[I haven't done this in awhile, and I promised a re-telling of my dream from the other weekend ... so here is another super short sTROYie (and length is a relevant concept of course). In the spirit of Freytag's Pyramid ...]
A MID-WINTER NIGHT's DREAM
I. Exposition
I awoke in the cell with my head pressed flat against my pillow. Lying still, I advanced though stages of grogginess as shadows became clearer, surroundings became familiar, items came into view. My eye, now drawn to the unkempt pile of duotangs and trapper keepers and loose papers piled in the corner as if prepared for a bonfire, drank in the scene -- my brain processed the images one at a time as my memories slowly returned. Then, clarity as my grogginess lifted and as I fully accepted my awake-dream state. I was in jail for not having finished my homework. Task at hand now decided upon, I tried to begin my penance -- but instead I began to panic as my head refused to be lifted off of my prison issued pillow.
II. Rising Action
With all of the strength I could muster, I pried my noggin off of its resting place and quickly realized that in my deep sleep, wax had drained out of my ear throughout the time I had been sleeping (was it days? weeks?) and hardened into a glue like puddle as if a candy had melted and re-formed as it cooled. I yelled for help ... I clawed at the protrusion ... and eventually I pried it loose. It broke free from my skin -- tearing at my scalp and coming apart in my hands. I looked in the mirror and saw large areas of oozing raw bloody mush and skull pieces and knew something must be done. My jailer appeared and informed me that I must go to Walmart to get the cream that would heal me. He released me from the cell and sent me out to the parking lot, where work colleagues Beth W and Adam M were waiting. I crawled into the back seat, hiding my wounds from them and we drove off in silence -- on our way to the Walmart.
III. Climax
Silence. Darkness. Even the street lights were dim at best. I was unaware of the time, but sensed it was just before dawn (not that time mattered at Walmart). There was no traffic ... there were no passersby ... just us on an early morning mission to restore my head to its usual state. We stopped at a red light for what seemed like too long of a time, and the darkness seemed to double in strength or size or effect. In its totality, my other senses were heightened. I could hear someone coming .. someone walking around to the side of the car ... someone dragging his fingertips on paint as he neared the front. "Lock your doors! Run the light! This is the bad part of town!!" I startled Beth into action, and we sped through the intersection -- hearts pounding until we found a well lit gas station ahead. I knew I had to get out of the car. As they filled up with gas, I snuck away into the breaking dawn, comforted by the growing light and the knowledge that I had escaped certain misfortune.
IV. Falling Action
One obstacle remained before the Walmart. I turned down the alley and walked into a college dorm. I knew my travel would be fastest if I could get through the building, but there was a line of women blocking my path. I quickly realized that security was too tight, and I left the front desk area to find another way to my destination. Then, in the quad, a lagoon with a festival set up on its shores. Booths, huts, circus atmosphere -- all beckoned to me. Out of the lagoon mist -- high school classmate Fred F walked up to me and asked me if I was going to participate in the festivities. I declined ... and immediately set out for the far side of the lagoon as I could see the Walmart through the copse of trees. Suddenly, Rachel R nee M appeared, armed with a clipboard, ready to answer any question I had. I pointed to the Walmart and she stepped aside to show me a path through a wintry marshy boggy woods. I set out on my path, so close to my goal.
V. Dénouement
Feet soaked and frozen, I crawled up to the side of the road, just in time to see Chris L pulling over in his new hovercraft. I paused to wonder if it was a new hovercraft because he never had a hovercraft before or if it was simply a new hovercraft because he traded the old one in. The back was laden with bags of Walmart goodies ... and he misjudged the side of the road as the back end slid off into the woods from whence I had just come. I tried to push it back on the road ... scanning the items inside to see if he had picked up my cream. I pushed ... and pushed ... and pushed ... and pushed ... and I felt a pain in my depths. A pain that was driving me out of my dreamworld ...
[... a pain discussed in my post on 1/8/10 that was enough to jolt me from my sleep, leaving these story lines unfinished... and open to interpretation!]
FREYTAG's DRAMATIC STRUCTURE:
http://www.stageandscreenwriters.com/Freytag_s_Dramatic_Structur.html
DREAM DICTIONARY (AND IT INCLUDES EARWAX):
http://www.thecuriousdreamer.com/dreamdictionary/
ANOTHER STORY THAT BEGINS WITH WAKING UP IN JAIL:
http://hubpages.com/hub/beataddiction
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