01/22/04
Princess For A Day


This dream was rather convoluted. I think it was all the same one so that's how I'll share it...

My memory picked up with myself and my parents and the cat, Cosmas, in the living room at night. We seemed to be doing various things. I believe I was trying to get ready to record something on the VCR. At some point Dad threw some sort of Smurf toy at the cat, and it scared him so I think he jumped up on the couch. There were then two Smurf toys (like stuffed toys, plush), maybe one smaller than the other; I had an urge to toss the other one at the cat, but refrained.

I noticed that on one of my tapes I had apparently recorded over the end of one of the previous episodes of some cartoon (probably an anime); can't remember clearly. That can happen on accident sometimes, though in real life it's usually the beginning of the NEXT episode. Anyway, I wasn't hugely upset, but I was looking around for the right tape because I was going to record the episode again (it was about to air), though it seemed I never found what I needed and the show was already starting. In real life this would get me VERY upset. In the dream I seemed to be more flustered than anything; I guess I didn't like the cartoon much. I can't remember this very well but it was all quite hectic, with me checking the tapes and checking the TV and shuffling them around and everything. At some point my uncle Rocky was suddenly sitting in Dad's spot on the couch, watching something on TV. I had to view just a second or so of a tape to make sure it was at the right spot so I put it in, looked at him, and said, "I'll just use this for only a second." I didn't want to interrupt him, but I was kind of miffed that he'd settled down to watch when I was obviously busy with the TV. What was he even doing there, anyway? I checked the tape, then put it back on the channel he'd been watching. Then I briefly went to my bedroom for some reason. (The order of this might be off, but this is how I wrote it down.)

In my room, I had my radio/CD/cassette player (boombox) and was listening to the radio. Only I think it was supposed to be a new boombox. I held it in front of me on my bed and fiddled with the tuning dial because for some reason the only station I could seem to pick up in the higher digits was 106.7 KPK, the Peak (a local station I usually listen to). Maybe they were playing a song I didn't like, or maybe I just wanted to find the other station I listen to, 107.7, the Bay (don't know their call letters as they never say them). But all I could get, no matter how far I turned the dial to the right, was KPK! "What the heck...?" I murmured in confusion. Rather than having a bad radio, I distinctly felt that somehow KPK had "hogged" all the frequencies or whatever on that end of the dial, and so they were the only station I could receive. How annoying!

Anyway, I believe I went back out into the living room. Now I went back and worried about how tall my towers of videocassette tapes were getting (in real life I stack them haphazardly in tower formations, and they are VERY tall and worrisome :/ ). I decided to at least shorten the towers so they would be less likely to fall over, and started moving some stacks onto the window shelf and off of a little wooden basket-type thing that they're currently sitting on (in real life). I noticed there was some space in the window that wasn't there in real life, as well as a cleared spot on the basket top. There was also a metal rack hanging up to the right of the window and it held what were supposed to be videocassettes, but in fact looked more like CDs in their cases. The slots in the rack (it was just metal bars, no solid back or sides) were in maybe two or more rows--on the front at first, but then one on the side facing me, I believe; and they were tilted, either up or down--it seemed to be down, which means the tapes/CDs would slide right out. And sliding they were--I stood here trying to take them out and catch them before they could fall, at the same time. There was a whole stack of them slipping out! I think I just barely averted disaster, but it was bothersome. I noticed also that the tape towers weren't as tall as I'd thought they were, but I had to find a place to settle the sliding tapes/CDs. Frustrating! All of this while I was still trying to figure out what I was supposed to be recording!

I think I finally settled the tapes/CDs down somewhere, and turned toward the VCR, still holding a videotape in my right hand. I think I saw a flash and/or heard a click or two, and turned to see Ma standing near the hallway, holding the digital camera and grinning. She'd just snapped a couple of pictures of me!!

I HATE having my picture taken! I turned to her and demanded to know what she was doing. I was quite upset, but she was cheery throughout the whole incident, and that upset me even more! Like she couldn't take me seriously! I asked her to delete the pictures but she refused. I just KNEW she was going to show them to family, or upload them into her family tree program--and they were full-body shots from the side, so my fat butt and EVERYTHING would show up! :(

"Why do you even WANT those?" I demanded.

"I want to see what you'll look like in such-and-such and such-and-such a resolution," she said, listing two sets of numbers (like 800x600 and 1024x768 pixels, only I think both numbers were higher than 800x600, and I don't remember specifically what they were). Yes, for some weird reason she was just testing the camera to see how a picture of me would come out in two different resolutions. How stupid! And as soon as she said this, she lifted the camera to her eye again. I held up the videotape to my behind so she wouldn't get a good shot of my butt, and I expected her to be annoyed and to delete the picture or else not take it, but she smiled when she brought the camera down and I knew she had taken yet ANOTHER picture--one with me holding a videotape up to block my butt!! I was so pissed off! >_<

"STOP TAKING MY PICTURE!" I yelled. "You'd BETTER erase those! Or I will!"

My threats went over her head. She took the camera with her and I got the feeling she and Dad were now going somewhere, leaving me behind. Maybe they were heading out for dinner or something. Part of me was still so mad at Ma that I did not want to go with her, but part of me was also upset at being left alone. I kind of wanted to eat out, too. :(

The dream shifted somewhat here as I went to the window to watch Ma and Dad leave. At first I think they were heading south--oddly enough, as town is to the north--but then everything changed drastically. The ENTIRE layout of things, for example, was different--now I was in some kind of really big room with this HUGE, curving glass window instead of our picture window. I can't remember the right side of it as it seemed to lead outside into a street which passed by the front of the house, but I know that on the left side it curved inward to form a bit of a leftside window. I don't know if they can make windows like that in real life but that's how it was in my dream. I stood by this corner to watch Ma and Dad leave, but then they were caught up in...getting into a horse buggy. This huge window overlooked an old street running by, and on the other side were old houses and buildings, like from Victorian times or something. There were people walking back and forth, many of them children, dressed up--I knew suddenly that it was Halloween (it was dark out, but the street was lit probably with lamps), but most of them wore rather cheap costumes, for example one boy dressed like a tramp or something, in brown clothing. There were horse carriages going by; though not crowded, the street was just bustling with activity. I remember seeing one carriage waiting at a corner to turn right (or maybe it was ON the right, my right--not sure--perhaps it was even Ma's and Dad's carriage?), almost like a car at a stop sign. I realized this WAS olden times--for some reason I keep thinking of the Charles Dickens era, but I don't know where exactly this was taking place, England or here. Everything was just different. I was standing right in this huge window, crying and upset, and for a moment I worried that I would be seen and maybe mocked or something, but then I got too caught up in watching what was going on.

Ma and Dad were further to my right at the side of the street (near or far?--can't remember); there seemed to be a set of wide steps leading down from a big doorway which was either in or beside this window, to my right. They were busy getting into a horse-drawn buggy or carriage. I glanced up and hanging either above the street, the steps, or over the door--most likely above the steps as it was easily visible--was this big sign made from two pieces of what appeared to be heavy-pile carpeting. (It was two tall poles on both sides of the steps or wherever, with the carpeting suspended between them somehow.) Though the signs on the carpeting were facing away from me, toward the street, it's still like I could read or else just knew what they said. Closer to me, on my left facing the back of the sign (the sign's right), was a smaller piece of carpeting, maybe square, and I think it was cream colored with brick-red embroidery. This signified Ma's name and/or title. Further away from me, on the right side (the sign's left), was a bigger, more rectangular piece of carpeting, this one in brick red, maybe with cream-colored embroidery, though I can't be sure of the latter (I'm just assuming the two were opposites in terms of color). I knew this one signified Dad's name and/or title...and I now remembered that Ma was the QUEEN and Dad was the KING in this place, and I was of course the PRINCESS. These two signs up here were telling that they lived in this house/mansion/palace/whatever. I realized that this was MA'S house/mansion, and knew that Dad had one of his own, which might have been bigger (as, since he was the king, his sign was somewhat bigger as well). I briefly wondered why I/we were staying at Ma's place and if I'd be happier staying at Dad's place, almost like it was a divorce settlement or something...odd. As I looked at the backs of these signs (the plush, piled side was facing away from me), I noticed a small whitish stain on the back of Dad's, maybe from bleach or something. Even now I find it very weird how I managed to make out such a minute detail in a dream.

Anyway...I now knew that Ma and Dad were the queen and king, and they were busy getting into this waiting carriage (which appeared to have no roof/bonnet). I still stood in the window, though my view of the steps and their carriage was such that there was no window or wall or door or anything in my way; it was like I could see through things. *shrug* I had worried that the commoners in the street would see me and mock me, either for crying or for being the princess, but now I grew more interested in everything that was going on outside. So, Ma and Dad were leaving me behind, were they? Then I would go out and find some entertainment of my own, too.

(I also started to wonder if I was wearing really ornate clothing as I stood in the window, like a fancy shiny dress, though I'm not sure if I was.)

I went outside, into the street. If I had been dressed fancily before, I must not have been now, for hardly anyone paid me any mind--or maybe they assumed I was dressed for trick-or-treating? I made my way to one of the carriages which was filling up with people. It was open (no roof/bonnet) and smallish, but people were just piling into it. My persona changed so that now I was more adventurous and confident; at points I even felt like Chihiro in Spirited Away, only without the anxiety. I started clambering into this carriage only to feel something pull violently on my hair, and I was dragged back out to the ground.

An old man appeared, leaning over the carriage. "You'll get in when I pull you in!" he snapped.

I stood outside the carriage, apologizing profusely as others, men and children (I don't precisely remember women), continued climbing in. There was just a tiny space on the floorboards (?) left (it looked like creamy white wood, kind of dirty/soiled), not enough for me to sit safely, but I got on anyway. I think the carriage started to move away from the house/palace (it would have been going left ("south") if I had still been looking out the window), and now it seemed to be daytime and winter, kind of sunny with some snow in the road; but I was seated such that the old man driving the carriage couldn't properly see where we were going. (I guess we were piled in there oddly and he wasn't in the front seat. Not sure.) He started complaining about this and said, "I can't pull the crank!" or something like that--apparently I was blocking him from that, too.

There was a big lever thing on the right side of the carriage, close to the back, and I knew that in order to move, this crank had to be pushed over and over again, almost like pushing the handle on one of those carts that travel down railroad tracks. "I'll do it!" I volunteered cheerily, leaning down and pushing on the lever, once, and again, and again (one had to do it continuously to keep in motion--I have no clue what happened to the horses). Pushing it was like using a paper cutter. "I'm good at cranking!" I exclaimed. I knew that even though I was a princess, I occasionally engaged in more tomboyish pursuits, and pushing cranks was one of them. O_o In other words, pushing a carriage crank was not something royalty was expected to do--but then again, these guys didn't know I was royalty.

I seemed to be sitting high up, so maybe that was why I blocked the old driver's view. He seemed reluctant to let me propel the carriage at first, but he couldn't do it, and I seemed to be doing okay, so he said, "Well, all right, just be careful!" We were going REALLY fast by now up this street, just speeding past everything--it was crowded and it was almost like riding a snowmobile, as it would have been very easy to fall off and we had to keep swerving to avoid things, but I was doing pretty well. I can't remember what any of the others in the carriage with us were doing or saying. The old man quailed a little bit at how fast I was going despite my supposed inexperience, but I think he eventually said, "Go faster, just make sure to be careful!" I think he wanted to reach our destination sooner, and I was a faster cranker than he was.

We somehow ended up on a long dock going out over a huge body of water, no land in sight (except for where we'd come from) that I can remember. The sky was maybe pale blue or slightly overcast and this water was reflecting light blue and just stretched on and on, little wavelets lining its surface. I guess we stopped the carriage and everybody, including me, got off on this dock. I milled around while everybody else went their separate ways, and wondered what I would do now. My feeling of being like Chihiro grew here, and I finally sat down on the right edge of the dock (with land to my right) and started digging in my pockets and such to see what important things I had brought with me. I know I had several small objects, maybe figurines and tiny pet animals, like a toad/frog and/or a mouse. I knew I would have to use these at some point in the plot, like Chihiro using the little ball given to her by the river spirit in Spirited Away; the little animal(s) reminded me of the mouse/baby and the bird/fly which accompanied her near the end of the movie. For a moment I was going to take out a cat--maybe Cosmas--and set it on the dock alongside me, so I wouldn't be alone, but then I thought, a cat is a pretty big thing to just be carrying around; did I bring one with me after all? It's almost like I realized this was a story and decided to "change" it, by deciding that no, I would not have a cat with me. I was setting these little objects on the dock to consider what to do with them, and thinking about not having a cat, when I woke up.



2004 Dreams
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