Science fiction, fantasy, mystery and what-not
Pentafloof (floofinition) – 1. A dwelling with five animals. 2. Geometric shape formed by five floofs. 3. Constellation of five animals that animals use to guide them.
In use: “The night had clouded over. The dog couldn’t see the stars and the pentafloof. She curled up in resignation. Despite her fear, and the worries that she knew her people would be experiencing, she’d need to wait out the storm before she could return home.”
A dusky, beautiful young woman approached me. Wearing a short, light-blue skirt and high heels, she seemed like she was sixteen years old, but trim and gorgeous, with a doe’s large, dark eyes, and long, black parted in the middle framing a heart-shaped face.
Solemn and reserved, she stopped before me. She was holding a paper and pencil, and held them out toward me. “I’m from a writing class. We’re writing novels. We’re supposed to ask you for help.” Puzzled, I took the paper as she explained that the paper was a checklist of eight things to do to write a novel.
I asked questions to clarify who she was and where she was from. During that exchange, she indicated a large building at the top of the hill. Other classmates approached. All were young, with clear, clean skin and groomed hair. I knew several of them. They, like the first girl, were there to get my help with their writing assignments. They were writing novels and had the same checklist that she had. One boy, who was familiar to me, explained to me that they were on the first step, and needed help to write their novels because they didn’t know what to do.
I felt flattered and told them that I was happy to help them. Meanwhile, I became obsessed with the building that they were supposed to be going to school in. A dark, spicy mustard color, it was set into the top of a green mountain. It was the backside of it that intrigued me most. A floor rested at the very top. Its windows seemed broken and it seemed like it was empty. I wanted to know what was in it. I felt like I’d always wanted to know what was in it.
I asked one of the young men who I knew well if that building was where they went to school. He confirmed that it was. “Then you’ve been in it,” I said.
“Yes.”
“Have you been in the back?”
“The back? I’m not sure.”
“I want to know what’s in the back of the building.”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure what you mean. I need to go.” He took his checklist from me and stood. “But you can go into the building yourself and check it out.”
I went with him to the building. He went off to class. Climbing stairs and taking elevators, I went up as high as I could. One door was in the last room. It was a modern space, but didn’t have any windows. I went to the one door and tried opening it. It was locked but the young woman who I’d first met opened it. She wouldn’t let it open more than the width of her slender body.
She was holding a large mug of coffee. I tried seeing past her. “Can I come in?” I asked.
She shook her head. “But I can give you this coffee.”
“Thanks.” I took the coffee. “I can help you with your checklist, if you’d like.”
“No, thank you. We’re okay.” She closed the door.
Dismayed and frustrated, I stepped back. I wanted into that other room but didn’t know how to get there. Returning to the outside of the building, I contemplated the place that I desired to enter and confirmed, there was movement behind the windows. Something or someone was in there. Sipping the coffee, I plotted ways to satisfy my curiosity, determined to find a way.
The dream ended.
I experienced many dreams last night. One of the most interesting ones was the healing dream.
I’d been walking and my feet hurt, so I sat to massage them. A man sat beside me. Large and black, his head was as round and bald as a basketball.
“What’re you doing?” he asked.
“Massaging my feet because they hurt.”
“I can help you with that.” He held his hands up. They glistened with oil. “I have the power.”
“Okay, cool.”
Taking my feet, he rocked back and forth, humming and massaging them. Skin sloughed off my feet. Pain and soreness went with it.
He finished and rose. “Thanks,” I said. “That was amazing. I really appreciate it.”
Nodding and waving, he said, “No problem,” and then ambled off.
I was still sitting when a woman then approached me. I couldn’t get a clear look at her. It seemed like a misty gauze moved with her, but from glimpses, she seemed slender, young, and white. She wore light blue but her arms were bare. She said, “You look like you could use a massage.”
I debated it and then said, “Okay, sure.”
Darkness fell around us until we were in a circle of yellow-white light. The air grew cooler. She began massaging my chest and shoulders. Her hands and arms went into my chest. I could suddenly see into my chest. Her fingers embraced my heart and massaged it. Shocked and amazed, I just sat there, gawking.
A little girl ran up. The woman took my heart out of my chest. It looked like a piece of fried chicken. She gave it to the girl, who gave the woman a new heart.
As the girl ran off with my fried-chicken heart, the woman put the new heart inside of me. “That feel better?”
I couldn’t speak because I felt so amazed, so I nodded.
“Good.” Shifting her hands, she began massaging my lungs. Air rushed into them like never before. As she massaged me, my perspective changed, so that I was now watching her from outside of myself. Next, she massaged my liver, and then my stomach, and then moved her hands up, and massaged my head. I held my breath as I saw her squeezing, shaping, and re-shaping my brain.
“There,” she said. “Done.” She was gone, and I was back in my body.
I awoke feeling like I’d been scrubbed clean from the inside out.
Today’s theme music is lifted from a movie, Beverly Hills Cop, which starred Eddie Murphy. No reason to select this except it entered this morning’s stream, and I enjoy the man’s music and this song. Despite being a popular rocker, this song is his only number one hit in the U.S., and he didn’t even write the music.
From 1987, enjoy Bob Seger with “Shakedown”.
Michael Seidel, writer 