How Deep?

Have you ever had one of these?

Plotnik has fallen asleep during a dreary afternoon. He knows someone is coming over that he has to talk to, and when he hears the man's footsteps walking up to the front door, he wakes up and tries to get to the door. But he can't move. He absolutely can't move. Slowly, he realizes he is sleeping so all he has to is wake up and then he can answer the door. He is sure Duck is in the room and he moves his eyes to get her to help him but he can't move his head, and he can't speak. He knows about these crazy dreams of paralysis and he realizes he's having one, so all he has to do is force his way out of the dream.

But it's not that easy. He can't do it. He can't move. He can't speak. He can't make anyone understand him and he is in absolute panic. When this has happened before it has been over in a heartbeat. This time it won't go away.

FINALLY he claws his way into consciousness, like a drowning man bursting through the surface of the ocean and gulping at the air. He gets up and sits on the edge of the bed. His heart is pounding. He should feel safe, but he doesn't.

His first thought is wondering if this is what Mummy P. is going through -- all these people around her, Plotnik included, telling her what is real, but she thinks she knows what is real and she can't make anyone listen to her?

This dream, or whatever it was, haunts Plotnik the rest of the day. He walks to the front door and sees the mailman has come -- it was his footsteps Plotnik heard in the first place.

It won't go away -- that is, until seeing Billy Elliot last night at the Orpheum, which is so good that Plotnik may start to like Elton John again. And the sun is out today, which helps.

Criminy. How deep is this ocean anyway?