“There has got to be something more to this.”

     I heard the voice.  It brought me out of a dead sleep and it wasn’t a dream.  It was a voice that was hovering over me.

     “A lot of people are dying because you won’t pay attention bub.”

     Even though I could hear the voice as clear as I could hear my own whispers of terror I couldn’t get myself awake.  There was a psychedelic hallucination feeling all around me.

     “More will die.  More will die today if you don’t find what it is that you can’t remember.  It’s right there on the tip of your imagination.  Just go for a walk my friend and you will find the seeker with the truth.”

     I jerked up out of the bed.  I was covered with cold sweat.  I was alone.

     There was a metallic smell all through my apartment.  It was as if metal was being heated to some unbelievable temperature.  It burnt my eyes and my nose.  I ran to the door and flung it open wondering if maybe something was on fire in the apartment somewhere.  Standing facing me was, well it was me.  I was looking directly at myself.

     It wasn’t a reflection.  It was a human being just as I am or as I think I am.  I reached out and touched him, me and he, I laughed, “I’m real, as real as you are John.”

     Behind me was a door.  I, the other me walked over and opened the door and the two of us walked in.  I said to me, “Welcome home.”

     Standing in front of me was Riz.  She was so excited to see me.  “Oh John you made it!  You are in the house.  Now we can find out what secrets this house really does hold for the two of us.”

     The house was the same one that I had been dreaming about all my life.  When I met Riz she told me about dreaming of a house and we figured out that we were both dreaming of the same house.  There were so many common elements to Riz and I but something still kept us apart for the most part but here we were in the house together.

     The house from the outside looked like a tall ramshackle old shack painted a pale green color sitting right next to the road but once you were inside of it, well it was a whole different universe.  The house was infinite in its rooms and in what was held in those rooms.  There could be treasures beyond believe or there could be horrors beyond any imagination.

     Riz threw her arms around me and kissed me lovingly, “Bear I’m going to fix us something to eat and drink.  Take a look around why don’t you.”

     Riz floated off into the kitchen and I headed for a stairway that was against one of the walls in one of the massive rooms of the house.  I don’t know why but something at the top of the stairs was where my attention was taking me.

     When I got to the top of the stairs I looked up and there was another door and at the door was a woman with wild fire red hair wearing a deep blue velvet dress.  Her eyes were indigo black and her skin was so milky smooth.  “John, are you sure you are ready for what is beyond this door?  Remember what happened the last time?”

     I shook my head, “No I don’t remember, so let me go through the door.”

     This exquisite woman stepped to the side and the door opened and I walked inside.

     The room was polished wood floors and the walls and ceilings looked like they were also made of the same wood that the floors were and they all were shining and polished.

     The room was full of furniture.  Everywhere I looked there were chairs, couches, tables, lamps, beds, stereos, TV’s, kitchen appliances and rugs.  The room just went on forever.

     Without even thinking about it I started moving the furniture around and making little living spaces with chairs, couches, tables, entertainment and then on the other side of the room I made a makeshift kitchen and then a bedroom.  Once I got done with putting together a space that was like a two bedroom apartment I felt myself being drawn to the rest of the room and the furniture and I continued to keep making living spaces. 

I have no idea how much time has passed.  It could have been minutes, hours, days or years.

Suddenly I was freezing cold.  I was shivering.  I was also standing in front of my apartment on the sidewalk where I had seen the other me.  I had on a t-shirt and pajama bottoms and was barefoot and it was snowing.  I had no idea how long I had been standing there or if anyone had noticed me standing there.

I turned and was as stiff as a board.  I shuffled to the door of my apartment and went inside.  The warmth of my apartment hit me and I almost passed out.  Lounge music was playing from my computer.

I looked over at the clock on the stove in the kitchen and it said 11:11.  I didn’t know what day it was or if it was morning or night.  I turned and looked out the window on my front door and it was dark outside so I figured it was 11:11 at night.  It had been the morning when I opened the door the first time.

I turned from the window in my door and then turned back around and grabbed the handle and opened the door and it was light outside.  I closed the door and felt myself begin crying.

There was a knock on the door.  I turned and opened it.  It was my neighbor Jan, “John are you alright?  I noticed you standing for a very long time earlier and maybe I should have said something but, well I didn’t.  You’ve been crying.  What’s wrong John?”

I smiled a shy smile, “I think everything is ok.  Not really sure.  Please come in.  Get out of the cold.  Jan what day is it?”

Jan giggled, “Its Friday silly.”

cool peace

hippy mike

love

 Aardvark Handshake - Chapter One

Aardvark Handshake - Chapter Two

Aardvark Handshake - Chapter Three