Dream
I had a really really cool nightmare just now. So cool I didn't want to forget it so I typed it up as soon as I could. It's available here if you're interested. Very very weird.
Riot Dream during afternoon nap after visiting UNC campus. Took place at about 5:30-6:00pm. Started sleep at about 2:00pm or a little after. Alarm was set to 6. Got up from bed, but woke up earlier, at almost exactly 5:45. August 4th, 2004.
Setting: Mi-Le Temple at downstairs, in construction zone of what is to become a restaurant later in its stages. Dream details are not accurate of actual building properties. There was a temporary wooden board/wall installed between the stairwell and the exit that extended maybe about 80% across. (Inaccuracy: real setting extended maybe 60-70% across with construction pipes piled up on the other side.) All this was in context of the building being in construction in New York City. The time seems to be that of modern day. I was sitting working on something (reading or writing, don't remember) at the corner the wooden board made with the wall, on the opposite side of the stairwell. The other person whose name I did not know was not someone I recognized in my life. He looked like a grown up Hao Wang. About my height, buzz cut hair, very tan and dark, and slightly chubby. Don't remember what he was wearing. A T-shirt I think? It seemed almost like he was standing guard, right at where the temporary wooden wall ended.
Religious, or seemingly so, activities are heard upstairs through the stairwell. Roars. Chanting. I am at no position or desire to offend anyone, though I did have an impression that they were a Muslim group, but that was perhaps only in light of their religious duties in conflict with ours in this modern day. I think I hear the other person accompanying me (we'll call him Fred) go to close the door to the stairwell. (Inaccuracy: real setting has no door. Actually it does, but they're like jail bars and cannot insulate sound.)
I'm sitting down, working on something, I don't remember. I think I'm having periodic conversation with that guy. For a while, he was silent. To see why he wasn't answering me, I looked over, and could see that Fred was being held by a hand choking him. This choker had a very small and cheap knife that didn't look capable of doing much damage (probably like one from those pumpkin carving sets, though a big bigger with a smooth blade) in his other hand. However, because of the wooden board, I could not see the face of the choker or anything. I rushed over. (Inaccuracy: why the hell would I do that in a real situation?) The rioter (we'll call him that) was very clumsy. He managed to finally blurt out, "You move, he dies," while clumsily forming the gesture of the classic hostage taker. Victim is held in the same direction of the hostage taker on his left, knife is held in the right. Typical. My knee twitched, and the rioter pushed Fred off towards the cement wall so that the two were facing each other, and the rioter extended his arm and slit Fred's throat with the tip of the blade. Okay? Very interesting. With the blade maybe at most 1 mm into Fred's skin, he died anyway. I protested, "But I didn't move!" He countered my protests. We have a few seconds worth of debating.
I hear lots of heavy running downstairs from the stairwell. I started running towards the front door. A few seconds after I blasted down, I heard that rioter curse because he forgot to kill me too or something. Weirdo. Very unprofessional. So as I ran out the door (those doors were like those metal ones that can be rolled up and down - used for construction). Suddenly, (inaccuracy), another door likewise appeared immediately left of me upon exiting. I remember thinking, I don't remember that being there. The rioters are rushing down and killing/taking people hostage all the way. Quite interestingly, I took a left, into the riot action. I wonder why I didn't take a right. I guess that's another (inaccuracy). Oh and I ran pretty darn fast, though I didn't think I did. (Inaccuracy).
The street outside didn't seem at all like the street outside Mi-Le Temple. There was nothing of notice. Just like a street and some old buildings on the side. I keep running and running, and I think I hear either gunshots or dagger/knife throwing. Don't remember. I see this other guy trying to escape. All of a sudden, I'm running through what seems like one of those rich upper class business buildings with marble floors and stairs with metal/brass railings and clear glass with white decorations on glass under the railing. Apparently, I'm on the second floor, but you can see downstairs 'cause it was like a balcony setting, and the wall was only on one side. I'm still running for my life, despite the fact that everyone else is calm and going about their daily life. I remember being surprise that everyone could be so calm when a riot is going on. For some reason, I believe I am at Duke University, though I see no rooms or anything. It seemed just like a building with stairs, from what I could tell. I'm running and running.
So I've shifted scenes in a matter of seconds from a building in construction in New York City to Durham. Interesting. I saw my mother walking the other direction, but I don't stop. After running like five miles in the building, ifinally come to the end of the hallway, still a bunch of people, and want to go down the stairs. The stairs would have immediately led to the front door. There were high windows and everything, letting the light on. It was either in the afternoon, or a really bright morning. I was going to run down, but I'm stopped there. I see that other guy that was trying to escape, and he just seems like he was attending on daily life too. He was walking down those stairs. My mom's coming, still walking, even though it seems like I ran 5 miles in the building and it would take her forever to walk to catch up with me. But she showed up. And she didn't ask any questions, she just kind of understood.
We walk down the stairs and exit the building through the front door, but suddenly we're at the back. From the outside, the building seems like some coporate white tall building with maybe about 6 floors with black windows, and we're walking towards a parking lot. My mom is driving me home or something. She tells me, "That's why I didn't/don't want you to work at Duke." (In Chinese, there is no tense, so I don't know which it was.) Before we get back into the car, the dream ends.
Riot Dream during afternoon nap after visiting UNC campus. Took place at about 5:30-6:00pm. Started sleep at about 2:00pm or a little after. Alarm was set to 6. Got up from bed, but woke up earlier, at almost exactly 5:45. August 4th, 2004.
Setting: Mi-Le Temple at downstairs, in construction zone of what is to become a restaurant later in its stages. Dream details are not accurate of actual building properties. There was a temporary wooden board/wall installed between the stairwell and the exit that extended maybe about 80% across. (Inaccuracy: real setting extended maybe 60-70% across with construction pipes piled up on the other side.) All this was in context of the building being in construction in New York City. The time seems to be that of modern day. I was sitting working on something (reading or writing, don't remember) at the corner the wooden board made with the wall, on the opposite side of the stairwell. The other person whose name I did not know was not someone I recognized in my life. He looked like a grown up Hao Wang. About my height, buzz cut hair, very tan and dark, and slightly chubby. Don't remember what he was wearing. A T-shirt I think? It seemed almost like he was standing guard, right at where the temporary wooden wall ended.
Religious, or seemingly so, activities are heard upstairs through the stairwell. Roars. Chanting. I am at no position or desire to offend anyone, though I did have an impression that they were a Muslim group, but that was perhaps only in light of their religious duties in conflict with ours in this modern day. I think I hear the other person accompanying me (we'll call him Fred) go to close the door to the stairwell. (Inaccuracy: real setting has no door. Actually it does, but they're like jail bars and cannot insulate sound.)
I'm sitting down, working on something, I don't remember. I think I'm having periodic conversation with that guy. For a while, he was silent. To see why he wasn't answering me, I looked over, and could see that Fred was being held by a hand choking him. This choker had a very small and cheap knife that didn't look capable of doing much damage (probably like one from those pumpkin carving sets, though a big bigger with a smooth blade) in his other hand. However, because of the wooden board, I could not see the face of the choker or anything. I rushed over. (Inaccuracy: why the hell would I do that in a real situation?) The rioter (we'll call him that) was very clumsy. He managed to finally blurt out, "You move, he dies," while clumsily forming the gesture of the classic hostage taker. Victim is held in the same direction of the hostage taker on his left, knife is held in the right. Typical. My knee twitched, and the rioter pushed Fred off towards the cement wall so that the two were facing each other, and the rioter extended his arm and slit Fred's throat with the tip of the blade. Okay? Very interesting. With the blade maybe at most 1 mm into Fred's skin, he died anyway. I protested, "But I didn't move!" He countered my protests. We have a few seconds worth of debating.
I hear lots of heavy running downstairs from the stairwell. I started running towards the front door. A few seconds after I blasted down, I heard that rioter curse because he forgot to kill me too or something. Weirdo. Very unprofessional. So as I ran out the door (those doors were like those metal ones that can be rolled up and down - used for construction). Suddenly, (inaccuracy), another door likewise appeared immediately left of me upon exiting. I remember thinking, I don't remember that being there. The rioters are rushing down and killing/taking people hostage all the way. Quite interestingly, I took a left, into the riot action. I wonder why I didn't take a right. I guess that's another (inaccuracy). Oh and I ran pretty darn fast, though I didn't think I did. (Inaccuracy).
The street outside didn't seem at all like the street outside Mi-Le Temple. There was nothing of notice. Just like a street and some old buildings on the side. I keep running and running, and I think I hear either gunshots or dagger/knife throwing. Don't remember. I see this other guy trying to escape. All of a sudden, I'm running through what seems like one of those rich upper class business buildings with marble floors and stairs with metal/brass railings and clear glass with white decorations on glass under the railing. Apparently, I'm on the second floor, but you can see downstairs 'cause it was like a balcony setting, and the wall was only on one side. I'm still running for my life, despite the fact that everyone else is calm and going about their daily life. I remember being surprise that everyone could be so calm when a riot is going on. For some reason, I believe I am at Duke University, though I see no rooms or anything. It seemed just like a building with stairs, from what I could tell. I'm running and running.
So I've shifted scenes in a matter of seconds from a building in construction in New York City to Durham. Interesting. I saw my mother walking the other direction, but I don't stop. After running like five miles in the building, ifinally come to the end of the hallway, still a bunch of people, and want to go down the stairs. The stairs would have immediately led to the front door. There were high windows and everything, letting the light on. It was either in the afternoon, or a really bright morning. I was going to run down, but I'm stopped there. I see that other guy that was trying to escape, and he just seems like he was attending on daily life too. He was walking down those stairs. My mom's coming, still walking, even though it seems like I ran 5 miles in the building and it would take her forever to walk to catch up with me. But she showed up. And she didn't ask any questions, she just kind of understood.
We walk down the stairs and exit the building through the front door, but suddenly we're at the back. From the outside, the building seems like some coporate white tall building with maybe about 6 floors with black windows, and we're walking towards a parking lot. My mom is driving me home or something. She tells me, "That's why I didn't/don't want you to work at Duke." (In Chinese, there is no tense, so I don't know which it was.) Before we get back into the car, the dream ends.