Wednesday 17 November 2010

Magpie Tales #41 - Late!

It was five minutes to midnight when I went to bed, not soon enough when I had an early start in the morning. Next day I left in a hurry, realising I was late – too late – for work.

Suddenly I was travelling in the wrong direction, lost, in unfamiliar territory, and people – familiar strangers - were talking to me, telling me what I should do. I was walking, running, driving, cycling, looking for signposts, biting my lip, trying not to cry, working out my excuses.

I should have phoned to say I would be late, but how could I appear when everyone else was about to go home? Maybe I could manage to show up and do half an hour’s work – that would be better than nothing. Show willing – it always sometimes helps. No point in staying late to catch up – all the students would go home at the usual time.

Perhaps my colleagues would not have noticed my absence – or perhaps they knew somehow that I was unable to get to work and had already hired a substitute. I should phone though, it was only common courtesy, but I could imagine them shaking their heads disbelievingly. ‘How could she do it again?’ they were saying. ‘Who does she think she is?’

I’d lose my job this time, definitely. And then I woke up.

Willow from Willow Manor hosts this prompting meme. Thank you, Willow. Please click here for other tales.

26 comments:

  1. Oh, I hate that, such a stressful dream but wonderful when it is just a dream.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lovely post - although I was quite keen to find out what excuse she would have used!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I hate it when I am trying to get somewhere in a dream but keep running around going to the weirdest places. Good story.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dreams take us to the strangest places and do the oddest things, don't they. It made me smile as I read on and thought "I've done that"! A

    ReplyDelete
  5. "familiar strangers" - I meet them in my dreams all the time.
    I usually dream that I'm AT work, and doing something wrong. It's such a relief to wake up and realize I'm not on deadline any more.
    Very well done, Janice. I could totally relate, as the kids say.
    -- K

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've had a dream for years now where I'm lost on the CTA in Chicago, where I haven't lived for decades. Just as frantic and terrifying, though, and like your piece here, just as vivid.

    ReplyDelete
  7. good story
    like the narration

    ReplyDelete
  8. I was relieved when you woke up!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sounds like a terrible dream! I'm so glad you woke up. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Have we not all had those dreams?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yikes...I've had this dream!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I've had this dream too! You describe it well.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Just when I was becoming stressed I woke up!

    ReplyDelete
  14. You have done an amazaing job of chronicling one of my most redundant dreams. Great ending!
    p.s. I am starting to hate snow!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Glad those days/dreams are behind me. Retirement rocks!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Can't help thinking you're lucky to be asleep before midnight, in order to have any sort of dream! LOL :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh, that scary wrong direction feeling. How to make it better? What to do? I can feel your pulse quickening (and mine, in empathy!) with each word.

    Fantastic.

    My Magpie may be found here.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Good story. Glad about the waking up! Would have been a hard situation to deal with.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Oh, that breathless feeling of being in the wrong world at the wrong time. Well captured! Love it...

    ReplyDelete
  20. Dreams have a lot to answer for...

    ReplyDelete
  21. Phew! Saved by the clock! I have times where I have to ask myself if I'm dreaming.....life continuum and body clocks, eh?

    ReplyDelete
  22. those kinds of dreams can be so frustrating!

    ReplyDelete
  23. glad that it was a dream after all.
    delightful writing,
    love your story telling ability.

    ReplyDelete
  24. well fine tuned tale.
    keep writing.
    Happy Sunday!
    xx

    ReplyDelete



Thank you for visiting. I love to read your comments and really appreciate you taking the time to respond to posts.

I will always try to repay your visit whenever possible.