It always starts in the same way… With me, exploring long-forgotten tunnels of ancient ruins, left behind by those long gone. And at the end, I reach the holy place. Suddenly, I find myself in a familiar place. Remnants of my life remain static before my gaze. Deep down, I know my way around these mines.

And then I am home. My house stands there in all its glory, with the smells and picture frames of my dear memories. The paintings have me recall memories of the days of yore.

And I find myself in the courtyard of a castle. A sense of uncanny security washes over me. The walls rise high and mightily. With the gate closed, I take the path downwards. I leave the surface behind as I go deeper and deeper. But then I realize… I never descended.

An unending city looms over the horizon, as eternal as my dreams, as overwhelming as my emotions, and as deeply mysterious as my inner psyche. And while pondering these feelings, I find myself at work. The cubicles seeming more like cages than ever. The office reminds me of strictness and discipline. However, the office has unpleasant memories… and so I leave. Or so I thought.

I find an exit out of that hell. Miraculously, it leaves me to the unending city. The streets are a maze. The dream tells me to keep pushing on. My mind and body lost. Every corner I turn, I lose a bit of myself. How far do I have to go? Through sheer determination, I make it through.

The church, it beckons me. My mind heavy, I feel the need to confess. At the end of the hallway, a picture of a man. His image seems so hollow…

And suddenly, I am somewhere completely new. A train station I do not recognize. All I know is that the path leads forward. When I arrive at the platform, I feel a strange urge. Like something is telling me to ride the train.

And then I am home.

At this point, the dream starts to blur. And everything becomes like a giant question mark. The blurriness increases, and the colours start swirling. My senses are failing me and I cannot see the path. And yet, somehow subconciously I know the way. My mind clears, and I arrive at a place time forgot—an ancient grotto, hidden far beneath the surface. In the distance looms a creature. It stares at me as I wander through its habitat. My footsteps echo through the cavern. Despite the presence of life in the underground, I feel a sense of solitude.

And then I find myself at a strange village. I am told that among the eight inhabitants, there are a number of shapeshifting evildoers. If I press my ear to a door, the person will give me clues. They will talk about their right and left neighbours, as well as the house on the other side of the circle. They’ll whisper how many they believe are suspicious, and then request me to figure out who does NOT belong. I find the three aberrants and inform the town. But I keep wondering where I get the authority to make these judgement calls.

And then I find myself in the library of my mind. Here, where all my memories are kept. But I know that some of them are being lost. And I must find them to keep being myself. With my mind restored, I take off.

And then I am home. Recalling my memories brings me back. And it makes me feel so small. I see a glint of light on top of the bed. And I go there. I press the button, and a new path opens up. My desk looks the same as ever. It bears a combination of items that I know well: my laptop, alarm clock, stationary and phone.

And then I am home. But something feels off. Endless hallways stretch out before me. I feel every step takes me further away from home. I finally make my way out. And I think that perhaps I should go to the wardrobe next.

And I’m back in those familiar mines. Compared to earlier, I know the way all too well.

And then I am home. But again, it is wrong. A darkness covers my little valley. And my house feels hollow. Back in my room, and something has changed. Though a new path opens up, I feel a sudden urgency. Time is ticking down. And so I muster what courage I have… and I walk.

And then I am nowhere, enveloped in darkness, and everything slows down. The journey through my dream is fading away. My workplace, the cavern, the village, the library… and home. My mind starts clearing up and it feels like I am waking up. And that is where the dream ends.

So… What do you think it means?

“I think it means you are a lil bitch.”

“That’ll be 200 dollars for the hour.”