Dream Journey: Walking and Talking with a Friend

By Blair Larson

Book Synopsis: This short story is based on an actual dream. It started as I was walking through grass and came across a trail that I dec

• Language: English
• Publisher: Writers Branding LLC
• Release date: Mar 30, 2024
• ISBN: 9781639459100

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Dream Journey: Walking and Talking with a Friend

Copyright © 2024 by Blair Larson

ISBN: 9-781639459100(e)

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher and/or the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

The views expressed in this book are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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I dedicate this book to the memory of:

My mother Bernice G. Larson (1911 – 1976)

My father Eric B.G. Larson (1895 – 1968)

My brother Donald E. Larson (1938 – 2010)

My brother-in-law Lynn Bud Amundson (1934 – 2012)

My nephew David L. Amundson (1961 – 2007)

My half-sister Janice M. Chambers (1919 – 2016)

My brother-in-law Burton M. Chambers (1918 – 2014)

Contents

Preface

Chapter 1 : Midnight

Chapter 2 : The Sanctuary

Chapter 3 : Visions from the Past

Chapter 4 : Memories

Chapter 5 : My Friend Returns

Chapter 6 : Probing Questions

Chapter 7 : The Trinity

Chapter 8 : Crossroads

Chapter 9 : Middle Branch

Chapter 10 : Hell

Chapter 11 : Life’s Eternal Road

Chapter 12 : Awakening

Preface

This short story describes an actual dream journey. Normally I do not recall dreams but this was so vivid I felt compelled to share it. Psalm 23:4

Enjoy my Dream Journey.

Chapter 1

Midnight

Midnight came without any fanfare as it does every night. The grandfather clock down the hall announced the time as it tolled 12 times. Midnight was my usual bedtime; time to retire for a night’s sleep.

Outside was a raging blizzard with 50 mph winds blowing the snow and creating massive snowbanks, and the temperature had dipped to 30 degrees below zero.

Inside the house, the rooms felt about 62 degrees. The furnace was working but was not operating at full capacity, and, hopefully, it would not stop working. Turning up the heat on the thermostat, I headed down the hall to the bedroom. It seemed that winter wanted to come indoors as the wind found cracks and infiltrated the walls. I noticed ice building on the cracks on the plastered walls of my old house. As I waited for the heat to warm my bedroom, it still felt like an icy wonderland.

I changed into warm flannel pajamas and readied myself for bed. Then, turning back the bedspreads and flannel sheets, I quickly slithered beneath the multiple layers.

I shook and shivered gleefully, snuggling and cuddling beneath the blankets as I tried to warm the bed.

Lying on my bed, I slipped my hands out from under the warmth of the blankets and opened my Bible and turned to the book of Psalms. I reread my favorite passage, the 23rd Psalm.

Psalm 23 (KJV):

A Psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

The more I relaxed, the harder it was to stay awake. I thought I might as well try to get some shut eye. Reaching for the lamp, I turned off the light. I laid the Bible to my left side on the bed with my hand still on the holy book.

I closed my eyes as I reflected on what I had just read. I fell into a blissful sleep, and as my slumber deepened, I began to dream, unconsciously starting a new chapter of my life that would transcend and transform my life.

In my dream, I began a walking voyage that originated atop a grassy knoll and led me traipsing through thick undergrowth. Soon, a path where vegetation had been eroded and worn down to the bare earth came into view.

The trail was well-used, created over the eons from a multitude of earlier travelers and countless animals that had trudged, roamed and inhabited this region. The footpath snaked along the natural terrain and became more pronounced as it narrowed and widened along the way. The trail seemed so inviting that I began to follow it without recourse or forethought as to where it might lead me. I had no provisions if I got hungry, nothing to rest my head upon if I got weary and nothing to drink if I got thirsty. It was an unprepared journey.

I cautiously negotiated my way down a steep raggedy portion of the trail with precarious footholds. I did not notice loose gravel until it caused me to slip and slide a few feet on the palms of my hands.

Picking myself up, I brushed off the gravel and shook my stinging hands. I sheepishly looked around to see if anyone had seen my clumsy descent and then continued downhill. Trying to be more aware of my footing, I still slipped several more times on the incline of the hill. Finally, I was able to regain my balance when I reached flat ground.

While regaining my composure, I was startled by a man who appeared out of nowhere. At first, I thought I saw a hallucination or some ghostly figure but quickly realized that he was indeed a man and not my imagination.

When we first met, he was not speaking English, but what I perceived sounded like a Middle Eastern language. I tried to convey to him in English, along with hand gestures, that I could not understand his foreign tongue. I did not expect him to respond, but when he did, he eloquently spoke perfect English with no detectable accent.

He said, Did I surprise you? I watched you from that other hill and saw you on your descent down the embankment. I lost track of you and thought you might have fallen, so I rushed over to see if you are okay. It appears that you only scraped your hand.

I replied, "I was not expecting anyone, as I was deep in thought. I was not being observant of my surroundings and had a little slip on the loose gravel; it is nothing serious. I bruised my ego