Waking Up, Spies in the Land of Dreams

Chapter 4:  Danger

    "Yeah, about that.  Let's talk about the danger first.  There is danger in the dream worlds and danger in the quote unquote real world.  They're related."
    "What do you mean, 'the quote unquote real world?'  The real world world is real and dreams are just the imagination, right?  The sleeping and confused imagination?  Fun, interesting, scary. Confusing.  Perhaps enlightening, but not real.  Right?"
    "Right.  And wrong."
    "Okay, I'm confused.  And we haven't even gotten to the part about danger and the Baba Yaga's message."
    "Well, when you are dreaming, your physical body stays home in bed, right?"
    "Or where you've left it when you go to sleep."
    "Assuming you left your body in a safe place, and no place is 100% safe, but that's a separate issue, assuming you body is safe, the first danger is to your mind, emotions and soul and their relationship to the body.  The Baba Yaga is essentially a figment of your imagination--or ours.  She is, in a sense, a creation of the the collective unconscious or the minds of all of men.  But, while she may not be real in the phenomenal, consensual or the quote unquote real world, she is very real to the subconscious mind or dreaming mind.  And while she cannot eat your physical body,she can eat your dream body, and by doing so, she could sever the connection between your mind and your body."
    "Good grief, Matt, you sound like a teacher, the annoying kind that uses too many big words."
    "I'm not sure of another way to say it.  If I am not careful how I say it, you might misunderstand me."
    "You're saying that the Baba Yaga could make me crazy."
    "Yes, or even kill you, in the quote unquote real world."
    "Will you quit calling it "the quote unquote real world.  You would be really dead."
    "If I call it the 'real world,' that implies dreams aren't real.  But of course they are real.  They exist in their own way and they affect us.  Now, to continue about danger, I just need to warn you that the dream world is connected to the quote unquote real world, as I am sure you know.  Suppose we were dream spies and decided to spy and Miss Wingsley?  Suppose we went into her dreams, the way I entered your dream, to look around and see why she always acts like she has a corncob up her butt.  Maybe there is one, in her dreams, and we want to yank it out of her dream butt so she won't be so . . . "
    "What the flip, Matt, you're being really rude," Tammy said, looking around to see if anyone was listening.  "What if Ms. Window has this place bugged?  Maybe she's a friend of Miss Wingsley and will tell her and then we'll be up the creek without a paddle."
    "That was what I was sort of getting around to, in a way, but I guess I was being a little crude.  Miss Wingley bugs me, sorry.  OK, for the sake of illustration only, let's just say that Miss Wingsley was a spy for, mmm, the Al Qaeda."
    "Yeah, that's almost about to happen . . . "
    "I said for the sake of illustration, I'm trying to communicate somethign to you here."
    "Okay, okay, continue."
    "All right, now suppose that we had reason to be suspicious of her, because she was such a . . . a . . . a grouch.  And we decided to spy on her dreams to see if she's got Al Qaeda connections.  And suppose we discovered she did, but we were spotted spying on her in her dreams by the Al Qaeda henchmen.  What do you suppose they would do to use in quote unquote real life--in the phenomenal world--if they could find us?"
    "Kill us for real."
    "You bet!"
    "But I am just a teenage kid.  I'm not a threat to Al-Qaeda or anyone else."
    "Not yet, you're not.  Were you listening to what Baba Yaga said?"
    "Yeah, I heard her.  I didn't understand her, but I heard what she said.  And I have a pretty good memory, I think.  She said, and I quote, 'Since there are two of you, and since each of you has passed a test of sorts, I will give you two answers.  Three, really.  What you need to know is that your Maya world is at a turning point and if it is not turned back, there will be no turning back and all will be lost.  What you need to do is continue as you are, for the path before you is the answer to saving the world.  And finally, If you don't leave immediately, I will eat you anyway.  And next time, I may eat you without warning.'"
    "Wow!  You really do have a good memory!  Criminey!"
    "I was confused by what she said.  She said Maya world.  I thought Maya meant illusion and I looked it up, and it does, in Sanskrit.  But she seemed to be talking about the real world."
    "Many people believe that what we call the quote unquote real world is simply illusion, or another dream.  And since she lives in the dream world, it's not surprising she considers what we call the real world to be illusion."
    "You seem like you're talking in circles, but OK, she means that the real everyday world is in trouble of some kind.  It's at a turning point, and if we keep going this way, whatever that means, we'll discover a way to save the world.  Which way are we going and who's we?"
    "Where were we going when we met her?"
    "Into the dream world.  We were exploring."
    "The imaginal or dream world, right, so whatever we were doing then we need to do more of.  It will lead us to an answer.  She was talking to us, you and me.  We have to save the world.  It is our task."
    "We, you and me, save the world?  Yeah right.  We're nobody.  We're two wimpy bookish teenage kids in some  backwater town in the middle of nowhere, and we are going to save the world when all the grownups and think tanks and presidents and college professors have failed.  I probably couldn't fight my way out of a bowl of spaghetti, and you want me to fight Al Qaeda?"
    "Yup.  More than Al Qaeda, though, that's just the tip of the iceberg."
    "You're completely crazy."
    "So can we count you in?"
    "We, who's we?"
    "Me and Ms Window and Mr. Beakley and Mr. Sorenson and Mr. Allen . . . "
    "Mr Allen too?  I suppose Social Studies and History would be relevant here.  Yup, I can see that.  But not Miss Wingsley?"
    "I think she's gone over to the dark side."
    "You're getting carried away, Matt."
    "So will you?"
    "Do I have a choice?"
    "You always have a choice."
    "As long as I can back down later, sure.  Why not.  Now I gotta go.  If I'm not there at 6, I'll get grounded."
    "Walk you home?"
    "No, it'd be better if you didn't, seriously.  My folks might not understand."
    "OK, I'll just walk you half-way.  But we've got a date?"
    "A date?"
    "For more lessons tonight.  Meet me at the stroke of midnight at the Farnsworth Chapel."
    "My curfew is at 10:30."
    "In your dreambody, silly."
    "In your dreams!"
    "Yeah, that's it!  Really."
    "How do I do that?  I'm gonna be late."
    "Intention.  You have to intend to.  Before you sleep.  Out this under your pillow, it will help you remember," Matt handed her a paper rose.  It was the kind handed out by some organization looking for donations.  "Take it with you into your dreams, look for it.  Bye.  See you at Midnight."