As I gradually began to awaken, I realized I was in strange place and tried to figure out where I was. I was lying on my back under the pretty red and white quilt under which I normally slept. Another smaller person appeared to also be lying under the quilt at my left near my feet. I slowly began looking around me; I was lying on the floor in a store where many people were shopping. I thought about covering up my head and trying to avoid everyone; but finally I stood up.

As I began walking around the store, it slowly came back to me where I was: I was in a store which I owned, a store which had previously been owned by my step-grandfather Clarence. It was a second-hand store, with a few antiques. It was located on Second Street in the Bonneyfiddle area of Portsmouth, in an area where other similar stores were located.

As I walked, I thought maybe the quilt should also be sold. Although I thought the quilt would probably bring about $125, I decided I would rather not sell it.

As I looked over the merchandise in the store, I began realizing that I didn't know exactly what was in the store. I recalled that Clarence likewise had never been familiar with the store. He had only owned it for a short while and never got to know it well.

The store was thronged with people who simply seemed to be looking, not buying anything. I was concerned the prices weren't clearly marked on the merchandise. I was also concerned the prices might be too high. I might put up a sign lowering the prices throughout the store; I might lower the prices of everything by 20%.

I looked in a box containing several small items. Among the items were perhaps a dozen dice. I picked up five or six red dice and threw them several times again the side of the box. I rather enjoyed the feel of the dice. How much should the dice be selling for? I first thought they should sell for 10 cents apiece, then decided they should sell for 25 cents.

However, my major concern at the moment was my employees: it looked as if I didn't have any! I couldn't tell that anyone was working in the store. Finally – over to the side – I saw a counter where a woman was selling some food and refreshments. I walked over to her and quickly asked her if anyone else was working in the store. She said only one other temporary assistant was working. I immediately told her that she should close down the food section where she was working and begin working in the rest of the store. I clearly needed to address immediately the problem of staff.

A man walked up and interrupted me. He apparently had bought a table and chairs, and was having some problem with them. I walked over to where the table and chairs were; the table might be broken, but I couldn't tell for sure. I told the man he didn't have to take it if he didn't want to. He said he wanted to, but that he needed help carrying it out.

A muscular black man who apparently worked for me walked up; the two of us picked up something and began carrying it outside. As I handled the object, I realized it looked like a long iron girder, with something fastened to one end of it. As we proceeded along outside, I realized we were on the roof of a building; we had reached a section of the building where the roof was constructed of pieces of glass separated by strips of iron. I was concerned that if I stepped on the glass, it might break and I would fall through.

The black man mentioned that we should hurry so we could go back and get the table. That confused me, because I had thought we had taken the table. Only now did it strike me that we had left the table inside and were carrying something else out first.