I had a dream…
.    . . . . . . . …a Tsunami Dream.

In this dream, the Tsunami was coming. We didn’t know when, and we didn’t know how, but we knew. We knew it was inevitable, and imminent.

But from our vantage point, even though it was high above the land, we couldn’t see. We couldn’t see the shore, or even the horizon. Our view was occluded… obscured. And so I ventured forth.

I landed in the valley far below. A beautiful, verdant meadow. With tall grass, and taller boulders. A fine forest of proud, tall trees on all sides. A place to frolic and play. And so I did. I climbed the boulders, and rolled in the grass.

And that is when I saw it.

The water.

Just the top crest of it, and very very far away… and yet it was high enough, that I could see it clearly… over the tops of the tallest trees. And I knew, in that moment… I knew, the Time had come. The water was still miles away, and yet… it was unfathomably tall, hundreds of feet at least, and moving insanely fast.

So I sprinted. I ran, as fast as I could, back to my people, back to the high ground… to warn them, to be with them, to… die? with them?

The wall of water was approaching fast…

I got to the high ground. To my dismay, even though the major impact had not yet hit… the flooding had already begun. Everyone was swimming… treading water… the street was flooded.

I found my people. I realised, quite clearly, that this was the end. The end of all of it. Of life. Of love. Of civilisation. I looked them in the eye. And… I laughed. Not an awkward laugh, but a completely, totally, natural laugh. To me, it seemed both funny, amusing, and even joyous. To end like this. So suddenly, and so… Epic. I kissed Death herself upon the lips.

…and then the tsunami hit.

I vividly remember my last thoughts. Because at first — and this is all in a flash — at first I thought: this is it. We die. We all die. The end. And then, without logic, my mind outlined three very clear possibilities:

a. We all Die. The End.

b. We all Die. We wake up next, in Heaven or in Hell. Depending on belief, choices, and character.

c. We… live? We… survive? We… fight? By some miracle, we actually make it—-

WHOOOOMMMPP

The wave hits. Hard. Cut (not fade, cut) to Black.

The very very very last thing I remember thinking was: will I drown, or just have my head knocked off, or… what do I CHOOSE? Well, hell, if I have a choice (and we always, always, always have a choice, even in the midst of apparent certainty & inevitability)… I’m going down swinging. I’m gonna swim and kick and scream and go until the water fills my lungs. Until I drown, still kicking, until the very last millisecond of consciousness.

The End.

A long time passes.

An indeterminable amount of time.

I have no idea how long.

And, slowly, yet suddenly.

My eyes open.

The sun is bright.

The air smells fresh.

I am laying on my back. In the street. Or in, what used to be the street.

There is detritus and shattered debris and trees and rocks and broken things all around me. And corpses. So many bodies. In odd poses. Not. moving. Soaked. Everything is wet. Like after a hard rain.

And, yet.

I am alive. I stand. I look around. I take a tentative breath of the crisp cool air. And another. I can’t believe it. I made it. I am alive. Not many others are. Is anyone else?

I am alive.

I awake.

I am not alone dreaming this dream.