Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Cowboys and Aliens (Dream), January 24th, 2012

I had a pending meeting with my band mate Encanti.  Anxious to find him, I climbed up an old building, through antique staircases, old elevator shafts, all the way up to the roof top.  Things were already smelling a bit weird, I lost myself in a trail of thought as I was walking up the stairs, about my roommates' old apartment... which was more of a treehouse anyway, with a cute window and a giant branch outside one could use to escape in case of an emergency... But here I was, at the top of this 19th century skyscraper... And here's Encanti!
"You ready?" he says to me.
"Sure."
"Then JUMP."
I take his hand and jump off the building, no hesitation.  My stomach weightless, beyond butterflies, I cling to the side of the building trying to slow myself down by sliding and scream out a good 'ol "WOOOAAAAHHHHHH".  It was all getting a bit out of control and the ground was coming fast.  But I knew what to do.  I lean back further into the building to slow down and the wall turns rubbery.  My body bends into the wall, which is now soft and pliable, slowing me down rather smoothly, until I break through it.  Now I am falling (albeit much slower through the still rubbery surface) straight through the outer wall (legs outside the building but torso and head inside) knocking over tables, dressers, bowls of water, and thoroughly interrupting some family's TV time.  "Sorry!" I yelp as I whizz by them.
I hit the ground running.  "Get on the bus!" I yell out to Encanti.
"No, let's meet up later, I'll see you at the next stop", he retorts and we part ways.
I get on the bus and we hit the city streets feeling pretty good about everything.  I was in a safe place.  My bus driver was a giant, confidently smiling black man.  If I didn't know him better I would swear he was John Coffey from The Green Mile.  The bus itself was the size of a city block, with multiple buildings inside, a wrap around porch, staircases and much needed bullet proof glass.  You see, the thing you were not so far privy to is that the whole universe was at a state of constant war.  I am not sure what started it or why it was so widespread, maybe a rage infection, but here we were, in the middle of it all.  We were all just trying to escape this one city and find a safe patch of ground to settle down on. 
But, back to the war - to the left of the road was a river, and right across it hoards and hoards of space indians with all sorts of weapons.  To the right - was a gnarly city ghetto, populated with most badass armed-to-the-teeth thugs and, of course, the Red Army, which was temporarily on their side, shooting across the river at the indians.  It was definitely good that we were armored and massive as we were, since we were, somewhat unfortunately, placed immediately in the middle of the firefight.
My heart sped up a few bpm as bullets started being aimed at us.  The ghetto armies were now deciding, grinning ever so wickedly, to take over our armored bus.  We are almost out of the city when the bullets finally break through the windshield, striking right near my good friend John Coffey. Yet another bullet pierces the thick glass pane. Splat, ricochet, then quiet.  We crossed the city boundary and pulled to a stop.  I would assume that stopping meant that we were finally safe, but the look on John's face was the opposite.  He was genuinely scared for the first time.  He leaned over to me and whispered quietly "go up to your room, as quietly as possible, and do not make ANY noise NO MATTER WHAT".  I don't have to ask again.  I know the dangers are everywhere.  I quietly tip toe around the wrap around porch climbing up the stairs to go hide in my room, when I see someone, who looks like a bus tenant, a kindly looking white man in his 30s, dressed in a simple shirt and trousers, walking down the stairs from the top of the bus towards the exit.  I hesitate, squirming inside from not wanting to break my promise, but I can't bare to see this person get hurt so I warn him in hushed voice "Wait!  It's not safe there!".  He smiles warmly as he sees me.  "Thanks kindly.  What is your name?"  We engage in  pleasant soft chatter for a bit, then I notice a subtle twitch in his brow.  "What's on your mind?" I ask.  "Oh, nothing... I am just saying hello to my ex right now...  A big ol bus driver.  You haven't seen him, have you?" And that when I hear, roaring and loud as an earthquake "RUUUUNNNN".  The bus driver appears nearly torn to shreds by some invisible forcefield. "RUUUUNNN" he says again at me as the pleasant stranger now lifts off the ground, levitating a few inches off and clearly pulling the bus driver in with his way over 9000 force field.  "Well hello dear... long time no see!"
I want none of this domestic dispute.  I jump off right when the bus shatters off into hyperspace and land on a bridge between the Niagara Falls.  It's a big ol' antique metal bridge, perfectly capable of supporting the weight load of a few spaceships.  To the left, the war between Russians and Indians.  To the right, a nuclear scorched Canada.  And everywhere in between, an infinite number of moons and planets, each with their violent nonsensical conflict going on.  "Finding haven out there is a pretty difficult task, so I might as well sit here for a moment", I thought, settling down on the iron beams over the Niagara Falls.  After all, as my Belarusian mom has so keenly put it to me, "Sure there are plenty planets with plenty of weird things blowing up all over the place, but what good is that to you if you ain't none of those motherfuckers speak a word of English?"

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