Dreamland

The Blinding Light

I'm carrying a basket of dirty laundry, on my way to the Laundromat. I live downtown, in the low -rent district. To get to the Laundromat I have to cut through an old indoor mall, with lots of small open shops and stands where vendors sell fruit, drinks, and gifts. Kinda like the old place in downtown Tijuana.

I almost knock over a stack of dishes that a vendor is selling. I see a cute ceramic salt and pepper shaker set shaped like a crow and an egg, on the table next to the dishes. I decide to buy it. "How much?" I ask the man.

"Eighty dollars for each piece," the vendor replies.

I haggle with the man, and finally end up paying only $85 for both pieces. (I guess things are more expensive in Dreamland, because at the time this seems like a good price to me.)

I leave the mall and walk into the courtyard in front of a classy hotel. I hear the drone of engines, and look up to see a large zeppelin descending. A crew of uniformed men grabs the guide ropes on the front of the zeppelin, and they pull it towards the docking pole next to the hotel. The pilot cuts the engines, and I walk over for a closer look.

"Sorry, only authorized personnel allowed in the area," a guard says, directing me away.

As I step back, I hear the loud sound of an approaching jet. I look up, as do the other people in the area: it's a military jet. I can see red markings in a foreign language on the wings as it passes over us. I see a shiny cylindrical object fall from it as it flies over the heart of the city, about a mile away.

Suddenly there is a blinding flash. For a split second I feel absolute terror, as I realize what is happening. Then the energy wave hits me, and I am vaporized…

I am floating high above the mushroom cloud, looking down at the dust and debris of the aftermath. I no longer inhabit my body; I am pure energy. I no longer feel any fear; I am completely at peace with myself. All in all, thinking back, I didn't have too bad a life, I suppose.

I guess now I get to see what happens next.