Dream 5

I was stunned after the violent death of Dianna. I kept pulling on the oar, we all did, but my mind was in a fog.

I stared off into nothingness for an eternity, coming to myself when I was visited the next morning by the time keeper with his ladle.

"Her name is Incessa," he whispered rapidly. "My mother sold me to her many years ago. She stops talking only when there is no one left to listen -- and then she crushes me to her breast, wraps her arms and legs around me in a smothering grip, and whines with fear until I pass out. And each time, when I awaken, there is a full contingent of eight rowers and we begin our journey again. I know not how you came to be here but I'm glad you are. I'm sorry that our fortunes are at cross purposes. I was a kind person once." He glanced into my eyes, and was gone. 

He shuffled back up toward the bow, took up his drum, and we began to row.

The noise was a like a vacuum cleaner trying to suction after its moving parts have been locked in place by strands and strands of long coarse hair.

 … a black suit is the only way for a woman to look professional in today's corporate environment I learned this is my recent master's degree program where I'm on the board and I still visit the campus as often as possible so that everyone knows me yes I haven't had a real corporate job in twenty years but things haven't changed that much the good things never really change I only wear Levi's like I wore in high school they are still the best still the most fashionable jeans look what are mom jeans I never shop in a discount store only the wrong kind of people would shop at Marshalls or Nordstrom Rack the right kind of people shall we say will only pay full price for items they find at the mall shall we say... 

I noticed ancient ruins, still standing columns, on a hilltop above the water, but my flash of interest in something larger than myself was sucked out of me by Incessa's never ending blather.

I caught the eye of the rower across the aisle to my right, and pointed her to the ruin with a quick jerk of my chin. She nodded in a tired and disinterested way.

All we could do was row.