Dream Journal

I had gone on some cross-country trip and arrived at a ranch-style house in an endless green forest where Aria was acting as host. It was like a gathering point for a rally, with people meeting up who hadn’t seen each other in a while. Their first impression of me was that I wasn’t the jolly person I once was. Aria and her friend told me that they had a surprise in store for me. They asked me about Dave. I was indifferent. I said we really weren’t friends anymore and that I’d probably never forgive him. Aria reacted with concern, saying to her friend that I didn’t seem to be able to enjoy anything, that I’d become so cynical. Then as we’re walking out of the garage, their surprise appears. It’s Dave. He’s not wearing a shirt (probably a physical carryover from what he’s actually wearing). We have a lukewarm greeting and then awkward conversation that I don’t really engage in. He follows me to the side of the house. Then Ed runs up to me, grinning. I shout “Ed!” and embrace him. Then Rafe shows up and I give him a big hug and then 5-6 others appear. We’re all very happy and it’s clearly play time. Somehow Ed, Rafe, and the others end up in suits of shiny armor and begin having sword fights. I want one and soon I’m in one, too, holding a long silver sword. We playfully fight back and forth and then they all start galloping around the yard with fake horses, Monty Python style. Instead of riding a fake horse, I run after them, saying “Hey guys, I don’t have a horse! Wait for me!”

The next part I remember was being at the rally destination. It might have just been down the hill from the house, or maybe a whole different place. It was beautiful. We were on a forested hillside overlooking a wide river that flowed into a lake. Across the river was a short mountain ridge. Each area had an associated “kingdom”. On the side of the hill, our village of cabins and such was the earth kingdom. Down by the lake was the water kingdom, and across the river was the fire kingdom. It was set up like an adventure area with the goal of visiting each kingdom. Ed, Rafe, and the boys were there (not Dave), and Rebecca was now there as my main companion. We had adventures, talked, went into a subdream or two, and had a grand time exploring.

At one point, Rebecca and I journeyed along the hill upstream from the camp. As we went, we saw a burst of fire and black smoke from across the river. A volcano! There were flames and smoke coming from the top, then bursts of lava. I thought “Yikes — I hope none of those spurts come this way!” Of course, the volcano spat out a hot lava rock way up into the air and directly overhead. I called out to Rebecca to watch for the rock, and it landed only a few feet away. As we continued, the volcano kept spitting sprays of rocks up and over to us. I dodged them all until I became curious about what it would be like to get hit, causing one to land near me and roll down next to my arm. It was hot, but didn’t burn. Then the volcano spat out a wide sheet of fast-moving lava over the hill in front of us. It looked like tomato soup. We fled up the hill.

We returned to the group to find that a giant dark tan stone castle has landed at the edge of our village. Everyone was gathered around it in awe. I knew somehow that this would allow us to visit the water kingdom. We go inside and start exploring. Several rooms seemed like modern rooms in people’s houses — probably projections of some of the people there. There may have been a subdream in here.

Then later Rebecca and I were trying to start mischief. We went beneath a cabin with lighters, firecrackers, and cigarettes. The plan is to light off a firecracker and scare people. Anyways we get under there and two unknown campers show up looking shocked, so I hide the evidence but Rebecca doesn’t see them and lights a firecracker. It explodes with a small pop. Then we get out and this British-looking police officer in black with a yellow vest and is running towards us with a bunch of men in black behind him. We start walking away and the officer follows, lecturing. I toss my firecrackers in the woods and give him my lighter. He takes Rebecca’s firecrackers.

References: Rallies are youth group gatherings at Unity Church. I met Aria at one.