This is a dream that is very different from any other I've had before. In no other dream could I remember so much detail, of the people and the surroundings. It does make more sense than "The Tray", at least but it's bizarre in its own way.


Somewhere high up in the mountains, a car came to a stop a small rest, or scenic area, (what would appear to be anyway) where tourists might take pictures while on vacation. I stepped out of the car, along with a few co-workers (whom I don’t recall). We stood at the edge of the slope not far off the road, observing the view. Only a few feet from the foot of the slope, a dark, shimmering lake stretched to what might have been a mile, or almost a mile around. Given the right touch it would make an touching painting.

But this place was almost depressing, consisting mostly of shades of gray, in the large trees and around the lake. It seemed to harbor no life at all, but at the same time it was quite alluring. Some people might have considered it a nice place to live, (when the sun might shine anyway) but I for one did not think so. I had a bad feeling about this place. On the other side of the lake and not too far off in the hills, an old building stood. It barely stuck out among the tops of the trees. It wasn’t very noticeable, and couldn’t really be seen unless it was really looked for. Judging from the outside, one might think it had been abandoned for years. I could clearly see large pieces missing from its gray brick walls and arches. The appearance of the building itself was ghostly.

Maybe the strangest thing of all, was knowing that this…was Bettis' house, and all of us were due for a visit. I never knew what happened to the others…………

****

unexpectedly the inside of the house wasn’t anything like the outside. White hallways, and deep green grass were plenty. Exotic flowers and maybe a fountain here or there. It reminded me of a mission I visited in elementary school.

The many rooms I walked through resembled ones I had seen at Hurst Castle (in northern California) many years back. Luxurious, but not too fancy, but also neat. In one room I met a short, plump older woman. She might have been in her late 50's and dressed as if she was the sole house keeper, but also in a way that a housewife would dress. That’s how I had the feeling that she was Bettis' wife. She was very polite and warming, very nice.

She walked with me for some time, as a guide mostly. She spoke mainly of the house, the rooms, and the many things in each of them. She asked quite a few things about me as well, which was strange to me. She didn’t say all that much about herself, but I figured she was just trying to be a good hostess so I went along with it. We walked from room to room, each one…nothing like the last.

One room in particular held a large white marble fountain in its center. The rooms blue walls and floor, gave it a nice touch, it was decorated in a country style almost. It did strike me rather odd for a fountain such as this to really blend in with the country suite. None the less it was nicely done. She had good takes, that much I could say. That was the last time I remember seeing her…

****

As I walked down the white arched hallways, through them I could see a bright green courtyard. It was similar to what you might see in that of rich British mansions, with their overwhelming elegant gardens. I continued to walk, and having no idea where I was going…I wondered white no one else was around. It was a large place after all. I thought surely that woman I had met must have some sort of help to keep this place looking as nice as it was. I thought back to when I had first arrived, and vaguely I remembered seeing a few younger women walking amongst the halls. The looked like they might have been maids, but who knows, and what of the others I had come here with? Where were they? And where was the old woman? Nowhere to be seen.

I kept turning around, looking and half expecting to see someone, anyone, but nothing. I knew then that I had better take my leave and go ASAP, but then something caught my eye. There was someone hiding behind one of the pillars in the archway, maybe 10 feet away from me. At first I thought maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me, but as I looked again there stood the last person I expected to run into. Stacy Berry, stood with a hand on her chest, gave a look as if she had just seen a ghost. Though that look of fear quickly turned to relief. Stacy was married to Kevin Berry, Terry's(bf) former boss (before Albertson's shut down). She and I worked together for a short time. We worked nights mostly, I didn’t see her that much she wasn’t full time. In that short time we got to be pretty good friends, had she stayed there longer we probably would have been more like best friends. That I have Bettis to thank for. Perhaps it was all for the better…with Albertson's going out of business, the Berry's soon packed up and moved back out west.

When Stacy's shock of seeing me had passed I looked around, expecting to see Kevin somewhere nearby. When I didn’t, I knew for sure something was not right here at all. Stacy wasn’t supposed to be here, that I didn’t have to ask but I did ask her if she knew what the hell was going on around here. I wanted to know how she had gotten here in the first place, but before I could say a word she grabbed me by the arm and pulled me out of sight. For what reason I don’t know, I never saw anyone coming. The only thing I was worried about now was how to get us out of here. She was a prisoner, just as the others I had come here probably would be if not already. To be honest I really didn’t care about the others, but on the other hand I was not going to sit around and suffer the same fate.

Funny thing though…I have no memory of just how we had escaped….

****

Luck must have been on our side that day. The car was still sitting on the side of the road, and we were almost to it now. As I helped Stacy out of the water, we glanced back across the gloomy lake. Three other girls had followed us, one just reaching the shore where she stood up out of the water and another in the middle of the lake. The last stood on the other end of the lake, watching. For a split second I glanced at Stacy, wondering what they had been through to want to leave so badly. I could tell from the looks on their faces, but I couldn’t read their minds. But as Stacy returned my gaze, it was not hard to conclude that she was determined in this.

As the three girls gathered at the end of the lake, they stood about knee deep in the water and they too, glanced back from the way they had come. But their faces showed regret, it was almost as if they were showing loyalty for that place. They looked at each other and sadly hung their heads. But even more sad than this was that they turned away and headed back, I could not believe my eyes. They had come all this way, and to do what, turn back? But Stacy and I said not a word, nor did we try to stop them. Could it be that they had been trapped for so long that they were afraid to leave, that they couldn’t make it on their own? Perhaps,…and perhaps not, maybe it was something more….

Stacy and I climbed up the dirt slope to the car, and it wasn’t much longer before we were on our way home. Strange though it was, throughout the whole dream, not once did I see the so-called "master of the house."