EPT
We jump into my car. I put some rubber on the road, and pull a lever to the right of the gearbox, bringing the vehicle airborne. It is immediately clear to me that this is a normal function of the car. I am comfortable controlling the vehicle, and shifting gears, and sending us soaring over the landscape. A snakey tangle of mountainous forest stretches out below us. Somehow I know these are the Santa Cruz mountains, covered in gorgeous coniferous trees. We circle briefly, looking for a place to get back on the ground.
With some maneuvering I find a clearing. We settle down in it. Stepping out of the car, we behold together a beautiful meadow. The grass is tall and tipped with that rice-like stuff you see on fields that are left to grow free. The sun shines brightly down upon us, filtered through the branches of trees and the pollen in the air.
It is beautiful, and so is she.
"Hold on a moment," she says, and I wait as she dashes off towards the nearby road. I lean against my car and unconcernedly think about the merits of filling it with water.
In time, I realize she hasn't returned. I lock my car and step out onto the road. Walking down the road, I come to a Monastery. I see her being accosted by monks and thrown into a room. Angrily, I confront the two monks. They claim she has committed blasphemy and will be held in that room for four weeks.
We walk as we talk, down the road. I negotiate, saying that she was fined as well, right? Why not a larger fine and less time imprisoned? Or if I too were to be imprisoned, perhaps we could both of us be imprisoned 2 weeks?
They laugh at my bargaining. "She's just a woman. What do you care about her?"
We are approaching a beach. I realize I can't negotiate with these people. I turn back and begin walking up the road. I see a man walking towards me. He is tall, with dark hair.
He pulls out a gun and point it at me. I hold up my wallet immediately, terrified.
"Here, take this, don't shoot me!"
He snatches my wallet. It's okay, though-- I only have a few bucks anyways.
"Do you have a cell phone?"
This is worse. My phone is worth several hundred dollars.
"Yes, but it's in my car."
My plan is not to find it.
"Give me your keys," the man growls, "I'm taking your car."
"But, it's a stick shift. Can you drive stick?"
"No, you'll drive for me."
This is worse. I must be terrified so that he doesn't think I can drive.
"Gahhhh no don't do that, please don't kill me!"
"No man I just want you to drive."
"Please don't kill me!"
At this moment he notices the two monks. He loses interest in me immediately, and goes bounding down the slope towards the monks. I scramble down to the beach, trying to put distance between myself and the man.
I arrive at the beach, and it's a surreal scene. It's a warm beach, with vacationers in the distance along the beach and also in the water. Some people are sunbathing nearby, along with a large snake-- probably 25-30 feet long, and a foot in diameter. The snake is just sort of hanging out reaching its neck into the air. One child is obviously friends with the enormous snake. Every now and then, the child (swinging on a swing set near the snake) reaches out to it, and it moves a little closer, then a little further away. Normally, I'd be terrified of a snake of that size, but today I just want to avoid it. It doesn't look malicious or anything.
The two monks show up, having been robbed and stripped naked. They hang their heads in shame. They fall asleep, or perhaps unconscious, on the sandy ground. I smile to myself. I won't be hearing from them any time soon. I was wise to preserve my car keys and cell phones from the mugger. These fellows got what they deserve. This is the perfect time to go spring my woman from her cell and get the hell out of here.
I want to head back to the road and go to the monastery, but in doing so I will have to walk close to the enormous snake.
I wake up.
