Outside I heard a familiar voice. Posturing and arrogant it was my previous partner making his way down the road. I could see him swaggering and laughing loudly. I felt fear. I turned, and behind me stood the other version of him. The kinder one, the easier one, the reasonable one. He spoke to me and I relaxed.
I found myself looking at dozens of little mounds of earth. Like hobbit holes they were covered in grass and had openings on one side. In one of the openings sat an old woman with a bundle of white papers. The papers were covered in blue writing and I knew instinctively they contained answers. She beckoned me over, and I looked around to make sure no one was following. When I turned back, she had vanished but the papers remained. I was distraught. Out loud I said "Oh no! Don't do this shaman disappearing act again!"
Out from behind one of the other little mounds came a small child surrounded by a mist. As they drew closer I realised it wasn't a child, but a very old man. He held out his right hand to me and it was as a bundle of sparkling white snow. As I reached out to touch him, he withdrew it. In the other hand he held a container on a chain that belched thick white and yellow smoke, like sulphur. It surrounded us and obliterated the surroundings.
I began to fall backwards under the power of the old man. Lying out flat on my back a couple of feet off the ground, my body was completely without movement - completely relaxed - I couldn't have moved a muscle even if I wanted to, and I didn't. Under his direction I started to move forwards - to float. I felt my head begin to fall towards my left shoulder. Over and over it went, and my thinking mind began to feel fear. I felt myself beginning to return to this world. I wanted to stay a little longer, but it was not to be. I lost the thread and woke up.