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Electric Dreams Volume 01 Issue 13
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| Electric Dreams |
| Volume 1 Issue 13 |
| 21 August 1994 |
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| Please send contributions, comments, or mailing list requests to |
| cbeattie@uwspmail.uwsp.edu or cbeattie@worf.uwsp.edu |
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Dedicated to sharing and exploring dreams
______________________________________________________________________
Table of Contents
Article Line
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Message Center 46
Poll Results 48
FTP Site 57
Postmodern Dreaming 74
Dreams and Comments 84
Werewolf Dreams comments - Bob 100
Unnameable Corpse comments - Bob 188
Castles in the Sky comments - Bob 365
Castles in the Sky comments - Cathy 391
Nirvana Again comments - Bob 408
Reptilian Genius comments - Bob 446
Comparing Lines dream - Val 472
The Apparatus dream - Val 558
Comparing Lines comments - Pamela 661
The Apparatus comments - Pamela 683
Comparing Lines comments - Bob 705
The Apparatus comments - Bob 767
The Electric Wheelchair dream - Friend of Matthew 826
The Electric Wheelchair comments - Pamela 851
To the Shore dream - Mystery Guest 876
At the Mountain - Mystery Guest 954
Articles 1040
Tarot Dream Interpretation - Val 1043
Questions and Answers 1133
Herbs and Dreaming? - Anne Marie 1141
______________________________________________________________________
Message Center
====== Poll Results: Newsletter vs. Mailing List =====================
I've received a number of votes from last issues poll on wheter
to keep Electric Dreams a newsletter or turn it into a mailing list.
The overwhelmingly popular vote was to stay with the newsletter. This
can always be put to a re-vote in the future, but for now, Electric
Dreams will remain in its every other week, fully moderated and hopefully
nicely organized format.
====== Announcing the Electric Dreams FTP Site =======================
Finally, for those of you who have been requesting back issues
that I haven't been able to send, you can now FTP the back issues for
yourself, any time of day or night, no matter how busy your moderator
is. I haven't registered the FTP software yet, but hope to have this
done by week's end. You can get all 13 issues of Electric Dreams at...
sppc51.uwsp.edu.
Just login as anonymous. No password required. I hope to add a
FAQ on the newsletter, so if you can think of any questions that should
be included, let me know. (By this I mean a FAQ about the newsletter
itself, not a FAQ about dreaming in general, although I would be willing
to post one of those as well.) Please email me at
cbeattie@uwspmail.uwsp.edu if you have any problems.
====== Postmodern Dreaming ===========================================
I'm planning a study in 1995 on using postmodern theory in dreamwork. If
you are interested in any co-projects along this line or have any suggestions
or comments, send to: RCWilk@aol.com
or Electric Dreams
Richard C. Wilkerson
______________________________________________________________________
Dreams and Comments
Do you have a dream you would like to share with the newsletter?
Send it in to Electric Dreams. Our group of volunteers will read through
your dream and add comments in time for publication (as long as you don't
send a dream in the Friday before the newsletter is due to come out).
Do you have comments of your own on the dreams or commentary
published here? Send that in too. Email it either to Electric Dreams,
or send it directly to Cathy, our volunteer "Dreams and Comments" editor,
at: cathy@cassandra.ucr.edu.
If you would like to know more about the commentary core group,
email me (cbeattie@uwspmail.uwsp.edu). This info will hopefully be in
the up and coming FAQ.
======Interpretation of WEREWOLF DREAM (Issue 12) by Bob==============
This dream may reflect that T is both angry and fearful of becoming
emotionally vulnerable. The anger could be creating strong
antisocial impulses, i.e., T wants to "kill" feelings that make him
feel vulnerable. The dream appears to be a structure within which T's
consciously unacceptable antisocial impulses can be adapted within a
dream and experienced in an acceptable manner, while at the same time
disguising his fear of vulnerability. T's dream mind absolves T of
responsibility for his antisocial impulses in several ways.
(1). First, T (and V) are "werewolves who were ecological warriors
(sort of like Supernatural Green Peace commandos). We were hunting
down people and corporations who were damaging the environment." T
is literally not his natural self. His is therefore, not responsible
for his actions.
(2). Secondly, T and V are just "following orders." "We had orders
from Gaia (the Earth Goddess) to destroy all those who were in our
way." Again, T is not responsible for his actions.
(3). Third, the mayhem is all for a greater cause. "It was a very
bloody dream with a lot of senseless killing and madness, but it was
all for good. We were saving the Earth by doing this." Yet, once
again T is removed from responsibility for murder (because avoiding
vulnerability, or at least the knowledge of it, is a good cause).
(4). Fourth, T's dream mind tries to make V responsible for T's
antisocial impulses, and thus again let T slip away from being
responsible for his actions (feelings). "Somehow Tom found out that
BJ was working at Consolidated and he had to be destroyed. Tom was
reluctant to destroy BJ. BJ was _my_ friend--it was not his
decision to have BJ destroyed and he couldn't bring himself to
destroy BJ. It was the only time in the dream that Tom was hesitant
to kill someone for the Greater Cause of the Goddess." If V makes
the decision to kill BJ, then T is not responsible for BJ's death.
And if V decides that BJ should live, then T is not responsible for
ticking off the Goddess. Either way, T is out of the loop of
responsibility.
(5). Fifth, T's dream mind coopts V into becoming a moral
equivocator. In the dream, Tom said I told him, "But Tom, he doesn't
know he's harming the environment. We shouldn't have to destroy him.
We should inform him about what he's doing so he can become one of
the werewolves..." Since it's T's dream, T is projecting his own
moral rationalization onto V. "Tom scoffed at this. "BJ a
werewolf?! That's a joke." T is saying that BJ doesn't have the
potential to change his nature. T also appears to be saying that he
and V have different natures than BJ. Could this mean that T and V
have more in common with each other. There appears to be just a hint
of competition (romantic?) in the remark.
(6). The next segment of the dream may be the most revealing.
"Eventually Tom was stopped by his ex-girlfriend, Messina, who asked
him, "Why do you make it your mission to destroy people? Why are you
so distant and aloof? Why can't you be more open to new people?"
Tom explained; "Because people destroy the environment around us.
They are hard to trust." The stimulus for the dream may possibly be
T's feeling of alienation. He wants intimacy (personified by
Messina) but finds it hard to trust enough to allow himself to become
vulnerable. Intimacy and suspicion cannot coexist together. Could
this be the reason that T's relationship with M, and possibly other
relationships, have faltered? T makes V a kindred soul, possibly
because in their actual relationship V is non-threatening, and
possibly because as long as one other person is perceived as similar,
T can tell himself that his is not alone.
(7). The dream ends ambiguously. "Tom felt proud and powerful. We
met up with other werewolves from out of town and we danced about a
huge bonfire. We were honoring the Earth. But BJ still had to be
destroyed. Tom came to me for my final decision, but he never found
out what my decision was because he woke up." T does not grapple
with the conflict of intimacy versus vulnerability.
(8). The end of the dream reflects the ongoing struggle. "But BJ
still had to be destroyed. Tom came to me for my final decision, but
he never found out what my decision was because he woke up."
Questions don't get answered, decisions aren't made, because in T's
conscious life he avoids asking himself questions or making decisions
that could lead to vulnerability. Possibly the fighting and
defending that goes on in T's recurring dreams may reflect the
struggles going on in his emotional life.
As always, if T disagrees with the above interpretation, then it is
wrong. Only the dreamer knows.
======Interpretation of the UNNAMEABLE CORPSE (Issue 12) by Bob=====
DREAM: "I was with a group of people I didn't know and we were
walking toward a nature reserve (Smeekle Reserve) where I used to
live across from. Only two other people were there that I
recognized; Tom and Will. For some reason we were singing the U2
song "When Love Comes to Town." I don't really care for that song
in real life, but I was getting a lot of enjoyment singing it with
this crowd. The crowd disappeared when we reached the reserve. Only
Tom and Will were with me."
COMMENT: You're walking toward a nature reserve with strangers,
literally toward your past. (Were you reserved with strangers in
your past? Did you feel more secure if people didn't really know
you?) I'm not familiar with the song "When Love Come To Town," but
the group (U2) may be of significance as a symbol; perhaps something
like Love is coming to town for you too. As for the crowd, we can't
count on strangers (and our own reserve can hasten their departure).
Tom and Will do not leave you. Could their personas (or in Will's
case his name, represent qualities the dreamer seeks or wants?
DREAM: "When we came to the corner by the reserve, I smelled
something really awful--something like dead flesh that's been left
out in the sun too long, not necessarily "rotting" flesh, just
recently dead flesh--kinda like fresh roadkill. I looked over into
the reserve. There was a mass of scattered clothes in the bushes
that had been spilled out of a luggage case. And there was
photographs and money (in big bills) all over the street."
COMMENT: V smells a recent death is in the air, and she sees
protective covering (clothes), memories (photographs), and high value
bills scattered about.
DREAM: "Looks like someone threw it all out their car window," Will
suggested after viewing the mess. "I don't know," I told the guys,
"maybe someone was attacked on their way to the airport. Who would
leave this stuff behind?"
COMMENT: Although Will tells V that the stuff was left behind
deliberately, V wants to believe that the stuff was too valuable to
be leave behind voluntarily. Whoever left it behind must have been
forced to do so. Possibly, the recent death is a symbol of a
recently ended relationship that V is trying to come to grips with
through her dream. The memories of the relationship are valuable,
and she can't quite believe the relationship ended as a deliberate
choice. The clothes may symbolize the "protective covering" of the
relationship (i.e. V's illusions about the relationship), and her
dream mind is preparing her for her next discovery.
DREAM: "The guys told me not to worry about it. We walked across the
street. I slipped on something slimy and fell. Will and Tom suddenly
seemed very far away but they were aware that I had fallen and I
could hear them calling out to see if I was alright."
COMMENT: It appears that V's dream mind has literally cast her in the
role of a "fallen woman," i.e., she has erred, lost status, been
overthrown, etc. What has caused her is the part of the corpse that
grips (i.e. the hand) which, even though dead and severed, can still
cause V. to lose her balance (i.e. her emotional equilibrium).
DREAM: "I tried to get up. I was sticking to the street by a thick
layer of gook. I was horrified. Before I got back up again, I
noticed another mass of clothes--a grey business suit with
suspenders, to be exact. I crawled toward it."
COMMENT: V can't get up and away, she apparently can only crawl
toward the corpse.
DREAM: "As I did so, I came face to face with a mauled human head
that was still attached to its body, but by only a few strands of
worn, stringy flesh. It had only one eye and it was watching me. I
got up immediately, frightened and repulsed. The body had been
hacked to death."
COMMENT: V's dream mind may be telling her that the corpse (the
relationship) has been so badly damaged it can't be "put together"
again.
DREAM: "Suddenly, I felt something attached to my right leg...it was
the other severed hand...it was sticking to me by the congealed
blood. I brushed it off me. By that time, Tom and Will were with me
again."
COMMENT: The dream mind highlights the crux of the emotional
struggle. V at some level knows the relationship can't be put
together again, and at some level the relationship, although dead,
still has a grip on her.
DREAM: "We have to call the police," I cried, "someone's gotta know
what happened here..." Tom shook his head. "No, Val, that wouldn't
be a good idea. Don't you know that the killer always comes back to
admire his handiwork?"
COMMENT: Possibly it is V who is the "someone" who has "gotta know
what happened to her." She wants an answer as to why the
relationship died. The police may also represent V's superconscious
[Freud's superego? --ed. note]; i.e., she wants to be absolved from
responsibility for the death. V's dream mind (Tom) then appears to
tell her that as long as she concentrates on the dead relationship,
she will continue to be affected by it. The question of who or what
killed the relationship will continue to return to and hang around
her consciousness.
DREAM: "After Tom said that, a semi truck careened out of control
down the street towards us. We had to run. Thinking it could've
been the killer, we ducked into this overgrown creek bed and hid
among the lavender and cat-tails."
COMMENT: The truck may be a symbol of masculine power or ambition
that was out of control, and in terms of the relationship, lethal.
The symbolism here may represent V's concern that whatever killed the
relationship still has the power to harm her (other future
relationships?)
DREAM: "We were safe, for awhile. While there, my face began to
itch. When I attempted to relieve myself, I spread more of the
blood (now quickly drying) onto myself. I almost felt like I was
going to puke."
COMMENT: Apparently V can run and V can hide from the dynamics of the
dead relationship, but only so far and for so long. The blood on V's
face may mean she feels like a marked woman, or that she has to face
(analyze) what went wrong with the relationship, even though it
causes her pain. The end of the dream seems to bear this out.
DREAM: "Eventually, we heard sirens. The police came to collect the
mutilated body. Will, Tom, and I decided it was alright for us to
seek shelter in my old apartment. Once inside, it was daylight
outside and it had been months since the discovery of the mutilated
body. But it never ceased to puzzle me. Who was that corpse? I had
to know the truth.
COMMENT: It would appear from the end of the dream that the corpse
was V's relationship with B.P., and the dream mind's version of the
truth may be the words of B.P.'s ex-fling, Collette. Possibly
Collette is also speaking for V.
DREAM: "And, then there was a long interview with Collette,
Brandon's ex-fling. "I loved him so much--no--_we_ loved each other
very much. And now he's gone. Well, I'm not surprised. He had to
do it, you know, leave--even if it meant like this... I know he still
loves me. What man wouldn't? I give everything for free and take
nothing back."
COMMENT: As the dream ends, it appears that V has an "awakening."
She has come to grips with the fact that her relationship, and the
future possibilities of that relationship, are dead, too mutilated to
ever be brought back to life. "He's dead to me," I replied, "and his
corpse stinks..." After that, I woke up.
As always, if V disagrees with the above interpretation, then it is
wrong. Only the dreamer knows.
======Commentary on CASTLES IN THE SKY (Issue 12) by Bob==========
DREAM: "I am in a castle reminiscent of Cinderella's castle in Disney
World. It is sunrise. I am looking out the window when I notice that
the entire castle is being lifted into the sky. As the castle twists
and turns through the clouds, I notice that the beams of golden sun
strike the blocks and make them sparkle. On the foundation, a house
alarm still stands. When I moved it went off."
COMMENT: What comes to mind after reading the above paragraph is the
phrase, "building castles in the air," which is generally used in the
sense that an individual wants to accomplish something, but can only
bring himself to daydream about it rather than take action (take
risks) to make it come true. In A's case the castle lands on the site
on the site of one of his early accomplishments (i.e. having a home
in California), but, all that is left of the accomplishment are its
earliest stages (i.e. it's foundation), the rest is gone. The
symbolism of the foundation suggests that there has already been some
type of loss; (e.e. the house that was built above the foundation is
gone. Perhaps this is a reference to something or someone in A's
past. The dream mind also seems to be warning A that if he makes a
move away from his foundation, there will be "alarming" consequences.
======Commentary on CASTLES IN THE SKY (Issue 12) by Cathy======
This seems such a positive dream to me--the feeling of happiness and
accomplishment at the end of the dream suggest that this is a dream
rewarding you for all the progress you have made towards fulfilling
your life's goals and dreams. The castle and lifting are signs of
power, and the sparkle of the castle in the sun seems to stress the
value of the castle and the flying experience. The landing towards
your now destroyed home seems to indicate how long ago you first
dreamed of going to California--so long ago the house is now gone.
The flying castle seems to indicate how elevated your dreams and
accomplishments now are, compared to the grounded home that was your
previous dream. The alarm might be a signal that you are starting to
move towards your new goal, a call to wake up to the new change.
======Commentary on NIRVANA AGAIN (Issue 12) by Bob==============
DREAM: "I am at a Nirvana concert and I know Kurt is dead. The band
is about to start. My sister Sherry comes to pull me out of the
crowd. She says, "Don't you know you're on in five minutes? Get
Ready!" I go stumbling back stage and put on some grunge wear.
Someone tells me to stay in line."
COMMENT: The symbolism here again suggests someone or something is
"dead," and possibly because of one's own actions. It appears that A
is not ready to be "on", to take Kurt's place, to lead the band.
He hastily dons appropriate cover (i.e. grunge wear) backstage, and
is told "to stay in line," ( a remark which is somewhat similar to
the function of the house alarm in the first dream.)
DREAM: "I go on stage and the crowd goes wild. I start with "Teen
Spirit" even though I don't know the words (who does?). As I sing,
the band jams along. At one point, I decide to break in between songs
to try out a few of my own lyrics. There are tears in the audience
because they all know Kurt is dead. As I sing a song about a martyr,
the lighters start twinkling. The band grabs me and pulls me off
stage. "You didn't follow the plan. Don't you know what people want?
They can't be fooled. People know he's dead. They don't want a clone,
they want to true energy and feel that he brought."
COMMENT: A is chastised by the members of his band for singing just
a few of his own lyrics, for singing his own song, for being himself.
The band tells him, the crowd doesn't want him to mimic Kurt, they
want him to recreate the energy that Kurt brought to the concerts.
In the dream however, the crowd does not seem hostile to A. The
question is then, who or what in A's life does the band symbolize,
and who or what is represented by the crowd?
======Commentary on REPTILIAN GENIUS (Issue 12) by Bob=============
DREAM: "A friend of mine had a baby. At about the age of one, it was
walking around and talking. Not just talking, but making
philosophical commentary on our perceptions and the "true" child-like
knowledge we lost when we were forced into society's institutions.
After talking with the genius for a while, I noticed that it had
reptilian feet. He noticed I noticed, smiled, and said, "Shhh.""
COMMENT: This dream appears summarize the conflicts in all 3 dreams,
which in fact may really be only one conflict. A apparently wants to
start something new. He fears loss (the house), disapproval (the
attitude of the band) and the fact that although the enterprise
appears intellectually lofty and avant garde, at it's base it is
quite primitive and almost the exact opposite of what it seems to be.
In short, A may be feeling that instead of an original creator or
thinker he will be perceived as an imitator, (a clone), a lowlife
(reptiles are close to the ground) and will in fact lose what he has
already built-up (the house).
As always, if A does not agree with the above interpretation then it
is wrong. Only the dreamer knows.
======"COMPARING LINES" by Val========================================
----------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE FROM VAL: The following is a very weird dream--and I don't
just mean weird as in silly or strange--it's a very twisted sort of
weird. This dream also happens to be one of the many Neil Gaiman
dreams I've been having this year. I'm still trying to figure out
why I'm dreaming of Neil--I don't know him and have never met him.
He's a great writer...and I like his work... perhaps I'm identifying
with him on some level. In any case, this is still a weird dream.
You'll see what I mean after you read the following...
VMK
8-8-94
------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE FROM CATHY, THE EDITOR: This is a long dream so I put in some
numbers and letters to help guide people through the dream
(1) I was in the TLC (Tutoring-Learning Centre here at UWSP) and
there was a mini-convention going on in there. Where the tutoring
booths should've been, there were white tables and comic books were
scattered all over them. By these white tables were the people who
"made" these comics. I knew these people, yet I don't know these
people--I had only heard of their names before and have viewed/read
their work. Here is the list of the people that were there: Jill
Thompson (a penciler), Karen Berger (an editor), Dave McKeon (another
artist), Colleen Duran (yet another artist whose name I probably
misspelled because I can't remember--oh never mind!), and of course
there was Neil Gaiman (a writer). These people were giving each
other palm readings and they were comparing the lines in their hands.
I didn't want to interrupt, but I felt they were going about this
the wrong way. I had to show them the correct way to "read palms."
Once I started talking to them, they seemed impressed with my
knowledge of Palmistry and I gave them each some pretty in-depth
readings.
(2) Eventually Neil (in his usual dark sunglasses and black
T-shirt) turned to me and said; "I suppose now you'd like to do me a
Tarot reading..."
(3) He looked at me expectantly and I told him that I would, but
I didn't know him very well. He told me that was "perfect" and I
became frightfully nervous. By this time I noticed we were both
dressed completely in black (it's sort of a habit in real life,
too--for me to wear black that is) and we went out in the hallway
where I gave him a reading in private...except there were people
passing by all the time because it was at a convention.
(4) While doing the reading, I sensed that he had the same
problems I have with people. There was nothing specific about these
little "problems," it was just that there _were_ problems relating.
And, even though Neil in real life is ten or so years older than I
am, we seemed to be the same age. After the Tarot reading (it was
strange because I don't remember looking at any of my cards), I
looked back at his palm. His heart line, head line, and life line
were all identical and completely parallel to one another. I had
never seen a hand like that. Then I looked at my own hand lines and
found my lines to be identical to his.
(5) Neil then asked me if I could teach him Magick (the Craft)
and I was taken aback. It had to have been some sort of test. He
told me not to worry about it and I felt flattered (not so worried).
Then he gave me a quirky smile and said: "You ought to meet my
brother..." He told me to meet his "brother" at an old library the
next night. Then he disappeared and I left the building.
(6) Outside it was cold and wintery, but there was no snow. I
went into another building--it looked like the Fine Arts building
here on the UWSP campus, but when I went inside the courtyard was a
factory and, after I passed through that, I came to the library
(right where my old locker used to be). When I walked into the
library (through my old locker), I was delighted to see so many
books--they covered the walls all the way to the ceiling! I felt
safe there. In dreamtime, I stayed there all day into the night.
No one else was there except for me. The books were my only company
and I did not read them. I just took some off the shelves, stacked
them around me like a barricade, and "smelled" them (my favorite
smell is one of paper and ink).
(7) After smelling some rather nice books, a man came to me. He
was the exact double of Neil Gaiman...
======"THE APPARATUS" (part II of Val's Dream)========================
(A) I knew that this man must be Neil's brother. I asked him for
his name but he just took me by the arm. "We have to get into the
shade," he hissed, "you know ...somewhere where we can hide!"
Surprised I just said, "okay," and we hid in a dark corner behind one
of the shelves. Once there, all the lights went off and the only
sources of light were the EXIT sign on the back door and the dim
yellow of the emergency (back up power) light.
(B) Libraries are cool at night. I liked this part of the dream
because I felt safe in the dark corner. In real life I used to work
at a library and one time, after studying, I fell asleep and didn't
wake up till after closing when all was dark. I loved how
comfortable, yet eerie everything is in a library after dark; that's
kind of how I was feeling in this part of the dream...comfortable,
yet eerie. Neil's "brother" whispered this to me in our hiding place
(it's from a Roy Orbison song):
(C) "In dreams I walk with you...and in dreams I talk...to you.
In dreams you're mine, all the time, forever in dreams... But just
before the dawn, I'll wake and find you gone..."
"Who are you really?" I asked him.
(D) He just smiled. "Neil's told me about you," he said as he
begun to take all his clothes off, "but he doesn't know you yet
because you're from the future and you aren't who you really are
meant to be yet."
(E) By the time he was completely nude, I asked him what he
wanted.
"I want to love you. I want to give you gifts. I want
you..."
(F) I couldn't believe it. I laughed. I looked down and saw
that he had an enormous penis that pointed up to twenty inches (at
least)! This was silly.
(G) "But you're not wearing anything!" I protested, after
laughing my head off.
"What do you mean?" He asked so politely and innocently that
it almost made me hurl. "Do you want me to wear a condom?"
(H) I was still laughing. "Well, yes," I told him and I pulled
out a plastic bag that turned into a big fiercesome mechanical
apparatus when I opened it to fit it over his gigantic penis. Once
this apparatus was on him, I clamped it down and twisted some knobs.
As I turned these knobs clockwise, the apparatus shrank his penis
down to normal size. I did not know why I did this. I guess I just
had to make him appear more "normal" and "down to size."
(I) Suddenly, a door burst open and two police officers came in
with guns and flashlights. Now I knew we were going to be in
trouble. We were in a public place after closing, he was indecently
"exposed", and I just clamped a dangerous-looking apparatus on his
penis! I tried to help him get dressed, but his pants wouldn't fit
over the apparatus.
(J) "I have an idea," he said, "why don't we both get naked and
dance before the cops..."
(K) This seemed like a logical thing to do in the dream. When
the police got to us, they ordered us to put our hands in the air.
We stood there completely exposed to them. Then Neil's "brother"
took my hand, and we danced the Tango. This overwhelmed the cops
with laughter and they left. After that, we had our clothes back on
and everything seemed back to normal.
(L) Then I was back in the hallway in front of the TLC doing that
Tarot reading for Neil. I remember two cards from that reading: The
Moon and The High Priestess (out of the deck I've
designed/illustrated).
(M) "I'm not yet your equal, but we'll get along just fine," I
told him in the reading.
He smiled. "Even if only in dreams..."
This made me feel strangely happy and hopeful.
After that, I was awake.
-------------------------------------------------------------
