Ponder this:

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Now this: This was a nightmare.

I'm at work, temporarily answering phones while the regular receptionist is out for an afternoon.
A man calls and says he wants to talk to the Chancellor or he'll send in a bomb.
I can't transfer the call because I don't know the Chancellor's extension.
The Chancellor himself calls me on an internal line, tells me, "If the man calls again, send him to me at extension 247."
"247 . . . 247 . . . 247 . . ." I mutter to myself nervously while I wait for the man to phone again. When he does, I try to transfer the call to extension 237, which does not exist. Now I have to deal with embarrassment as well as a real threat of true violence.
The security doorbell buzzes. I get up from the desk, go down the stairs, and open the door. A man puts into my arms a full-grown German Shepherd, "Here's Bob. He's loaded." The man leaves quickly, and horrified, I carry the beautiful black and silver dog back up the six stairs to the lobby, noting that he feels as if he has valises under his skin. In fact, he has explosives sewn under his skin; he is armed as a living bomb. I'm in fear for all our lives, not least the beautiful dog's. I'm on the floor, trying not to weep, trying to comfort the nervous dog, who in turn is trying to comfort me, when the Chancellor comes into the lobby and sits down at the receptionist's desk to manage the situation. With kind urgency, he dismisses me, and as I push open the heavy steel door to leave, a young and handsome dark-haired man grasps the edge of the door. 
"Who are you!" I shriek.
He's frantic. "I'm Bob's dog!" he shouts. "I mean . . . Bob is my dog!" The Chancellor comes to the top of the stairs and tells me, "Let him in."
I leave the building and wander through the campus with tears rolling down my face, expecting at any moment to hear a loud explosion. 
Sirens in the distance...


And, thank God, then I woke up.
If this doesn't stop soon, I might have to stop sleeping.

12 comments:

Linda Myers said...

Such a vivid nightmare.

#1Nana said...

Almost makes you want to smoke a cigarette to calm down!

Olga said...

Yikes. I know the feeling of waking up after a bad dream.

Carolynn Anctil said...

Oh my gawd. Don't DO that!!! You totally had me going. *heavy sigh*

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

It's not fair , your dreams are far zippier than mine .

Hilary said...

When these become daydreams, time to quit the Chantix.

Lynette said...

It's astonishing enough to have dreamt it. To limn it so perfectly is a gift.

Friko said...

Golly, you have an exciting life. What are your waking hours like?

fiftyodd said...

I am always dreaming that I have had my passport/money/handbag stolen. I wake up in a sweat every time.

Grandmother Mary said...

For how long do you have to take the Chantix? But, still- what vivid access to your unconscious mind. Your dreams would be great sparks for stories. They're so immediate and rich in feeling.

Kathy's Klothesline said...

Wow. I dream like that. So vivid and real. My husband either doesn't dream or doeasn't remember what he dreams ..... I think he is defective or something. Some of my dreams are really comforting, but some leave me in a cold sweat with my heart in my throat.

This is my first visit, I will be back!

Barb said...

Thank God - just a dream. But, unfortunately, could be true...