Dream #whogivesarats.

Had that dream again.
You know the one.
You have 'em all the time as well.
You're going about your life doing your lifely things on a perfect lifely day
And you're chatting with acquaintances and neighbours and you stop to pass a while with a good friend.  A friend of some years' standing.
And their sentences start to trail and hang. Falter.
"Are you okay?", you ask.
They shake their head slightly. Only slightly.
And without as much as an "Excuse me" they fix their eyes on a distant point and beeline shuffle towards it.
Pretty soon the surge is up as they enter this place or that and you stand there thinking you're hearing the same thing as everyone else but you know you're not.
Thinking you're seeing the same thing as everyone else but you know you're not.
And you prided yourself on the fact that everyone didn't think like everyone else and you took great delight that those nearest and dearest to you thought very much for themselves.
But there they all go, congregating here.  Shuffling over there...
And a stranger says, "Do you not hear it too?"
But you can't answer.  You can't even shake your head.
"You need to come with me."
But I don't.  I run.  Every time.
Jumping fences, climbing fire escapes (testimony to the power of US TV and film as I don't think I've ever actually seen a fire escape in this country).
At one point I climbed some multi-story balconies while someone shot a pistol at me.
I found myself in the most luxurious yet beautifully spartan apartment.
Gingerly trying each door hoping not to get caught.
I interrupted some guy on the crapper but his needs offset his ire at a stranger in his flat so he didn't pursue me.
Eventually I settled on some high place.
And imagined I saw every last one of 'em trapped by evanescent geometrically simple shapes surrounding their heads, suffocating them, nurturing them, taking care of their every last need.
And they were happy.
And I was happy.
And how much did you say these sessions were going to cost me, Doctor?

Hideaway.