THE DREAM

a short story

by

E. Thornton Goode, Jr.

 PROLOGUE

Some say dreams are the way the mind releases its
inner tensions or the ways our subconscious teases our
conscious. But others say dreams predict the future or can
be recollections of past life experience. Some think they can
be warnings of coming events. These plays of the mind are
the subject of our story.

I did want the reader to be aware this story was

originally written back before there were laptops and internet
service and any research was done in a library. GRIN!
 The Dream

Richard White had been in bed only a few hours

when he awoke, sitting straight up. A loud ‘hissing’ noise
had disturbed him from sleep. He looked into the darkness,
turning his head to listen.

All was quiet. A glance in the direction of the

illuminated clock radio made him aware it was eight after
twelve midnight. He reached over and turned on the lamp by
the bed. He scratched his head and yawned. That’s when he
became aware he was very cold. But why not. After all, it
was still late March. Maybe the heater had turned off.

Getting out of bed, he lit a cigarette and went to

check the thermostat. He was quite surprised, seeing the
reading of seventy-five degrees. He tapped it several times
to make sure it was not stuck. It didn’t move. “Then why
am I so damn cold?” He moved it up to eighty degrees.

Retrieving a blanket from the closet, he spread it on

the bed. “Sure hope I’m not coming down with the flu. Just
what I need with my vacation just around the corner.” He
climbed back in bed and pulled the cover up around his head.
Finally, he was asleep.

* * * * *

He grabbed the phone and dialed. “Hey, Judy. Yeah.

I’m looking forward to the trip but I think I’ve got a touch of
the flu. Oh. Don’t worry. I should be over it by the time we
go next week. Listen, I’ll call you later. Need to get back to
work. Want to make sure I get caught up, so nothing is
hanging. Okay. Bye, Honey.” He hung up the phone.
 Judy was his long-time girlfriend. He really liked her
but wasn’t sure about the ‘love’ thing. This was going to be
their first major vacation they’d spend together and might
help in his decision as to where the relationship was going.

He returned to the pile of work on his desk. He was

determined to get everything completed, so there would be
no phone calls while on vacation. After all, it was just
Monday morning and he had two weeks to get everything in
line.

On his way home, he stopped by the dealership to

check on the new car to arrive in about ten days. The trip to
the ski lodge would be its first outing.

* * * * *

He awoke startled. It was twelve-thirty. He could

see nothing as he stared into the darkness. It had been the
same ‘hissing’ sound that woke him several nights earlier.
His body quivered. He was cold.

Going to the bathroom, he got the thermometer out of

the medicine cabinet and put it in his mouth. He sat on the
commode, thumping his impatience on the counter-top.
Visions of being sick during his vacation went through his
mind then he checked the reading. Nothing. Not a thing was
abnormal. “Maybe I’m not sick.”

He pondered the situation again. Suddenly, it became

clear. The sound had been in his dream. As he reached into
himself, he began to recall small bits and pieces of his dream
but none of it made any sense.

Images of getting out of a bed emerged. He could see

a bedroom as if through a mist in his mind’s eye. He’d
dropped something on the floor. Then, he recalled a large
staircase and the muffled sound of music and voices.
Everything was a blur. Nothing was clear. But the next
recollection was crystal clear. It was the vision of a million
stars in a deep, blue-black night sky. Then, there was the
feeling of the intense cold and the sound of that ‘hissing’
accompanied by a deep booming tone. It was as if someone
was holding down a chord of keys in the lowest register on
some unseen pipe organ.

His head tilted inquisitively. He placed the

thermometer back in the cabinet and headed back to bed.
Yes. It had been the ‘hissing’ and the deep sustained bass
sound, blasting him from sleep. The noises still lingered in
his mind. It all seemed so real. Yet, none of it made sense.

* * * * *

It was late the next Monday evening when he got

home. He’d stayed at work to get as much done as possible.
He was pleased nearly everything was getting done. It was
the beginning of the month and taxes were coming due in
less than two weeks. There should be no problem leaving on
Friday for the two-week vacation. He popped a quick meal
in the microwave then fixed a drink. He had no desire to
watch TV and turned on the CD player.

It was a good hot shower before getting into bed. He

was tired. He had to get some sleep as he was getting up
early to get into the office even though it was a Saturday. It
would mean he could leave work very early on Thursday. In
no time, he was asleep.

It felt like he’d just fallen asleep when he bolted

awake. A check of the clock made him realize it was twelve
thirty-five. It was the same dream again. Quickly getting
out of bed, he went to his desk and grabbed a pad and pen
then returned to the bed. He pulled the blanket around
himself as he shivered with extreme cold. Hastily, he jotted
notes about the dream. All was exactly as it was before but
with somewhat more clarity.

He remembered getting out of a bed in a bedroom.

But this time, he could recall the room was decorated with
style and elegance. Expensive paneling and coverings
adorned the walls. It felt strange. Even noticing these facts,
they were secondary. For some unknown reason, he
expected it all to be as it was.

The floor had a thick plush carpet. He could feel it

on the bottoms of his feet as he walked to a bathroom.

Stopping for a moment in his writing, Richard looked

blankly into space. Then, it dawned on him. The room was
much like a suite in a hotel. This comparison he wrote in
parentheses.

“I remember now. I was getting dressed and I

dropped something on the floor. It was something small but
I have no idea what it was.”

The next recollection was standing at the top of a

great staircase, starting down to where there was orchestral
music playing and the sound of many voices in quiet
conversation. Everything was like hearing it from down in a
well, muffled and distorted. As he began to descend the
staircase, his mind flashed to a starlit sky and the piercing
stab of intense cold. This part of the dream seemed to have
no connection to the first parts. He had no reference to a
place as he saw the stars. All he knew was at the same
moment, the hiss and booming organ tone startled him so, he
awoke. “What the hell could that sound be? I haven’t a
damn clue.”

He looked down at the pad, rereading the notes there.

He strained his memory to see if there was anything else he
could remember but nothing came to mind. He put the pad
on the nightstand and laid back on his pillow. The dream
faded from his mind and he was finally asleep, not to be
awakened again.

* * * * *

The notepad lay on his desk at work. It was Thursday

morning. He sipped his cup of coffee and looked at the notes
again. He racked his memory, trying to remember a hotel
room where he may have stayed similar to the one in the
dream. None were as posh and cozy. Something was
different about the suite of his dream but he couldn’t put his
finger on it. He closed his eyes, trying to picture the room
again in his head. Nothing gave him an idea as to why the
room had a different feel to it.

“Maybe Judy can shed some light on all this.” He

thought of calling her but he really needed to get some loose
ends finished. Since he was leaving at noon the next day,
there was no time for chitchat right now even if it was
driving him crazy.

When he got to the dealer, his new car was in the

parking lot all bright, shiny and new. Richard had ordered
all the extras. Their first trip to the mountains was going to
be in luxury and style. He ran by the office one last time.

* * * * *

He picked up the phone and called Judy. “I’m

leaving the office now and should be picking you up by one
tomorrow. Yeah, I’m ready and packed. Wait till you see the
new car. There’s plenty of room in the trunk. Think you
could put a steamer trunk in there. See you then.”

He hadn’t wanted to fool with the ski gear and

equipment, so it was already at the lodge. It was sent a week
prior. They’d called to let him know it was there and would
be waiting in their room.

The thought kept going through his head. He hadn’t

had the dream for several nights. Maybe it was over.

“Have a good trip, Richard. And don’t break a leg on

the slopes. Don’t need to have you gone more than your two
weeks. Tell Judy I said hello.” His secretary flashed a big
smile as he left the office.

* * * * *

“Well, Richard. That’s really weird. I don’t know

what to make of it. And nothing in the dream seems to ring a
bell?” Judy reviewed the notes as the trip began.

“Nothing. Not one thing is even the slightest bit

familiar. I don’t understand. If it had been only one time,
I’d say it was a fluke but for it to happen several times and
all the same, now that’s really strange. I didn’t have the
dream last night, though. Maybe it’s finished.”

“Maybe. But it is weird.” Judy looked at Richard’s

notes again.

It was very dark and just after eleven-thirty. They

were just three miles from the lodge when the car hit a large
patch of black ice, going into a skid. Sliding to the right, it
careened into a large pile of snow and ice heaped up on the
side of the road by snowplows.

Richard quickly regained control of the car and

brought it to a stop. Both, he and Judy, were shaken but no
significant injuries.
 “Damn, Judy! I’m sorry. I never saw the ice. I’ve
heard stories about black ice and how it can appear out of
nowhere.”

“Hey. I didn’t see it, either. Let’s see how bad it was
for the car.”

Richard didn’t want to get out, fearing the damage to

the right side of his new vehicle wasn’t going to be pretty.
The grinding crunch moments earlier sent visions of a trip to
the body shop.

“No. I don’t want to look. We’ll check it in the

morning. What’s done is done.”

When they pulled under the entrance canopy of the

lodge, the bell captain opened the doors for them. The bright
lights there made the damage apparent. A quarter-inch wide
scratch started near the front of the right front fender just
behind the headlight and continued to the middle of the right
front door. The paint was gone, exposing the bare metal
beneath. Richard stood there shaking his head.

“Well. It could’ve been worse, I guess.” Judy patted

him on the back to console him.

“Is everything all right, sir?” The concierge noticed

his anguish.

“Oh. We slid off the road and hit a snowbank.”

“Let me call the house doctor. He can make sure

you’re all right.”

“Everything’s fine. But if you know of a good body

shop, I’ll call them in the morning. I mean, we’re going to
be here for two weeks.”
 “Yes, sir. I’ll leave a note for the morning shift. I’m
sorry about your accident and hope it doesn’t prevent you
from having a good time.”

Entering their room, Judy immediately went to the

complimentary cabinet and fixed Richard a drink. “Here.
This might help.” She handed the drink to Richard.

“Thanks, Judy. Think I’m going to turn in. Maybe

it’ll seem better in the morning.”

* * * * *

The slopes that morning were filled with skiers but

Richard and Judy slept late. They decided to take their time
in getting out and not push things.

“Did you have the dream last night?”

“Nope. Slept like a log. That’s several nights in a

row I didn’t have it. Maybe it’s gone.”

They spent the rest of the day just walking around the
area and planning their skiing for the next day. Turning in
early, they wanted to be rested for a long ski day.

* * * * *

They virtually spent the whole day on the slopes. It

was a great time but it sure took a toll on their bodies. City
life and the lack of significant exercise had left their marks.
It was exhilarating but wore them to a frazzle. Too much too
soon seemed to be the case.

They got to bed early again, planning to ease up the

next day. They didn’t have to cram it all into one day. There
were two weeks.
 It was going on one o’clock in the morning when
Richard bolted up in bed. The dream was back.

The start woke Judy. “What’s wrong?” She hugged

Richard. “God! You’re like a block of ice. It’s the dream
again, isn’t it? Let me get those notes. Tell me what you
remember. I’ll write it down if you haven’t written it down
already.”

“Everything’s the same in the beginning but when I

go into the bathroom, I get into the tub. As I washed, I saw
letters on the bar of soap. Don’t remember them all but the
last letters were O… L… I… A. Oh. What I dropped on the
floor? It was a cufflink. Shiny. Think it’s gold. Next. The
staircase. It went down a flight to a landing. There was
another flight coming down to the same landing from the
opposite side. It turned and became one grand stairway. At
the bottom. Humm. Looked like a reception area before
going into a… into a dining room. All the people were
dressed in evening clothes. Now, you want to hear the
strange thing. None of the people had faces and they aren’t
moving. It’s like they were faceless mannequins, frozen in
place. The music and sounds of voices were still muffled
and distorted but somewhat louder.” He paused for a
moment. “The rest of the dream is the same. Nothing
different or additional.”

“Is there anything to indicate what hotel it is? Any

ashtrays or packs of matches?”

“You know. Something’s still wrong about my room.

But I just can’t put my finger on it.”

For the next hour, they went over the notes again,
trying to see if Richard could remember anything additional.
He sat wrapped in a blanket to help warm him.
 “I still don’t see any connection between the first
parts and the last part.”

“Maybe there is no connection.” Judy sat puzzled.

“Maybe it’s two dreams in one. Richard, maybe we should
see if we can find some professional expertise in all this.”

“These things are driving me crazy. I think you’re

right. Maybe the lodge doctor could suggest something.
Let’s ask in the morning.”

* * * * *

The next morning the concierge indicated the doctor

was down in town but would be back that afternoon.
Richard indicated they’d like to see him when he returned.

At breakfast, they met a couple from Chicago, Bob

and Shirley. Richard thought they were doing the same as
he, going on a long vacation to see how things went, so they
could make some decision on going further with their
relationship. They were fun and seemed to ski with the same
ability as Richard and Judy. They spent the afternoon at the
table in front of the huge fireplace playing Bridge. This
continued even after dinner. They laughed and had great fun.
They forgot about the dream.

Over the next days, the two couples became closer

and their conversations left the level of acquaintances to
more intimate information. The nights were uneventful.

* * * * *

It was one o’clock again. Richard woke up, freezing

cold. He ran in and turned on the hot shower. When he
emerged from the bathroom, Judy sat on the bed with pen
and pad in hand. He looked right at her. “Well. It’s still the
same.” He paused. “Wait! The soap! It’s V... I… N. V…
I… N… O… L… I… A. Vinolia soap. It was a gold
cufflink. And when I dropped it on the floor, it went under a
large piece of furniture.” He scratched his head in
remembering. “By God! That’s it! That’s why it just didn’t
feel right. I saw it then. The furniture is bolted to the floor.”

“Bolted to the floor? That hotel must be in a really

bad part of town.” She chuckled. “I’ve been to several
hotels where they bolted the cheap pictures to the walls to
keep thieves from stealing them but never the furniture.”

“But it’s not a hotel. It’s like a hotel but not. It’s a
ship.” Richard clapped his hands together. “We have part of
the puzzle put together. YES! They always bolt large pieces
of furniture to the floor in ships to prevent them moving
when the ship rolls.”

“Okay. What kind of ship? Is there anything to give

you a clue?”

Richard sat on the bed, concentrating.

“And Vinolia soap. You really had to dig deep to get

that one.” Judy stuck the end of the pen in her mouth. “I’ve
never heard of it.”

“I was dressing for dinner… in evening clothes. The

cufflink. It had an ‘R’ and a ‘W’ engraved on it.” He was
silent for a moment. “The music and voices sounded like
through a megaphone. The kind you’d associate with Rudy
Vallee. The staircase is ornate. So are the walls and ceilings.
There was a large dome over the stairwell made of glass.
Leaded glass. The people in the reception area are waiting to
be seated in the dining room. And what’s really amazing is
some of the people know me. One older gentleman said my
name and was polite in asking how I was that evening. I
answered in a manner like I knew him. This happened with
several people but I have no idea who they are. I could see
their faces but no one was familiar.”

“You don’t recognize any of them? Now, sometimes

in dreams people we know don’t look like themselves. Do
you think this could be the case?”

“No. Not it. And it’s funny. The women were polite
and called me ‘Mister White’.”

“Anything else?”

“Next. The stars in the sky. It’s the dark of night and
I’m walking. Walking on the deck. It’s the deck of a ship.
That’s the connection. No wonder I couldn’t put it together
before.” Richard looks up as if reenacting the dream. “The
stars were bright and it was so damn cold.” He pulls the
blanket closer around himself. “Then, there was a white
fireworks rocket, going off high in the sky. It lighted the
whole area and I could see smokestacks. And that God-
awful ‘hiss’ was steam, rushing from vents on the
smokestacks. I could see it and the horns blowing. That’s
the organ sound.”

“Just one smokestack?”

“No. There were… four. The steam was ‘hissing’

from the vents on the first three.” And I saw a flag.”

“A flag? What kind? An American flag?”

“No. Not that kind. It was a dark color. I think it

was red. And there was a ‘vee’ cut out of the end with a
single five-pointed star in the middle of the open field. It
was on a mast. Oh, yeah. The star is white.”

“Now, wait a minute. First, you say it has

smokestacks then you say mast. Is it a sailing ship or a
steamship?” Judy quickly drew a sketch of the flag Richard
described. “Does this look right?” She turned the sketch
toward him.

“Hey! That’s it! The flag’s perfect. And it’s a

steamship, like the Queen Mary. But that’s all I can
remember right now.”

“Were you wearing a coat? If not, that could explain

why you were cold. But I can’t figure out why it would
actually make your body cold. I mean, this is a dream.”

“Have no idea. But let’s talk about it in the morning.

I’m tired.”

The rest of the night was quiet and calm.

* * * * *

Bob and Shirley waved to them as they walked into

the dining room the next morning, motioning for them to join
them. “We haven’t ordered yet.” Bob called out. “Looks
like we’re going to have to play Bridge today. There’s a
blizzard outside.”

Richard looked out the huge plate glass window at

the thickly falling snow. He visibly shook as a shiver went
through his body.

“Someone walk on your grave?” Bob uttered. “You

know the old expression.”

A slightly embarrassed look came to Richard’s face.

“Oh, it’s just something strange and weird going on.”

Bob’s curiosity was piqued. “What’s wrong? Can

we do anything?”
 “No. No. It’s kinda stupid anyway.”

“Hey. Sometimes it helps to talk about things. If it’s

not too personal, tell us about it.”

Judy looked at Richard. “Maybe they can give some

insight.”

“Oh. Come on. You’ve got our curiosity burning.

You can’t back down now.”

“Okay. Okay.” Richard paused as he and Judy made

themselves comfortable at the table. “Well. It all started at
the end of March. It’s a reoccurring dream.”

Shirley looked at Bob. “Oh, man. This is great. I’ve

seen movies where they were premonitions or omens. I love
it.”

Bob looked at Shirley then back at Richard. “Shirley

loves a mystery. And of course, she can’t pass up things like
this.”

“Let me go get the notes while you order.” Judy got

up from the table.

“Notes? This must be something special if you’ve

written notes. This is going to be really a great way to spend
the afternoon.” Bob was ecstatic. “We’ll move to the table
near the fireplace, so we can stay there as long as we want.”

When Judy returned to the table, the raging storm had

stopped. Everyone watching out the windows began to leave
the great room to go skiing, leaving the four virtually alone
in the room.

“The snow’s stopped. Maybe everyone would rather

go skiing.” Judy spoke before sitting down.
 “Hell no!” Shirley and Bob spoke in unison.

“You’ve got me going now and I want to hear this.”

Shirley was adamant.

A waiter came periodically, removing dishes and

refilling coffee cups. The room was quiet except for the
sound of Richard’s voice, softly speaking, telling all the
events of the dream. After he was through, there was a long
period of silence.

“That’s something. Damn. Richard, go over again

the part about the people recognizing you.” Bob looked
confused. “I’ve had dreams where there were people I knew.
They just didn’t look like themselves.”

“Yeah. Judy and I went over that. But it’s just not
the same. Something’s very different.”

They sat near the fireplace for the next several hours,
hashing and rehashing the dream. What really had Bob and
Shirley intrigued is how Richard would wake up cold and
actually be cold to the touch. Even after the discussion, they
seemed no closer to an answer or if there was an answer.
They decided to break from the dream with a few hands of
Bridge but right in the middle of one hand, Bob spoke out
loud. “I’m sorry. But this dream is way too bizarre. We’ve
got to look into this some more. Do a little research. Does
anyone know if any of it is real?”

Judy looked up from her cards. “What do you mean,

is any of it real?”

“Are any of the things in the dream real? Do any of

them exist? Is there a ship? Are there cufflinks? Is there a
flag? Is there Vinolia soap?”
 “We haven’t had any time to look into it but that
sounds like a good idea. A little research might shed some
light on the whole thing.”

Shirley spoke. “We can go down into town. There

should be a library there. Maybe we can find something.”

They tried to avoid talking about the dream the rest of

the evening. It would have been like beating a dead horse
but no one could get it out of his mind. The next day would
be the opportunity to challenge the subject again.

* * * * *

The next day was beautiful and the four spent all day
in the snow. For the last run of the day, they decided to take
on the big slope. This was the one everyone was preparing
for. It was the most difficult. The lift carried them to the top
and after a few deep breaths, down they went. The run was
exhilarating but as they neared the bottom, Richard’s ski
caught on something and he was thrown. The result was a
twisted ankle.

The rest of the evening was spent around the

fireplace, talking and planning for the next day’s trip to
town.

“I’ll stay here tomorrow. My ankle is giving me a fit.

I can sit here and sip Old Fashions.” Richard laughed.

* * * * *

It was early the next morning when they gathered for

breakfast. All were excited about the search. There had
been no further revelations the previous night. After a light
meal, Richard positioned himself in a large comfortable chair
in front of the fireplace.
 “You all take your time. I’ll be just fine here. And if
I need something, I’ll call a waiter. Oh, don’t forget to pick
up something for the troops at home. They’ll all have a fit if
we don’t bring some souvenirs back for them.” Richard
motioned for them to leave.

On the way down the mountain, Judy pointed at the

snowbank where they’d damaged the car. She was sure it
was the place. Even with the recent snows, there was a
jagged piece of ice, sticking out, tinted with the color of the
paint from Richard’s car.

Before going to the library, they visited several shops

to pick up the required gifts to take home with them as
Richard had suggested.

* * * * *

Back at the lodge, Richard was taking it easy. He

decided to stay with coffee instead of the planned Old
Fashions. The coziness of the chair and the warmth of the
fire soon, made him drift off into a sleep.

* * * * *

All was quiet when they entered the small library. It

was virtually empty. But that made sense. Everyone would
be on the slopes. They found an out-of-the-way table and
took off their coats. The research was to begin.

“I’ll go see what I can find on different soaps.”

Shirley disappeared into the bookshelves.

“Bob, I’ll look for books on ships and ocean liners.”

Judy went her way.
 Bob had decided to search for information on flags
and ensigns. He thought it could be truly beneficial in
pinpointing a shipping line if not a specific ship.

In about an hour, Judy and Shirley had several books

piled on the table. They’d sat down and were perusing the
pages. Bob joined them for a while since he’d had no luck
on finding anything on ship flags. After a while, he decided
to look again.

Going to the card catalog, he was approached by an

elderly man. “Can I help you?”

“Well. I’m not sure. I’m looking for information on

ship flags and insignia.”

“Let me check. Come with me.” The man led him to

the card catalog.”

“Actually, we’re looking for several things.”

“We?”

“Yeah. There’s three of us, looking for different

things. Let me get them. You might be able to find what
we’re looking for faster than we can.” He went for Judy and
Shirley.

Soon, they returned to the man.

“Hello, ladies. I’m the librarian, Thomas Lawrence.

Understand you’re all doing some research. I think I can
help a lot faster. Let’s sit down and you can tell me a little
about what you’re looking for.”

They sat at a nearby table and began to indicate the

items they were researching. The old man looked over the
list and the sketch.
 “Are you sure about this drawing?” He looked at
Judy.

“Yes. Richard was explicit. It was correct. He said

the field of the flag was red and the star was white. Do you
think there really is a flag that looks like this?”

“Think?” He chuckled. “My dear, it’s the White

Star. It’s the insignia of the White Star Line. Here, let me
show you.” He led them to a shelf and pulled out several
books, placing them on a nearby table. “Here we go just for
grins.” He picked up one of the books, thumbed through
several pages then opened it and placed it on the table. At
the top of the page was a waving ensign just as Judy had
drawn. “Ladies. With the information you have here,
regarding the steamship, four smokestacks, White Star
ensign, it’s possible it could be one of three ships. White
Star had three major liners with four funnels. The Britannic,
the Olympic and the most famous, the Titanic.”

“I see you have the name of a soap here, too. Let’s

see. I seem to recall.” He picked up a copy of A Night to
Remember by Walter Lord and turned to photographs in the
book. “Yep. Here it is. Vinolia Soap.” There was a picture
showing an ad poster and comments about the soap being
used on the Titanic.

“Do you mind me asking what this is all about? This

is truly interesting to have three young people here in a
library on a day when they should be skiing down the
mountains. I’m sure it has to be for a very good reason.”

“Well. I guess I could go through it again.” Judy

started in detail Richard’s dream.

When she got to the part about the staircase, Thomas

stopped her. “Let’s check this out.” He grabbed up another
book, Titanic, by Thomas Bonsall and turned to the page
showing a picture of the main staircase of First Class,
coming down to where the dining room is located.

“Yes. Richard said when he reached the bottom of

the stairs, there was a reception area and behind that was the
dining room.” Judy looked at the drawing. She could see
the flaring grand stairway. “This is fascinating. What else is
there?”

For the next several hours, they were completely

absorbed, looking at pictures and reading information on the
Titanic. They got sidetracked from the completion of the
dream and the other detail.

* * * * *

Back at the lodge, Richard had slipped from a little

nap into a deep dream state. The dream began just as it
always had. He was getting out of bed in the ornate,
shipboard suite. When his feet touched the plush pile carpet,
he noticed for the first time, it was quite damp.

Suddenly, he realized he’d done this before. His

mind began to recall previous renditions of his dream.
Somehow, he knew he was in a dream, remembering what
events happened before but enhanced this time around to the
point of virtual reality. He knew he had to play it through to
find the answer to it all. He continued as before and went
into the bathroom for his bath.

Finishing his bath, he came out to dress. He looked

down at the carpet. “I really don’t know why it’s so damp
but it doesn’t seem to be out of the ordinary.” He reached
into the wardrobe and pulled out his evening clothes. They,
too, had a dampness to them. But again, somehow, it seemed
all right.
 In putting on his cufflinks, one fell to the floor.
“Damn. Where did it go?” He knelt to the floor to retrieve it
from beneath the wardrobe. His hands became aware of how
wet the floor really was. “It’s like someone dropped a
bucket of water on the floor.”

Within a split second, he was standing, fully dressed

at the top of the staircase. The floor was wet and small
trickles of water dripped down the steps. He grabbed the wet
railing. Looking down at his hand, he saw the water but
continued down as if all was well. He knew he should be
questioning these facts but strangely, everything seemed as it
should be and he had no concern.

Coming to the bottom of the grand staircase, the

reception area was real enough. Orchestral music was
coming from the dining room beyond. There weren’t as
many people this time around as remembered from earlier
episodes of his dream. As each event occurred, he recalled
the previous dream sequences related to that moment. He
stopped for a moment and tried to remember the other parts
of the dream, the events yet to happen but to no avail. As
hard as he tried, nothing came to mind. Only when they
happened, could he remember the other sequels.

He crossed the floor in the direction of two men who

seemed to know him. He smiled and spoke. “Good evening,
John. Good evening, Ben. Looks like we’re fewer tonight.
I don’t see the Countess or that charming lady from Denver.”
His mind was startled at his words. He had no idea who the
men were and yet, he addressed them in a very familiar
manner.

“Good evening, Richard.” The dark-haired man with

facial hair spoke. “Yes, many have gone. We’re the only
ones here now.”
 “Thank you, John. Let’s talk later, after dinner.”
Richard moved in the direction of the dining room. Passing
through, he noticed several others, smiled and slightly bowed
to acknowledge their presence.

The room was very quiet, unlike the previous dreams

where he remembered laughing jovial voices. Everyone sat
or stood patiently and solemnly. It was as if they were
waiting for something to happen. He wondered what it could
be.

A young steward approached, smiled and bowed

courteously. “Good evening, Mister White. May I seat
you?”

“Thank you. Yes.”

He observed everyone was in the same frame of mind

and mood. It made him uneasy. Was he going to be able to
put the pieces of the puzzle together this time and see the
total picture? The suspense was driving him crazy inside.
Looking around again, he saw everyone’s face. Were they
aware of what was to happen? Did they know the next part
of the dream?

Richard sat down at the table. When his hand

brushed the table linen, he felt the dampness but again,
dismissed it as the way it was supposed to be. He leaned
back in the chair to get comfortable and placed his left hand
on the table, the other on his upper right leg. His eyes
continued to peruse the room. The only sound was that of
the orchestra, playing softly. His uneasiness became worse
and he lowered his eyes, scanning the items on the table. His
left hand moved to the china coffee cup, picking it up, tilting
it to see the pattern on the side. A questioning and
unknowing look came to his face. His eyes moved to the
silverware and the napkin.
 His brain finally assimilated the visual information
he’d seen a split second before. They raced back to the china
cup, tilted in his left hand. The letters were quite clear. A
shock of icy cold pierced his body. Suddenly, there were the
booming tones of the horn, accompanied by the ‘hiss’ of
escaping steam. The answer to the mystery was very, very
clear.

* * * * *

In the library, all stood around as Thomas was

showing the many books related to the Titanic. “Yes, the
Britannic went down in the Mediterranean after hitting a
mine in the water. The Olympic was dismantled around
nineteen thirty-four. But everyone knows about the Titanic
and it’s notorious demise.”

“It was the night of April fourteenth, nineteen twelve.

It’s maiden voyage. It struck an iceberg on the starboard
side. The right side. The plates buckled and in came the sea.
Within four hours, the most luxurious ship ever built was
under two and a half miles of water, taking some fifteen
hundred people to their deaths in the dark icy waters of the
North Atlantic. It was the early morning of April fifteenth.”
He paused for a moment and his face twisted and grimaced.
“Today. Today is April the fifteenth. Today is the
anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.”

Judy was looking at the pictures in several of the

books, showing ship interiors, photos of passengers and the
like. She laughed. “And here’s a drawing of the ship with a
rocket. There was the white rocket in Richard’s dream.”

“The rockets should’ve been red for distress but

white ones were put onboard instead. After all. The ship
was unsinkable.” Thomas uttered.
 “And here’s a passenger list.” Judy seemed strangely
concerned. Something drew her to the list. Her fingers went
from the beginning of the First Class passengers down the
alphabetical list. Her eyes grew large and she almost lost her
balance when her vision sharply focused on one of the last
names, a Mr. Richard White. “Oh, my God!”

“What’s wrong?” Shirley saw Judy’s distress,

grabbing her to keep her from falling.

“Richard’s name. Richard’s name is here!” She

quickly flipped to the beginning of the list. There was a
notation, indicating all names in italics were saved. Those
not were lost at sea. Immediately she looked back at Richard
White’s name. It was not in italics. “He died! Richard
White died!” She yelled.

“Maybe the dream’s a sign of danger, a premonition.”

Bob started gathering their thing. “We need to get back
immediately.”

Within moments, they thanked Thomas and were out

the door. Thomas wasn’t quite sure what had happened.

* * * * *

A waiter had been walking near when he heard

Richard’s disturbed sleep and tried not to wake him.
Suddenly, Richard gave out a loud, blood-chilling scream
then fell forward, landing face down on the floor.

Shocked, the waiter ran to the front desk to call for an

ambulance. “I think he just had a heart attack.” The
concierge quickly called as the waiter went back to Richard.
Kneeling down, he touched Richard’s skin. It was extremely
cold. But even stranger, it was wet. So were all of his
clothes. The waiter couldn’t fathom what could cause this.
A puddle of water was forming on the floor around Richard.
He took several tablecloths off nearby tables to put over
Richard to try and keep him warm.

By this time several bystanders were gathering. The

concierge was making a concerted effort to keep them out of
the room.

Shortly, the sound of the ambulance siren was pulling

under the entrance canopy. In a few moments, a paramedic
was at Richard’s side. Checking his pulse, it was evident
there was nothing he could do. “How did he get so wet?”

“I don’t know. He was just sitting here, sleeping.

Then, all of a sudden, he screamed and was on the floor.”

“This chair?”

“Yes.”

The paramedic looked carefully at the chair. He

placed his palm in the seat. It was completely dry. He
looked up at the waiter with great doubt.

“But it’s true. I have no idea where the water came

from.”

“Maybe it’s not water.” He bent down and placed his

nose very close to the fluid. His mind was jarred. “I know
that smell. But it doesn’t add up. How?” He touched the
fluid and raised it to his tongue. It confirmed what his nose
sensed. He rolled Richard over. Water continued to flow
from Richard’s clothes. “Somehow, in this warm room, this
man has died of hypothermia and his clothes are saturated
with salty water. I know this is going to sound ridiculous but
I believe it’s seawater.”

“Seawater! But we’re hundreds of miles from the

ocean.”
 “Hey! Go figure. This is a strange one. The paper
work’s going to be a bitch on this one.”

The ambulance was leaving the lodge with Richard

when Judy, Bob and Shirley arrived. The concierge tried to
be consoling when Judy ran into the lodge and he attempted
to tell her what had happened.

They walked into the great room to the place where

Richard had died. Judy became hysterical, so Bob and
Shirley took her to her room. The doctor accompanied them
and gave Judy a sedative to help calm her. After a while, she
began to regain her composure.

A while later, the concierge came to the door. “The

paramedic found this clutched in his hand. He thought it was
one of ours but it’s not. Maybe it’s his.” He handed the item
to Bob who looked at it with disbelief.

Bob walked over to Judy, sitting on the bed and

handed her the item. Judy took it and looked at it closely.
She was stunned. It was a china cup with a red ensign on the
side, along with the words… ‘RMS TITANIC’.

THE END