While at work the next evening at Jamesway department store, there was an acrid smell in the air.  I

noticed it when I went outside for my break.  About an hour later, my dad picked me up from work.  As we got

closer and closer to our house, the smell became overpowering.  I wanted to puke!  My eyes hurt, and it

became harder to breathe.  Even though it was still daylight, the sky was dark grey and getting darker.  The

city fire alarm kept going off as more and more fire trucks went up our street to get to Hartwick college, two

streets higher and parallel to ours.  The fire burned all night, into the next afternoon.  It smoldered the rest of

the day, and then started up again.  All the American Indian artifacts the college had went up in smoke.

Nothing remained.

     Sweating, I woke up in my car, as I had stopped at a rest stop for a little snooze.  I drove home.  Strange, I

 thought, that dream was seven more real than the one I had yesterday!  The scent of my father’s after

shave,  Old Spice, still permeated the air.

     Later on, I went to start my car to go to work.  The air was perfectly clear, and I could breathe.  My dad

drove me to work since my car wouldn’t start.  ”Bye,dad.” I said and waved as he drove away. 

     It was very busy at the department store that night.  People just kept coming  one after another through

myline as I cashed them out.  When it was almost closing time,  I overheard a customer ask someone: “Did 

you know that the college is on fire?”  Goose bumps ran up and down my arm as I tuned out the rest of the

conversation.

     ”Ginger!” I heard my name being called, as if it was very far away.  I started coming to.  My head felt dizzy. 

“What happened? I asked.  My boss, Mr. Sonovak, was squatting next to me, as I was laying on the floor.

“You fainted, Ginger. Do you feel better now?” he asked gently.  ”Your father is here to take you home. Do you

think you can stand up?”  Bewildered, I said; “Yes, thanks.”  I managed a weak smile. He helped me to nmy 

dad’s car.  After I got in the car, I asked: “Dad, is the college really on fire?”  He said: “Yes, Ginger, it’s really, 

really bad.  The smoke is all over the woods in back of our house.”

     Just like yesterday’s dream, it was happening all over again!  I was getting really scared. That prompted me

to tell my father what had been happening to me.  He said we should probably go talk to our pastor and pray

over all this.  I didn’t know what to think.  I was devestated. All I wanted was for the dreams to stop!

     My friend, Georgianna, called to find out how bad the fire was.  When I told her, she invited me to spend

the night  at her house to calm down and get away from the smoke that was making me so sick.  We were 

supposed to watch ccomedies and eat healthy snacks.  When I got there, I was too wound up to watch movies

and eat.  Instead, we talked until I fell asleep.