Strange Things Are A-Happenin'

I think this may be the strangest dream I've ever had. I left out some stuff because it was a bit too personal. Honestly, most of you won't ever understand why it's as harrowing as it is, but feel free to read along if you wish.

While sleeping, I remember waking up and going to school. In my head, I knew I had already graduated from high school, but for some reason I was walking into St. Justin's, a parochial K-8 grammar school in which I was enrolled from third grade until graduating after eighth. We were in my first classroom there, but the desks were arranged like my high school, in rows facing the the wall with the door. It was a bit eerie returning to this place, but it was a dream, so I don't really remember questioning my discomfort.

As I'm sitting in class, I see people around my age. I guess in this dream I was of high school age again. Guys and girls began to sit down. A teacher came in, dressed formally but still looking young. He looked like he was Latino and had a goatee of some sort. He looked like a confident teacher, and he knew I didn't belong.

As it turns out, even though I was at St. Justin's, the school was Archbishop Mitty. I was confused because I knew the architecture of the school to be of my alma mater, but the students were all high school students that went to Mitty. I don't know how I knew this, seeing that I don't know many Mitty kids, but I knew. I also recognized one of my old classmates from St. Justin's who also went to Mitty there, and she was old, thereby confirming that these students were, in fact, from Mitty.

The teacher started going over something. I have no idea what class it was, but he'd periodically ask questions. I knew I was new to the class, but the rest of the class wasn't. Apparently it was my first day at Mitty, and it was already midway through the year for the other students.

The teacher went over a worksheet, which I didn't bother to follow because I knew I only had to get through one class and the day would be over. I don't know how I knew this, but I knew that the whole day was only this class. After, I would be done and I could wake up and return to normal life.

But he made me go over the worksheet anyways to turn it in at the end of class. There was some math involved, but it definitely wasn't a math class. I distinctly remember answering a question.

"So here," the teacher said, writing something on the board as the other students took notes, "This letter represents something for the calculation. I don't know if you guys would know this, but...anyone?" He stopped and looked around, searching for an answer within one of our minds.

I ventured a guess, since I was bored.

"Is it growth hormone?" I asked.

"Yes!" he smiled, then writing it on the board. He turned around. "How did you know that?"

I shrugged. I think my ability to answer the question made it seem like I was following the lecture and also very intelligent, or at least quick. It made him expect me to be able to fill out the worksheet. I didn't, obviously. At this point, I knew it was a dream, so I didn't bother filling out the worksheet before turning it in.

But I turned it in anyways, and I stayed back. He started grading them right away and saw mine. He looked at me and just shook his head. I'm thinking to myself, Why do I feel guilty? This is a dream!

He then proceeds to look at me and say, "I know it's your first day here, but your work ethic isn't enough to help you here. That's not how we do things at Mitty."

And I tell him, "It's ok. I only planned on being here for one day only."

He just looks at me with a knowing smile, as if he's thinking, Sure thing, kid. Whatever you say.

I ignore this and leave, still knowing it was a dream. I wake up and check the clock. It's 7AM. I just think to myself, that was so weird.

So I go back to sleep.

And I'm back at "Mitty."

I walk into the class, and this teachers just looks at me and says, "Welcome back."

The rest is even stranger. His name was Hay Gale, or Mr. Gale. Suffice it to say that I met with my old priest and Father Joe was not happy with the way things were going. Also, I woke up at 9 and went back to sleep and came for a third day.

It was terrifying.