Bartering the self

We were on an obstacle course, nature vs man comes to mind. There were caves and bush and crappy suspension bridges across deep ravines. At one point, I realised I was trailing behind, and you are now nowhere in sight. You have left me. There are guides that egg us on to push through with the challenges ahead.

We come to a cliff-like area where any wrong move will cause you to plunge to your death in the fall below. The guide was acting sinister, not helping any of us, saying we ought to do it on our own. When I came past him, I saw that he had an ability to reach for a person and haul that person away to safety. I surrendered myself to my fear, and out of desire to get out of the situation and reach safety, I begged him to please, get me away. I would do anything, even allow him to have his way with me. Yes, I had sunk so low for survival.

Then I look at his face, and this grinning sinister of a man suddenly had the face of Hugh Grant. It was so strange to see him smiling, saying "Great, that sounds wonderful, I shall meet you by the airport in a few hours. And please don't be late." And I replied "All right, make sure I am back here promptly tomorrow morning as I have another appointment to meet."

Then I had woken up, wondering sheepishly if I did have a chance, would I let Hugh Grant, who several times had been in the media attention for lewd behaviour, take advantage of me?

Lava

Riding the train. I don't know how I did, but I realised there was lava flowing outside coming towards us. I was watching it come close as if just watching television. As it melted its way through a thick cement wall, I look at the end of the train cab, and see smoke and hear sizzling sounds. The people seated there are wincing slightly, but the mood inside the train is calm but worried. I turn to my companions, who turn out to be my parents. My father was snoozing in the seat behind us, my mom seated beside me. I kissed my father on the cheek as I say "Wake up papa, nagugunaw na mundo" and then kissed my mom too, We stood up, and I tell them "Wear your jackets" while in my head I wondered if we can easily walk around with extra weight of the jacket, then decided it is extra protection from the heat from the lava. I also imagined how I can carry my mom on my shoulders, should it come to it.

We stepped towards a door of the train, then suddenly we are at the front of the train, as I can see the driver maneuvering the street. So it wasn't a train, or it must've been the shortest train ever. The driver started to slow as a pedestrian crossed the street, while we waited for the door to completely open. It looked jammed, so someone started to kick it open. We stepped out.

We started walking down a hill, and I took a glance at a side street and saw the lava still coming towards us. My brother, who I now realise was with us, changed direction walking. My mom asked "Where's Eins?" then I realise my brother isn't around anymore. Then my father changed direction and started walking back up the hill towards the lava. I thought, okay, maybe he has a bright idea, so I start following him back up, with mom close by also walking up. The lava is already under our feet, and I see that it is already hurting my father as he walked, and I told them "Don't let your feet linger to long on the ground, look" and showed them how I was walking fast, raising my feet right away as it hit the ground. The lava wasn't burning us as we thought. Again, I was thinking how I will be able to carry my mom, should it come to it.