THE DREAM

Something that I don't fully understand is making me travel backwards and forwards in time. My first destination is the far future. I find myself in Nottingham, my home town, in a future where there is limitless leisure time and peace throughout the world. Decade by decade the birth rate decreases. Less and less is being created, too. It is as if the human race has reached its twilight and lost the will to live. My guide in the future walks me through fields and talks to me hopefully about threats to global security. I get the impression that on some subconscious level he wants a nuclear war. Suddenly, I am in my late twenties. I am in the car of a weird bloke who I used to call a friend. He's driving through my home town. The speed we're going scares me. I've been in hospital for a long time, recovering from a serious drug addiction and my mind is shot. I'm curled up in the foetal position in the front seat of the car while the driver talks at me. He tries to drive his car off the road onto what looks like old roller coaster rails but he misses the rails. He could follow them from below through an empty field, but he refuses. We head for the old church (a massive, imposing version of my school) where I want to take communion. But we don't make it. We get stuck at a different church. But the driver has a surprise in store for me: he takes me to meet a man and woman who I consider to be my best friends. Once upon a time we walked across Britain to make our home in Wales. Today, they promise to walk with me back to that village so that I can start a new life with their support. But we get stuck at a cafe and nobody can be bothered to go on. The time skips back and I am in the church playing with my old friends. I enjoy seeing them and try my best to keep them around and as friends. But the day comes to an end and they go off. I knew we'd soon lose touch forever.

As I walked home I saw a major world leader who let me come around to his house and talk to him about politics and philosophy on occasion. I try to warn him about the future of humanity, I tell him that Britain needs to fight more wars, we need more death. Only violence opens a space for creation. He acts like we aren't friends, and warns me "Our continuing contact is based on my teaching you how the world works, not the reverse." He shuts his door and won't listen to me. I go to the church. Time is skipping faster now. I collect relics from the ever-changing outer wall. Medieval bricks, war memorials, wreaths, whatever is left there. I am nineteen and it's time to leave home. Eventually I have all I need to head out. I pack my bags and go. After walking some way I run into two hitch-hikers. We sit in a doorway, telling our life-goals. Soon we realise we all want the same kind of life. A plan formulates; we will walk to Wales and set up a new life there together. Talking to them is hard for me; I remember them both as my best friends, practically my family. But I have to act like we're complete strangers because for them this is the first time we've ever met. We begin walking, and for a moment I skip to the future. Now they are rich, and I have been stuck on the streets of the city for years after failing to escape addiction. We discuss their new business plans and they lend me a little bit of money for food. But time skips back again; we're still on our great adventure, although I am confused for the first time: it could be much earlier. We are walking through a small city. I need to use the toilet. A man at its door claims he runs the place.