It was the prettiest shade of pale green...

A police officer came back to the village office after having been involved in a shooting. Chief Lawrence helped him into the cupboard reserved for such times. The chief prepared a gun with one live bullet and three blanks, and put it into the cupboard with the officer. Jane and I stared. "They always miss the first time, and that's where the real one is," the chief said. The three of us stood in the small room outside the cupboard for a few minutes, and the the chief said, "Well, it takes as long as it takes," and we went out to the hall to talk about the incident. A half hour later the chief went in and cracked the cupboard door. Jane and I tiptoed behind him. Suddenly, the loudest bang in the world and gobbets of blood flying through the air. Then a few police officers came and helped their brother officer out of the cupboard. Nobody was hurt . . . neither the chief nor the officer who'd had the gun . . . but there was blood all over the room and some on my dress.

Next thing I know, I'm driving with three friends. I'm wearing the pink and white sundress with the blood spots on it and we're driving west, coming back from vacation. I decide I need to get a cold drink and stop at a country store. My friend BB moves into the driver's seat in case they have to move the car on the very narrow New England street. I go in the store, which also has some white-clothed tables and glass fronted cupboards of pretty doodads for sale. I ask a waitress to get me a can of Diet Pepsi and while I'm waiting I grab a beautiful pale green handmade ball of soap. The owner begins to show me pretty locally made soap dishes and it's quite a while before I get out of the store. My car and my friends are gone. I have armloads of stuff, including a whole smoked turkey, of which I've taken a bite. I walk up the tiny road and through the shops, thinking that I'll see my car as BB circles the block waiting for me. An hour goes by and still no car, no friends.

Then I woke up.