I had a dream last night that I feel pictures my predicament. It is a little odd, because it is a dream. But if you follow, it makes sense.
My wife and I went to seminary to study to be church leaders. Our home in the seminary appeared livable, but a little old. We were on the 4th floor in a corner apartment. The 4 buildings formed a square with a courtyard between. Everyone knew that the old buildings had some squeaks and rattles, but on the surface they seems good enough.
After a time, officials were called in and all people in the building to our left were asked to leave because it had deteriorated to a point of being uninhabitable. After this many problems throughout all the buildings where uncovered. I left to examine the state of our home and found that the 4th floors throughout the complex were in near immediate danger of collapsing. There were holes in the walls that were hidden with plaster patches. The patches were cosmetic and a person could have easily fallen through to the ground 4 floors below.
As I wandered the ground, I began to realize that they had dismantled the stairway that I would normally use to return to my apartment. I could not find a way back. Certainly they would have left one way, but I was on my own to find it.
While looking, I walked through he hotel mall next door. Of course, this was not the quiet, peaceful place that the seminary was (or had once been). The mall was full of activity. People were buying things and partying. The crowds overwhelmed some. Others laughed as they took money from strangers. Still, I was drawn to the stability of the building, the nicely constructed apartments attached, the sweet treats being sold by the vendors, and the entertainment. This things all distracted me from my search for a way home.
The mall police were quite obvious. They were busy chasing penny thieves and bigger criminals. I witnessed one officer receiving a complaint. At first, she seem to respond quickly, but en route, she stopped to share a quick laugh with her friend about some poor soul who she had arrested in the past. The child she spoke of was the son of a werewolf. Could it be him that she was after again? I was interested, and even chuckled at the joke that she shared.
Then, my phone rang. It was my wife. She was wondering where I was. I told her that I was looking for a way back to the 4th floor. Others had been too. She had been talking to the other people stranded on the floor about how they could get their lost spouses to them, but, at this point, no one was sure. Perhaps the answer would be in the mall. Maybe I should try one of the new Hovercoppers being sold down the way.
Then I awoke. Now what?
