-abandoned. The place was in utter disrepair. Still I continued walking, and the further down the hall I walked, I began to see a classroom here and a classroom there which had actual students in them. Before long, the entire building was in good condition, and all the classrooms were full and bustling.

I then realized I was standing in front of the office area, which was not closed off, but was a big, circular desk in the middle of everything where all the secretaries were just sitting. They were staring at me, as I'm sure I looked really confused after my strange ordeal walking down the hall. A particularly severe-looking lady behind the desk asked me why I wasn't in class, and I told her I was currently trying to find my way there.

So I finally made it to class--late, of course. The teacher was just getting started with the day's lecture. She shot me a cruel look when I sheepishly entered the classroom and took my seat, but said nothing. At this point I realized I had left my textbook in my locker, and only had my notebook and a folder of past assignments with me.

Naturally the teacher gave us an assignment to do during class that required the textbook. I asked to borrow one of the extra textbooks, and she told me I couldn't. So I was stuck, unable to do the classwork. I just began doodling in my notebook, and quickly began to forget my former frustration as I got lost in the drawings.

Next I vaguely remember walking on the lawn of the campus, supposedly after class. I was looking for Richard, because I had something to tell him, but I don't remember what.

Then I somehow ended up back in that office area again. There was an attractive girl sitting on a stool in front of me. The girl was fictional, but I "knew" her in my dream. She told me they were performing IQ tests, and she wanted me to guess her IQ before they tested her.

There was an LCD monitor attached to the stool she was seated on and it read "130" in red, digital numbers. I asked her what that was for, and she said that's what told you your IQ, but they hadn't run her test yet, so that wasn't necessarily her results. She asked me again to guess her IQ before they ran the test.

I knew this girl to be just very, very smart and bookish. I had no trouble believing something like 130 was probably at least her actual IQ. I began to wonder if it was some kind of trick question, and that monitor was already showing me the correct answer. As I pondered this, she pressed me again, with growing urgency, to guess her IQ!

I just spouted out, "I guess it probably really is 130 or something like that."

"So that's your guess? 130?"

"I don't know--sure--I guess--130."

Suddenly the digital numbers began rapidly fluctuating, and there were a series of electronic, shocking noises as the girl sat wearing a look of mild physical discomfort. Then the LCD monitor made a "ding!" sound, and the final reading stopped on 68.

I was stunned...I thought this girl was brilliant! She couldn't have only a 68 IQ! When she saw the results she jumped off the stool and ran to one of the teachers who was standing nearby. She embraced the teacher in sobs, apparently devastated over her results.

Monday, February 11, 2008

One Sick Dude

MORNING OF FEBRUARY 11, 2008

I was supposedly at work, but it looked like a combination of my bedroom and living room as opposed to anything where I actually work. My bed was part of the room,and I was reclining on it with some job-related paperwork.

My boss came in and spoke to me about something. Then a young man came in the door who was supposedly one of the employees, though he is an entirely fictional creation of the dream. Apparently he was returning to work after a battle with a terrible sickness.

Every visible part of his skin was covered with a red, revolting rash that was flaking in some areas and still looked ripe and pus-filled in others. He sat down on the other side of the bed I was sitting on and began talking cheerily to the boss about his "flesh-eating illness" he had battled.

I sort of freaked out that he had sat on my bed, and I immediately got up. I didn't want to catch his flesh-eating thing-a-ma-jig. Then I became aware for the first time of how strange it was that my bed was at work....and realized I'd have to wash my bedspread and all my sheets before I slept in it again.

I'm (dreaming about) Going to Disney World!

MORNING OF FEBRUARY 10, 2008

In reality I haven't been to Disney World in many years, but in my dream Katie and I went there. I only vaguely remember walking around the park, but I know it was very much unlike what it actually is.

My only coherent memory comes from the end of the dream, when Katie was ready to leave the place for the day, but there was one more attraction I wanted to see. I don't know what it was called, but I "remembered" it from the times I had visited in my youth.

The attraction was housed in a huge, white building. Upon entering there was a theater which constantly showed one of the classic Disney animated films (I believe it was showing Snow White at the time). The movie was optional, and we chose to skip it and move on to the other available activity.

Beyond the theater there was a series of corridors like a museum, and on either side of the corridor there were a series of life-size dioramas depicting scenes from classic Disney animation. The dioramas were compiled of a combination of statues and animatronics. Even though this specific setup is entirely fictional, it gave me a great sense of nostalgia to see it "again".

I was snapping pictures of one of the final scenes on display, which happened to be from The Little Mermaid, when I realized something seemed a little off. That's when I noticed that Ariel was not animatronic after all, but an actual human actress in costume. She was splashing around awkwardly in the water, as if attempting to mimic the movements of the other animatronics.