The Passing
(This story was a dream that I had many years ago. It was a lucid dream and Thaddeus is my soul mate. Do we time travel during death or do we enter into a stage filled with socializing spirits? I’m not sure, but can speculate only. I do know that Thaddeus is real).

~
But what is going on?!?! Where am I? The huge red curtains opened and the hands waved me through the rain that was pouring heavily in front of me. I hesitated.
But the waves of hands and voices said, “Come on, go on through.”

I paused. Then ~ I had no choice but to walk through the rain curtain and that’s all it was, nothing more.
The deluge of water came from their tears. I looked back and saw people I vaguely remember.
I wanted to stay and look again, as if, I remembered them. They are so familiar, I question my thinking. Am I loosing my mind?
“No,” the voices and hands waved me from their vale of tears. They hurried me and by the time that ~ I stepped forward through that mess of water, I entered a stage. The lights were from out of the world that I left a few seconds ago. The brilliancy was extremely pleasant and the weather was eternal springtime.
“And, I made it.” And, into this beautiful place where many beings were standing and talking. I think, I know. They dressed in Togas., I asked Why?
I turned to look behind me, to see what troubled met. I hardly remembering the rain and the tears of some distant people ~ had all but forgotten, why?
Then, a man said, “It doesn’t matter dear. You’re home now.” He seemed kind and familiar. “You made it.” He smiled and I knew he was proud of me.

“You made it,” echoed in my mind. “Made what?” I asked myself.
“Home,” the man said. “You made it back.”
“I made it back? Home?” It’s all so confusing.Nethertheless (one who sends light to the outside world) ~ This is an oddly recognizable place.
An elderly woman smiled at me and for a moment I thought she was my grandmother, but she turned into a child who giggled and ran away.
Confused, I asked, where am I?
The little girl turned back and yelled, “Don’t sojourn the dead.” She waved and ran to play Red Rover with other children.
That is when, a gentleman took me by my arm and gently led me through the crowd of people who all turned to say, “Hello.” I greeted them with a nod. They were standing around sipping something. I held a pink parasol twirling it so lightly. I wore a fluffy laced dress with pantaloons. What year is this? I said, “Where am I?”
The man smiled and said, “You’re tired dear. The passage is tedious and takes a lot out of a soul. You must trust. You are safe. It will come to you in time. When you’re ready, you will know, then you will surely know where you are at.” What could I do but accept his explanation. We walked a while. Then I asked, “Where’s Thaddeus?” He smiled. I wondered what was so unusual about my question.
The man says, “Over there. You will find him on the outskirts. He plays cards down by the creek.” As I ran in that direction the man shouted, Be careful!, sometimes the other side is too close.”
I turned to acknowledge his advise, but in my heart I had to find Thaddeus. He said, “Too close?”

He utters, The Changelings. Be careful child.