November 17, 1996  Sunday

Bare with me here as I relate this story through the experiences of a first grader.  For some reason I have always remembered this experience quite vividly, while others visions have fallen away:

Superman, Batman, Aquaman and Wonder Woman were standing together, with hands on hips, by the newspaper stand on the corner of Elmwood’s Central Park.  From the light of day I would guess it was early afternoon.  Suddenly without a goodbye they all flew up into the sky and disappeared.

We’re off the clock, kid.

The departing heroes couldn’t have come at a worse time.  Over the tops of the two-story brick stores from the other side of the street from the park–that houses the cafe, pharmacy, and Fair Store–arose the top half of a large monster.  Over the years I have slowly forgotten what this creature looked like.  Maybe it was a dragon, or a monster with fur and horns.  I really don’t know.

Sure, why not.

In response the crowd around me starting running in every possible direction.  I myself cut across Magnolia, going west along and then around the row of brick stores the monster had been behind, hoping it wouldn’t notice me.   When I arrived at the back of the stores the monster stepped over the building to then go crashing through the leafy green park after a few unfortunate souls.  I took this opportunity to return the way I came, back around to Magnolia.  Then I continued to run along the street, but suddenly I found the monster had returned.  I looked up, and he was staring down, right at me.  I took off, spiriting this time down Main Street, going west and out of town.

The last thing I vaguely remember was nearing the nearing the outskirts of town, and I looked back.  I saw people also jogging down Main with the beast high above and close behind.

I have never really had nightmares, but have experienced similar dreams like this several times.  In these dreams the faster I run the slower I go, until I’m frozen, and I know it is about to catch me from behind.

Not my favorite thing in the world,