waste dream

I had a dream last night that I was trying to cross a vast area of waste.

I started off at the shore of a lake of urine, divided by a long, narrow mound of dirt that served as the only bridge or causeway. The dim light and somewhat claustrophobic sense of space suggested that I not exposed to the sky, but I could not determine if the shore was walled with tall trees or buildings, or the cave walls of some vast underground cavern.

The instant I placed my foot on the slender path, the dirt began to give way; urine seeped up into the crumbling shoe prints. Having no choice, I continued stepping into the yellowed mud and made my way to a part of the causeway where the dirt became more firm. Even then I could barely keep my footing, my uncertain balance continually causing me to step off the dry ground and into the shallows of urine on the edge of the path.

I eventually made it to the other side, which rose to become a hill that seemed to be an unevenly packed landfill over which was stretched a crust of old pavement. Underneath could have been actual garbage, or simply a poorly dumped mass of rocks and dirt; whatever the case, my footing was unsteady and the thin crust often gave way when I took a step.

I eventually reached the summit of this mound, and saw that the dump workers were starting their shift. I pretended to be one of them while surreptitiously making my way back to ground level. From there, I looked around to find an exit from the compound.

I could see, up on the hills surrounding the compound, the faint trees and houses of a city neighborhood. I wanted to get there, but a number of high chain-link fences were in the way -- not directly separating the inside from the outside, but all throughout the industrial compound, so as to form a sort of unintended maze. Finding an exit would be difficult, especially since I almost certainly wasn't supposed to be here.

Oddly enough, I also saw what appeared to be tennis courts or some other enclosed sports areas within the chain-link borders. I saw young people playing, mainly a few Indian boys (or young men) who seemed to be playing cricket.

I awoke before I could make any progress towards the residential neighborhoods.