The Obstacle Course Mall

The other night I had a dream, that in all honesty really fits my current mindset.

Let me first set up the location. It's a place I visit a LOT in my dreams. This is not your normal mall. It's more of a trap than anything else. Probably wasn't at first, but after watching Hunger Games, and Star Trek, American Ninja Warier, it's become a bit more.

This mall was designed with teens in mind. Bit of shopping, but also places to gather, and compete. The first floor is your mall, sectioned off into areas by store type, or product. Sometimes it's by brand... The second is where the employees, and homeless live.

In fact, that was the first dream, all those years ago, where I was an orphan... and that's where Kendra and I lived. Most of that was dodging workers, and equipment designed to clean. Also, it dealt with the strict rules of the world.

The second dream that comes to mind. (There have been MANY more) I was with a group, and our goal was to get through the four quadrants, grabbing all the flags, and exit before Midnight, when they were planning on setting the bears lose... I'd just read Catching Fire. This dream really set up how the mall was built. And I got to know it quite well... my teammates were... one couldn't talk, another kept falling asleep, and the third kept breaking the rules. So we did a LOT of backtracking.

So round three, this dream was I was a customer; had my family with me, and we were... just enjoying ourselves. Biggest stressor was trying to keep up with 20 cousins, and... everyone else while also letting the boys enjoy the more challenging aspects of the Mall. It's honestly kinda fun. Man, I wish I could go in real life. Three Grubs, Po, Mistro, and I spent much of our visit traversing between the quadrants. I spent time with the girls in the dress shop with the state of the art dressmaker machine. A security design thing... but it takes a picture of your body type, then you can from there design how you want an outfit to look. When you are done designing your new clothing, you just hit the button, it goes to a machine in the back where it's made, and within half an hour, your article is finished. While we were waiting, we went and joined the hip-hop central. A large circle where teens gather to just... dance. Music is playing, sometimes there is a teacher who's instructing the dance. You just come and go how you like.

Getting to the end of the 'day' the lights started to dim in the section we were at. "Go around, or go through the swinging towers." I asked mom.

She looked at me with this pitiful look. "Can't we just go around. I'm not sure I'll fit." Don't blame her. That one was a tight bottomless tunnel. Pegs on either side, and you had to traverse it. Net below, but tricky. I, at this point, wasn't exactly all that keen on testing my strength one more time. So I agreed with mom, and we just went out the side door with everyone else. The boys were all disappointed, but the girls were on board with us.

The side door opened up into a dimly lit garden. Beautiful area during the day, but at night... haunting. We all, us, and everyone with the same mindset as us, venture out onto the sidewalk. We make our way around to the next door. This one, a sliding one is wizzing open and shut, open and shut at a blinding rate. Eatch time it closes, it resounds with a mighty clash shaking the entire area.

"I'd risk it." Grub 2 says. "Looks like fun."

Tadpole, climbing into the wagon yawns. "I think I'd rather just go home, I'm tired."

Kendra looks worried. "I'm not sure V. Seems like the parking lot is threatening to turn into a lava field... do you really want to go out there?"

And so ended my dream.

This is more my imagination than anything, emotional state. The mall represents the world and the possibilities. But it's dangerous as much as it's adventurous. And I'm teetering on many choices.

I hurt, I really don't want to try anything more right now. Really hurt. And to jump back in, I'd be jumping back into the pummeling effect of those doors. I could, I really could do it. But I do have other choices.

I could leave... but that again is a lava field of unknowns. I've not ventured from the mall before. First time I've ever seen the outside of it to be honest. I don't know WHAT would happen.

I could join tadpole in the wagon and just camp out overnight until it's over. Wait for the mall to return to its happy self-come morning. I don't have to venture the dangers of its night self.

There is a lot of amazing aspect of this particular location of my dream world, it's fun, adventurous, full of possibilities. Just an amazing, amazing setting.

Anyways,

VK Signing out.