Random Images and Scenes II

      Large quantity of cliff images, both walking along the top edges of them and at the bottom of canyons looking up.
      N and I were getting into my car, N had just come from shopping, and she had stopped to get her hair cut short again. She'd decided that she needed a change and "It was cheaper than changing you."
      I was in a 50's style diner signing books for a long line of folks. I was trying to get some food in between visitors, but it never seemed to let up. One of my former drama students was there keeping me on task, and keeping the line of autograph seekers moving. I remember commenting on the decor "The first time I was in this place the vinyl was teal not maroon. I like the maroon a lot better." Then I wrote that on the flyleaf of the book I was signing. The fan looked at it quizzically. "Trust me, you'll get a lot more on eBay for it now."
      It was dark out, Little Red, my car was difficult to spot in the darkness, and when I did find her I was depressed by her condition. The hood and top of the car had faded and there were spots of paint flaking off. I went into the Target store and bought a can of White spray paint and a roll of fat masking tape. I taped over the good paint in a waving flag pattern and painted the cracked and flaking areas white. Right there in the parking lot. The lot security guy came over and S (former drama student) took him aside and explained who I was and what I was doing. A few minutes later I pulled the tape off and the car had a nifty looking wavy red and white striped pattern. Somehow I'd managed to paint the whole thing without painting myself or anything near by.
      I stopped at Mom and Dad's to pick N up, she'd gone home with them to rest because I'd agreed to stay until the diner closed. When I got there I realized there was a problem. I had only one passenger seat and I still had my publicist with me. Mom let me borrow her car for the night so I could take both of them home with me in a single trip. S was staying the weekend on the futon before heading back out to New York. N and I argued about the New York trip, she didn't want to take any more time off of work, and felt that I shouldn't either. I told her I had the time on the books, so even if I didn't make a big splash with the book tour, I would at least enjoy it. I asked her to take time off for the Chicago Comic Convention, she would at least be able to visit with family.
      I was out on a hillside overlooking the dream city. I could see the haunted house on the other side of the valley and knew that I should get back before nightfall. I also knew that there was no way to make it unless I could fly. Not happening. Instead I found myself walking with a large tawny lion. We ran together across the marshy ground at the base of the valley.
      I was making my way up a huge cliffside full of switchbacks. It was taking forever. We should use magic, one of the party said. I took a long length of rope and threw it up the cliff, catching it on some rocks a switchback or two above us. We climbed up.
      "If only there were a way to take it all the way to the top."
      I leaned out over the edge of the path and felt the wind rushing down the slope. Turning into the wind I extended my hands and they stretched out into long wings. The webbing between my fingers and now my back caught the air and pulled me out off the cliff. I flapped, gingerly, then stronger. I grabbed the rope with my foot, and glided up the slope, weaving back and forth across the face of the cliff to take advantage of the airflow over the rim of the canyon as it swirled around. When I got to the top of the ridge I dropped the grapple between a couple of boulders and then just flew out over the canyon for fun. I could hear the group climbing up the steep slope, complaints about the "darned druid showing off."
      The game master was laughing and pointed out that I looked like some sort of pit fiend, so they had run back to town for more pitchforks and torches. I was suddenly sitting at a table holding a miniature above the table, swooshing it about. I landed it on the trail just below the top of the mesa and said I'm releasing the spell now. Then went to await my companions. They were all yelling at me for stirring up the countryside against them.
      "Hey by the time they get back we'll have cut the rope a few feet down, then claim we were on the trail when we were beset by fiends, but managed to drive them off.
      I was suddenly back on the trail with my companions and We cut the rope. I made a couple of swipes at the other members of the party with a clawed hand, ripping some fierce looking gauges in their armor. They yelped in surprise. They chased me all the way to the top of the mesa, just in time to see the villagers rushing out in a mass with torches and pitchforks. They believed us, especially when they pulled up the rope and saw the marks on the mercenary's armor.
      There was something more after that, someone sneaking into the house while I was napping in the bedroom. The cats all ran into the room and hid behind me. That was how I knew there was something wrong. It was just one of the neighbors looking for their kid. I don't know why the kid would be in my house, but talked to them a bit before they left, pointing out the neighbors who had kids of their own that they might be playing with. Sure enough, the kid was next door.
      I was mopping the front room, but the water just got deeper and deeper. I had to open the garage door to let the water out. That made the garage cats upset, they jumped up on the workbenches and the litter buckets and scowled at me.
      Holly Berry was at Killer Pizza from Mars in her Flintstones costume, she needed a ride to the airport. (S and I had been having lunch there yesterday while the movie was on the big screen. So I know where that one came from, at least.)

Too many other images to categorize and recall. If they didn't' have a story I had trouble making a title or one line description to trigger a memory when I awoke. Still I managed to remember a bunch more than I thought I would.