Family Jewels

Dreams.

Reading a Stranger in a Strange Land in a beach side hotel. I notice that the movie (that does not exist in real life, by the way) is playing at the same time. The movie is precisely as the book goes; a pure port from one form to another. After fifteen minutes my companions decided that we should visit some museums in the town we were visiting.

Curious enough, we seemed to be in a south-asian location such as vietnam or cambodia. However, the town was very Americanized. Upon asking what town we were a friend stated we were in Battle Creek. The stark contrast between a south-asian climate and Battle Creek, Michigan is astounding. At this point I knew I was dreaming but forged on anyway.

We drive to a history museum that housed very precious metals and jewels. Many of us waited in the lobby while a few friends pay for the admission. During our wait I had some very good conversations with fellow tourists and sight-seers alike. One man commented on my bonsai tree tattoo on my arm. He stated "You know, sir, I highly respect your reverence to mother nature. In my country a man marked with nature is a man that can be trusted and sought for all kinds of advice."

Another conversation occured between an family from India; a woman and her two children. The children stated that the family was travelling after their father passed. It was always their fathers dream to explore and see the sights with their children; so in commemoration they would travel and see it all. The woman was telling me a bit about the building and why it housed the jewells. She also pointed to a joined building that, amongst other things, housed the worlds most valuable jewells. She also said, sadly, that nearly daily there was an attempted robbery of the jewells.

So at this point I get worried that my friends are taking too long to get our admission tickets. I notice in the joined building that two figures are running back towards our building followed by three armed policemen. I had a deep suspicion that these two people were going to be shot down. I shouted "EVERYBODY COVER YOUR EARS, THERES GOING TO BE GUN SHOTS!" As usual per my dreams nary a soul listens to my warning. Moments later four shotgun blasts ring out and down the halls. (Why do my suspicions and feelings come true in my dreams?)

Panic immediately comes over myself and my companions as we have not seen our friends in quite some time. We all bolt to the turn-style for admission, on the way the policemen chase down a woman that seemed to be dressed as a museum employee. The policemen push her down and point a pistol to her skull. I immediately look at the Indian children in horror and luckily their mother was covering their eyes and ears. I turn back around and the policeman pulls the trigger. The smell, the blood... all so real in my mind.

Horrified I step towards the policeman in blatent defiance of the public scene. He points the gun at me... my alarm wakes me up.