Puppies, Fritos, and Fires

MORNING OF JUNE 10, 2008

So much is going on here that it may have really been separate dreams...but it all feels like one, so I'm writing it as such.

I was staying at a fictional house one evening. At first I was there alone. There was an indoor patio where I found what was either a comic book or a magazine about comic books. I sat down on the steps that led to the patio and began flipping through it.

Suddenly I was aware of someone watching me. I turned to see a young boy of about 8 or 9 looking over my shoulder. I asked if the book belonged to him, and when he said it didn't, I told him nicely that it was hard to concentrate with him watching that way. I promised to hand it to him just as soon as I was through with it. He was fine with that and went away.

I have a vague memory of going into the hallway of the house and trying to find the boy to give the magazine to him. I found what was obviously a little boy's bedroom, but don't remember anything else about that.

Then I remember it being early morning and I was getting into a car with my parents. I was in the back seat where I found two or three very young puppies (I think they were labs, but I'm not certain). My mom gave me an explanation for their presence, but I can't remember what it was. They were incredibly cute, though.

Then my mom handed me a bag of Chili Cheese Fritos. I haven't had those in a long time. The dream ones tasted so good, I might have to get a real life bag of them soon.

Then I remember I was driving a car somewhere at night to meet my friends. I got to the fictional neighborhood I was supposed to be in. There were cars everywhere, lining the curbs, etc. I couldn't find a place to park. Finally I found a place in someone's front yard.

As soon as I parked, the sound of sirens alerted me to several firetrucks rushing up the street. Only then did I notice that both the house I had parked in front of and the one next door to it were engulfed in flames. I had to move my car again so the firemen could get in. Somehow I just knew no one was in the burning homes, but I still felt sick as I watched them go up in smoke.

Then I was with my friends...I know Richard and Eric were among them. There were others there--either fictional or otherwise--that I can't recall. We were inside a huge Wal-Mart-like department store. We saw an acquaintance from high school who I (and I assume all of us) haven't seen in years and he told us he was gay. I don't think anyone ever held any such suspicions, so we were all kind of surprised to hear it.

There was a little more to the dream that involved just wandering through this store, but this is about where any real memory ends.

EXTRA BITS:
Here's one image from a dream I had a few nights ago that I didn't think merited its own entry, so I'll stick it here: I was driving somewhere at 1:00 am, but the sun was out. (Visually it looked to be just before sunset.) I knew there was no mistaking the hour, and found it very surreal to see the sun...yet only surreal and not terrifying.