5/4 A haunting

Stress dream!
I don't remember specific details of the beginning of this dream, but it involved being in a town at night. For various reasons I'd find myself out with someone walking along this road. The darkness was a dark green, and the brick buildings were orange in the glow of the streetlights. The first two times, I was with my dad as we walked along. A unique part of the dream was that it had a soundtrack, like a movie. Every time a haunting happened, scary music started playing. It was very specific and developed music too. The first time it was a song with trembling strings that led into a larger horror song. The second time it was a big crashing thing with a full orchestra.

Anyway, I don't remember it so well, but we'd see something weird across the street, music would start playing, then my vision would distort (I'm tempted to call it the screen since I knew it was happening everywhere, and it was a very cinematic dream). Everything would become dark and twisting, and we would be visited by some apparition. The dream was mostly from first person, but sometimes it had a shot from a third person perspective, with the viewpoint a tight angle very close to the back of my head. For some reason I had short hair, and it wasn't even realistic. It was cartoon-like, and pretty much how I drew Kain's hair in my animation.

So the part I do remember: My dad and I were walking along, and he spies a shop he used to love. The sign read "Casey Jone's Disco" (Have I been listening to too much Greatful Dead?) Anyway he explained that it used to be a great disco before the owner was ruined. We went in, and it was a very small market of some kind. Various people were inside, all looking down on their luck. In the front was a magazine stand with a group of magazines featuring a man in his 50's with gray curly hair, a face with deep crags of features, and a large, doughy nose that looked like a ball that had been smushed onto his face. The title read "The Scandal of Casey Jones." "That is Casey Jones." my dad explained. "He was ruined after they found him drinking tampon water from one of the employees." Suddenly I imagined Casey Jones' voice on the telephone, ordering his secretary not to tell anybody that he 'lit the tampon water on fire'. "But this," Said my dad, walking to the back of the store, "is the real Casey Jones." He gestured to a group of magazines and posters illustrating a younger Casey Jones in full disco outfit, dancing and being successful. Obviously this place had been a large part of my dad's life.

We made our way to the front, squeezing through the tight aisles (there were only 2) and fat women in pink nightgowns. My dad needed to use the ATM, but standing there was someone familiar. He stared at us, smiling kindly, having watched our conversation in back. "You're Casey Jones aren't you." My dad said. "No." The man who looked exactly like the Casey Jones from the first magazine replied, trying to hide his smile. My dad shrugged and accepted it, and began using the ATM. I watched the man and felt good inside. Here was a man who lost everything and was generally looked down on by society, but hearing that my dad still liked and respected him probably made him feel great.

I looked down. There was a shopping cart that people were both putting things in and taking things out of. It was mostly a few empty soda bottles. For some reason I had an empty 2L of ginger ale so I put it in the cart, and soon a woman took it out for herself, putting a coke bottle in. What a strange exchange. Then I spied a pile of bills in the cart. I looked around, and everyone in the store smiled and nodded at me, encouraging me to take it. I reached down and picked up the $500+. Casey Jones noticed and turned to me. "I'm doing very badly recently, may I have some?" he asked. His warmness was gone however, and I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. My dad came and stood next to me. After I didn't respond, Casey Jones spoke again. "I'll issue an ultimatum. You'll give me all or nothing." I was silent. My dad turned to the group in the store. "What do you think?" He asked them. "All or nothing?" Various people shook their heads and gave thumbs down. "Sorry," my dad said, "It's nothing." We turned to leave the store, but Casey Jones followed us.

When we left the store, something shifted, and I was on that same street, but now with my mother instead of father, and Casey Jones now took the form of Obadiah Stane, specifically the Jeff Bridges version from the Iron Man movie. I tried to put the money in my pocket as we walked, but it was difficult to fit in. Casey Jones was following us, and I didn't want him to see which pocket I put the money in. I tried waiting for him to turn away to switch which pocket I was putting it into, but it took to long to fit into any pocket. Finally, he turned away and began walking towards a parking lot, and I knew he was going to the car where my sister waited, but I didn't care as long as he wasn't following us. We continued walking for a bit, when I looked to my left. A border collie was standing on a skateboard, rolling down the street, and high notes began to be played on an echoing piano. "We're about to be haunted." I told my mom, sighing. At this point I was used to it. "No we're not." She laughed. "We so are." I said. "Just watch." She didn't believe me. "Whatever, you'll see." I shrugged. Nothing was happening yet, but then the dog got off the skateboard and ran over to us. It arrived as a golden lab, bounding over and happy to see us. The piano stopped. 'that was weird' I thought, and then my alarm went off.

Very weird, but cool. So detailed in things like the music and the face of Casey Jones. As for drinking tampon water... I'm going to blame that on my friends. That seems like something some of them might say...