By Hazel Holland
(A dream I received on June 26, 1995 from the viewpoint of a child. All memories of my past and present life were removed from my mind so that there would be no interference with what God wanted to say.)
SCENE 1 - PATH THROUGH THE WOODS
I found myself walking alone on a narrow, winding trail through the woods on a warm, spring day, lost in my own thoughts. I was enthralled by the green plants at my feet, and the young leaves on the tall, airy trees beginning to unfold above me. Although I was alone, I wasn't afraid.
However, I noticed that the dense carpet of lush, green plants along either side of this narrow trail were at least a foot high, and acted like a fence that hemmed me in and prevented me from stepping off the path. In fact this leafy ground-cover was spread out over the entire woods as far as I could see, making it impossible to see if there were any other trails nearby. So in view of the fact that this appeared to be the only path to follow through the woods, I followed it carefully, making sure that I didn’t inadvertently wander off into the thick ground cover along the way.
After awhile I lifted my eyes from the path and saw that the trail I was on was about to make a sharp turn to the left. Suddenly the trail ended as it came out of the woods and into the open wilderness. I stopped for a moment at the edge of the woods to try and size up the situation because I had to make a quick decision. The path I had been on had come out of the woods, and now another path to my right trailed along the outer edge of the woods for a short distance. It was wider and no longer hemmed in by a hedge of green plants. This appeared to be the new path I was supposed to take.
However, directly in front of me about a quarter of a mile to my left was a large group of people walking on another trail, but they were walking in the opposite direction from where I was headed. Although their trail appeared to parallel the path that now trailed alongside the woods to the right of me, the two trails were separated by a wide stretch of desert-like wilderness.
SCENE 2 - THE DESOLATE WILDERNESS
Given the fact that I had been use to staying on the narrow path through the woods, I looked to see if the new path to the right of me led to the trail that the people were on. It appeared that it did, some distance away to my right. But I was afraid that I wouldn’t reach the people to the left of me before they totally disappeared from sight. So I immediately took off running across the stretch of desolate wasteland that separated me from them. As I was running and jumping over any plant that threatened to slow down my pace, I suddenly felt compelled to glance back over my right shoulder. What I saw caused me to stop dead in my tracks!
It was the golden fields that stretched for miles toward the distant horizon. They reminded me of ripe wheat ready for harvest. They seemed to glow as the light cast on them by the sun created a white haze that momentarily dazzled my eyes! Immediately I wanted to turn back and run towards the fields, but there was a vast and desolate-looking wilderness between me and the golden fields, and no one was headed in that direction. I could see that the people to my left were about to disappear behind tall bushes, and I didn’t want to lose sight of them and risk getting lost out in this wilderness. So I had to make a quick choice.
Reluctantly I turned my head to face the group of people once more, but discovered they had already disappeared from view behind tall bushes that grew on either side of the wilderness trail. I quickly resumed running to catch up with them because I didn’t want to be alone in the wilderness.
SCENE 3 - A FAMILIAR "WALK"
I felt a great sense of relief when I saw the people again a short distance ahead of me. Immediately the thought flashed through my mind that they must be on a Sabbath afternoon walk. Furthermore, as I drew closer to them the road appeared very familiar. The tall, dense bushes on either side of the trail reminded me of the thick bushes that grew along the road a short distance before the entrance to Whipsnade Wild Animal Park. [1] I gathered that this long line of people were interested in taking a Sabbath afternoon “walk” to this wild animal sanctuary, located in a remote forest setting in Bedfordshire near where I use to live in England. Although the path through the “woods” had seemed unfamiliar to me, this wilderness trail was not.
As I finally reached the back of the large group of people it reminded of a slow moving funeral procession! I guessed there were hundreds of people in front of me, but it seemed strange that this many people were out in the middle of the wilderness. But even more strange was that they were walking shoulder-to-shoulder, lined up in straight horizontal rows of six that stretched across the whole width of the trail. I noticed that there was no room to pass anyone without going off on the grassy shoulders. As they moved forward, their regimentation reminded me of an army.
More people began to join and fall in line behind me and on either side of me. I wondered if they had come from the path through the woods that I had been on, and if they had seen the desolate wilderness and harvest fields, too. Because the crowd was so large and densely packed, there was hardly enough room to swing your arms without bumping someone. We were packed in so tightly I had to be careful so as not to step on the back of someone’s shoes.
Since I was bewildered as to why so many people had chosen to take a walk out in the wilderness, and why they walking away from the light that shone over the golden fields, I began to question the adults closest to me. Surely they would have answers. But they didn’t respond to my questions. They seemed not to even notice my presence or hear my words.
Directly in front of me to my left a teenage boy was dutifully pushing his bike, and a woman her baby stroller. The bike seemed out of place since there was no room to ride it. And I couldn’t tell if the woman was the boy’s mother, because there was no interaction. Everyone around me was so focused on staring straight ahead, as they walked in complete silence. The only sound that could be heard was the tramping of feet on the stony path, interspersed with the occasional chatter of children’s voices from somewhere up ahead. Were we going to a funeral? Everyone seemed programmed like a robot!
Although I didn’t know anyone, or where we were going, I felt a certain sense of familiarity. Although I had no memory of what "Sabbath" meant, I remembered having taken walks with groups of people on warm Sabbath afternoons. Since it was a beautiful warm day, I concluded that this army of people must be on a Sabbath afternoon walk.
SCENE 4 - THREAT OF LIONS
Suddenly, the terrified cry of a child ahead of me broke the silence: "LION! HELP!"
"No, it’s probably only a mountain lion!" scoffed an adult male voice nearby.
"No, it’s not!" shrieked the boy in terror, as I heard him plunge through the underbrush towards the trail.
"There are no lions in these parts!" chided another authoritative male voice.
"Well, sometimes mountain lions can bother people," argued another adult. "But it’s rare. I don’t see any lion!"
I tried to look ahead, but people were packed tightly together as they towered above me. It was impossible to see anything but the backs of many legs. As I turned my head to the right and peered into the dense bushes that grew along the side of the trail, I saw the lion slowly emerge from the darkness. His pace was slow and lethargic. His head hung low. Purposefully, he raised his head, and our eyes met. In horror I watched as the lion slowly began to charge toward us.
Instantly, I fell out of line. I pushed my way through the packed rows of people and took off, running down the left side of the trail like a loose cannon! Because there was no room on the trail I had to run on the grassy shoulder. People flew by in a blur. My legs had never worked so well before. Finally, I realized that I had passed the head of the procession. This trail had abruptly ended at the entrance to a forest.
For a second, I fearfully glanced back over my shoulder. What I saw confused and astounded me! Six young women appeared to be leading this procession of people! They were flirtatiously laughing and talking among themselves as they carelessly sauntered along in the front row. But did they know where they were going? Everyone behind them continued to walk in regimented silence like a slow moving wall. I noticed that the people on the ends of each row formed a perfectly straight line along the edge of the trail. No one stepped over the edge on to the grassy bank or got out of line.
Suddenly, chaos broke out. Lions began leaping out from the thick bushes that grew on either side of the trail. Horrified children and youth saw them first. They panicked as they ran screaming in every direction, but the adults appeared not to see the lions until they were right upon them.
It seemed that the intent of the lions was to confuse and separate the families as they feverishly tried to escape the charging lions. Many people ran for "safety" back into the bushes from where the lions had sprung. Other people fled past me and disappeared from sight into the forest. Since the lions had taken them by surprise and ambushed them from the sides and rear of the trail, there appeared to be no way of turning back on the trail.
But what left me speechless and amazed beyond words was the beautiful glow of the setting sun that now illuminated the wilderness trail behind the terrified people. Although it cast deep shadows across their pathway it also appeared like a fiery pillar behind them, beckoning them to turn around. It reminded me of the light I had seen over the harvest fields and made me wished I had chosen a different path.
THE FOREST OF FEAR
Quickly, I turned to look ahead. The trail had abruptly ended at the entrance to a forest. There was no other place to go. Stationed directly in front of us, blocking an easy entrance into the woods, lay a herd of sleeping elephants. Some were sprawled out on their sides. Others were down on all fours. Several of them slowly opened their eyes and lifted their heads as I ran screaming around them. Others slowly rolled over to get a better look. Three slowly lifted their trunks, one by one as if to trumpet, but no sound came out! They all appeared to have an intoxicated grin on their faces. After several attempts, they gave up and went back to sleeping. Even the roars of the approaching lions didn’t rouse them from their apathy. I was confused and frightened by their indifference. I expected them to stand up, and protect me from the charging lions. But they weren’t behaving like elephants.
For a moment, I stood behind the listless elephants, and looked back. The lions continued to charge in and out of the remaining people. People were running in circles, frightened out of their minds. A few people headed straight for the elephants with the lions hot on their trails.
Anxiously I peered into the darkness of the woods for a safe place to hide. Immediately I noticed my father, standing like a statue on a little mound of earth. Relieved to see a familiar face, I raced towards him, ignoring his strange grin. I leapt up onto his shoulders, just as a lion pounced.
Angry that he had missed, the lion began pawing the air in fury. Bearing his wicked looking teeth and snarling cruelly, the lion repeatedly tried to knock me off my father’s shoulders with his sharp claws.
Frantically, I begged my father to save me from the angry lion. But all he did was stagger around for a few moments while I jerked on his head and screamed in his ears. With the same mocking grin on his face, he returned to his former statue-like pose, unmoved by my cries or the lions roar. He continued to stare towards the entrance of the forest, while I single-handedly continued to resist the lion’s attack by waving my arms and yelling loudly.
As I fought back, I could see lions in the darkness ahead of me, running back and forth looking for someone to chase. I could see the elephants still sprawled out over the ground just inside the entrance to the woods. Several of them continued to lift their trunks as if to trumpet, but no sound ever came out!
Abruptly, the lion attacking me dropped to the ground, and slunk off into the forest. Incredulously, I watched as many more lions retreated into the darkness. The shrieks of the children grew fainter as the lions disappeared.
I was relieved and thankful to be alive, as I sat silently glued to my father’s shoulders. But I couldn’t understand why my father hadn’t tried to help me fight off the lion, especially since the lion had shown no interest in him? Why was he after me, a child?
As I lifted my head and looked to the right, my heart almost stopped. Towering above me on a huge rock, not far from where I sat, stood the largest bronze lion I had ever seen. He held his kingly head high as he gazed intently into the forest. Power and strength seemed to emanate from his motionless body. Why hadn’t I seen this statue before?
Quite unexpectedly, the lion began to turn his massive head very slowly in my direction! I watched in terror mixed with awe! He seemed to be quietly surveying the land before him. He was real! Our eyes must not meet!
Abruptly his head stopped turning, just short of looking at me. Relieved that I had gone unnoticed, I solemnly watched as his large eyes became rooted to some place beyond my left shoulder. Blazing coals of fire seemed to leap out from his eyes! I had never seen eyes express such a mixture of rage and sorrow before! Yet at the same time they communicated a lamb-like gentleness. They seemed human!
I knew that if he turned his head any more to the left I would be seen. And yet, I sensed that he had already seen me! But he made no move to attack! I was frightened and confused by these contradictions.
After several minutes, he noiselessly lifted his head, returning his gaze to his former statue-like position. He didn’t open his mouth or make a sound. Although I sensed he was different from the other lions, he was still a lion. I didn’t trust him. I didn’t want those blazing eyes of fire turned on me.
Behind my back, to the far right, was a small cabin I hadn’t noticed before. Quietly, I slid down from my father’s lifeless shoulders, and ran for it.
THE CABIN
The cabin was about a hundred feet away, tucked away between the trees. As I neared the door, I noticed that the front wall appeared to be made out of stone blocks, instead of wood. Thick bushes grew on either side of it, completely hiding the rest of the cabin from view.
As I burst through the door, I was surprised to find myself in a small, gloomy, windowless room. The walls and ceiling appeared to be made of wood beams. The room appeared to be about thirteen-by-fourteen-feet - a little larger than my bedroom. It was filled with many people, busily trying to patch a gaping hole in the front outside wall by taping together pieces of cardboard!
From the outside, the wall appeared to be made of solid rock, but now I could see that most of the front wall was missing! There were many cracks and holes that were not yet covered by the masking tape and cardboard. Even though people continued to "repair" the wall, it looked like it could cave in at any moment. One plunge from that lion out there, and this cardboard wall would be flattened!
But none of the adults agreed with me. They were very proud of their "repaired" wall. They were praising one another on the great job they had done. All were confident that it was strong and would keep out any enemy. Quickly, I glanced around the dark room looking for a safe place to hide. But there was none. As I pressed my way anxiously through the people, I noticed a door on the opposite wall, and quickly opened it.
I found myself in another room of the same size, only this one was much brighter. Again there were no windows, but the long tubes of fluorescent lights and the painted white walls made it very bright. There were many people in this room, too. Their attention appeared to be focused on the "wall" that divided the two rooms.
Before I entered this room, the dividing wall had appeared to be made of wood, but now I could see that it was not. It was made out of reeds that were somehow fastened together. It looked like a large hanging mat. Several men were stationed at either end of the reed "wall," holding it up as high as they could with their hands, desperately trying to get it level, and evenly lined up with the door that I had just walked through. Other men and women in the room were waving their arms and shouting directions as to how to do it right, but they couldn't seem to agree. Everyone had a different idea as to how to line up the wall.
The problem was that the "wall" was too low for the tall people, and too high for the short people. If you held it too high you could see the feet of the people in the other room. If you had the "wall" touching the ground, the tall people could see over into the previous room. Not only that, but the "wall" was a bit short, and so men and women were stretching and pulling it, trying to make it fit the opening.
As I watched the people struggling with their wall, I wondered why they wanted to separate themselves from the people in the first room. Then I noticed the closed door I'd just come through. It was made of wood just like the door to the cabin, but it was standing there, barely attached to one wall! This wasn't a safe room either. Again I noticed another door on the opposite side of the room and quickly left.
Immediately, I found myself in another brightly lit room of the same size. People here were holding up a green, loosely woven fabric to separate the two rooms. Just like the last room, the wall that separated the two rooms had appeared to be white and solid from the other side. But now I could see that it was not.
The fabric wall that divided the two rooms appeared to fit better than the reed wall, but it was so obviously thin and worn in places, I could see the people in the previous room still fighting over how to hang their reed wall! But no one in this room seemed to see or hear them! People just continued to laugh and joke as they "worked" on their threadbare wall. Some were trying to attach the bottom of it to the floor by holding it down with their feet. Others were trying to attach the sides of it to the door posts, but they had no tools. That didn't seem to matter.
"Haven't you seen the lions outside?" I asked incredulously.
"No," they replied. "But we know that no lion will ever be able to tear down this wall!" they bragged.
"But those lions are evil and dangerous!" I pleaded. "They'll smell you, and sniff you out! They're out to kill! Your wall is weak. It's only made of fabric!"
"Don't pay any attention to her! She's just a child! What does she know?" someone scoffed.
Sadly, I backed away and noticed an open doorway to my right. As I looked out, it appeared that it led into a dark and long narrow hallway that ran parallel to the rooms. I could see that there was another open doorway that led into the first room I had entered. As I turned to go back into the room, I looked toward the other end of the hallway. It was clothed in darkness. Bewildered and confused, I slipped away as I noticed another door on the opposite wall.
Again I found myself in another brightly lit room filled with many people. This time the dividing wall appeared to be made out of white paper. What continued to amaze me was that from the other room this wall, like all the others, appeared to be solid. But once I entered through the door, everything changed.
This time, people were holding up a large sheet of white paper, trying to straighten and strengthen it, and make it appear solid like dry wall. They kept moving it and holding it at different angles. Each time they moved it, it began to get more wrinkles in it, and fingerprints on it. No one seemed to notice. Nothing they did changed the nature of the white paper wall.
The overhead light was so bright in this room that it bothered my eyes. I needed to wear sunglasses to keep from squinting at the glare that the dividing wall caused.
As I looked up at the ceiling, I couldn't help but notice the many rows of fluorescent lights that were closely lined up across the entire ceiling! However, the blinding light did not expose the error of the people's thinking! This room was not a safe place to hide either. Again I saw another door on the opposite wall and quickly left.
As I entered this next room there appeared to be less people in it compared to the other rooms. I hoped I would feel a little safer because I was further away from the outside cardboard wall. Perhaps this room would have four solid walls.
Then my mouth dropped open as I turned to my right. I stared in disbelief at the layers of plastic wrap!
"There are lions outside!" I begged. "Why are you building a wall out of this?"
"Yes, we know there are lions outside," they assured me. "We are building this wall out of plastic wrap because it will give us a better advantage if we can see the lions coming!"
This was the first room where the people admitted that there were lions outside. For a moment, I watched as the people worked silently, carefully stretching sheets of plastic wrap over the existing layers. It looked like they had been working on their wall for some time, because it was attached to the door post and outside wall.
Again I noticed an open doorway that appeared to lead into the dark hallway that connected the rooms. I was about to walk toward it when, suddenly and without warning, I heard a loud crash and blood-curdling roar. Instantly, I knew the outside "repaired" wall had been discovered.
"A lion has discovered that patched hole!" I cried. But there was no response from them. No one paid any attention to my frantic warnings. Nonchalantly, they continued to work on their plastic wall! It appeared that they could no longer hear me, let alone the lion, or the people!
The lion's roar was fearful as it mingled with the terrifying screams of the people in the first room. To my horror, I realized that the adults in that first room were begging for mercy. I was afraid that the lion was devouring them! But the lions that I had seen earlier appeared to only chase and frighten the people. What had caused one of them to ruthlessly attack? Was he the big one with the fire in his eyes that I had seen standing on the rock? Why was he angry? Why had he decided to attack now?
Quickly, I turned around and headed for the only other door in the room. Fortunately, it was the back door to the cabin. I was grateful to be outside.
ON THE PATH TO THE WATCHTOWER
As I quickly glanced to the left and to the right, trying to make sure there were no lions hiding nearby, I noticed that a tall thick hedge about ten feet high enclosed the immediate area outside the cabin. Now I understood why I had not been able to see any more than the front wall when I had come running up to the cabin.
A narrow path led from where I was standing to an opening in the tall hedge about fifty feet away. On either side of the pathway, the land was covered with tall grass. It looked like a neglected lawn that at one time might have been a luscious garden.
As I looked ahead into the distance, I saw to my left, a tall watchtower reaching up behind a thick clump of trees. I felt sure that if I could just somehow get up on that high tower I would be safe. I must hurry to safety before that lion discovered my escape.
I ran down the path, through the opening in the hedge, and turned left in the direction of the watchtower. Before me stood a paved, covered, parking lot. The roof to the parking structure seemed very low as I approached it. For a moment I considered trying to climb up on it, but quickly abandoned the idea as I saw it was no place to hide from lions!
As I ran through the empty parking lot, I was surprised to discover how clean and evenly paved it was. Thick wooden posts appeared to support the structure. There appeared to be enough spaces for at least two dozen or more cars. But the area was deserted. It appeared that no one had used it for a long while.
As I came out on the other side of the parking structure, I saw to my right what appeared to be a large field that trailed off into distant trees. Directly ahead of me was a stretch of grassy shoulder, and beyond that what looked like the remains of a highway that had been begun, but never finished. Beyond the far curb, a thick hedge lined the other shoulder of the road. The paved road trailed off into weeds to my left, but seemed to lead in the direction of the watchtower to my right.
I ran across the wide stretch of highway toward the far curb and headed right. I could see the watchtower not far away, still partially hidden by tall trees. To the right of the tower were a number of large, gray buildings that reminded me of warehouses. From my perspective they appeared to be several stories high, lined up next to one another close to the watchtower. As I ran toward them I felt sure that if I couldn't get up on the watchtower, I would at least be able to hide in one of these other buildings.
But as I got closer, I saw that the buildings had no windows or doors. They stood like silent gray sentinels, mocking my fear. Why did everything appear to change?
THE WATCHTOWER
Just as I was wondering what to do, I realized that I had taken my eyes off the watchtower when I had seen the large warehouses. There in front of me to the left, stood the watchtower, towering hundreds of feet above me. It was round like a lighthouse, but appeared to have no windows or doors. It was much taller up close than it had appeared from a distance.
As I ran towards it, I felt utterly helpless, because there was no way I could ever get up on that tower! There were tall trees on the left side of it, but they had no low branches for a little girl to climb on. On the right side of the tower, huge gray cement blocks that looked like the buildings nearby, appeared to have been placed on top of each other, forming a giant staircase that led up to the roof of the tower. But the blocks were far taller than I was, and appeared impossible to climb. As I reached the base of the first block, I stood on my tiptoes, and lifted up my hands. The top of the first block towered high above me. Then all of a sudden, the cement block seemed to shrink. Quickly I scrambled up it with little effort! The same things happened with the rest of the blocks! By using my hands and feet, I slowly jumped from one "step" to the next until I finally reached the top of the tower.
As I stepped on to the watchtower, I was amazed to find two convertibles with their roofs down, perched on top of the flat roof of the tower! A young man was quickly walking towards the older convertible that was furthest away from me. Before climbing into it, I heard him say quietly to himself, "Now I’ll be safe!" Then he sat down, turned around, and reached for the plastic roof, and pulled it over his head.
I hurried to the remaining convertible that stood in front of me. It was a flashy, bright yellow, sporty-looking model. Its chrome rims caught my attention as well as the new paint job. It looked expensive. I climbed inside as I had seen the young man do. I noticed that there was just enough room for one person. I looked around for the clear plastic roof, and found it folded up behind my seat. As I started to pull it over my head, I began to realize how pointless the whole idea was!
Immediately, I stood up in the car, and peered down through the tops of the trees to my right. Fear gripped me once more, as I heard the sickening screams of the people in the cabin begging for mercy. The screams grew louder and more intense as more people were taken by surprise! But the deafening roar of the lion could be heard above their screams for help. I couldn’t bear to think about what was happening to those people.
Why had they chosen to remain in that cabin—in those unsafe rooms? Why hadn’t they believed my warnings and left as I had? Why were there no children in the cabin? What had happened to the other group of people and the children who had been chased by lions?
As I stepped out of the convertible, I could see the cabin far below on my right. But now it appeared to be standing alone. No longer was there a tall, thick, green hedge surrounding it as I had seen earlier. In place of the green hedge, rambling, dead thorn bushes grew. The front of the cabin faced the edge of the forest, and behind it stretched abandoned wilderness. Spindly-looking trees and more dead briars seemed to grow everywhere.
As I looked down to the ground on my left, I was shocked to discover that the large cement blocks that I had just climbed up on now appeared to be nothing more than plastic children’s building blocks! They no longer formed steps, but were scattered in a heap at the base of the watchtower. The letters of the alphabet seemed to spell out my doom!
Not only had the steps been demolished, but so had the warehouses! They lay in a heap of rubble close by. Even though there was no way for a lion to get up on the tower, because the access to it had been destroyed, I felt sure that the lion in the cabin could very easily jump up on this tower and destroy me if he chose. No longer did the tall watchtower feel safe. As I listened to the cries for help far below, it felt like the distance between the ground and me had shrunk.
As I took two steps back to the car, I was shocked to discover that the flashy convertible had become an over-sized, child’s plastic toy! As I stepped back inside of it, I noticed large silver bolts held it securely to the roof! It wasn’t going anywhere. Neither was I.
I was at the end of my resources. There was no higher place to climb. I knew of no safer place to go. It was over. There was no one to help me—no one to rescue me. I felt that it was just a matter of time before the raging lion would be through “devouring” the people in the cabin, and would discover me. I was overcome by utter desolation and despair! As I started to reel and groan in tortuous anguish, I woke up from the dream.
_________
Footnotes:
[1] Although I didn’t realize it at the time I had this dream, Whipsnade Wild Animal Park in Bedforshire, is the United Kingdom’s biggest zoo. It is a sanctuary for hurting and neglected animals—a safe place where they can roam around in large enclosures while they live out their final years in peace and safety, especially elephants!
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Next: The message for the first scene...
(A dream I received on June 26, 1995 from the viewpoint of a child. All memories of my past and present life were removed from my mind so that there would be no interference with what God wanted to say.)
SCENE 1 - PATH THROUGH THE WOODS
I found myself walking alone on a narrow, winding trail through the woods on a warm, spring day, lost in my own thoughts. I was enthralled by the green plants at my feet, and the young leaves on the tall, airy trees beginning to unfold above me. Although I was alone, I wasn't afraid.
However, I noticed that the dense carpet of lush, green plants along either side of this narrow trail were at least a foot high, and acted like a fence that hemmed me in and prevented me from stepping off the path. In fact this leafy ground-cover was spread out over the entire woods as far as I could see, making it impossible to see if there were any other trails nearby. So in view of the fact that this appeared to be the only path to follow through the woods, I followed it carefully, making sure that I didn’t inadvertently wander off into the thick ground cover along the way.
After awhile I lifted my eyes from the path and saw that the trail I was on was about to make a sharp turn to the left. Suddenly the trail ended as it came out of the woods and into the open wilderness. I stopped for a moment at the edge of the woods to try and size up the situation because I had to make a quick decision. The path I had been on had come out of the woods, and now another path to my right trailed along the outer edge of the woods for a short distance. It was wider and no longer hemmed in by a hedge of green plants. This appeared to be the new path I was supposed to take.
However, directly in front of me about a quarter of a mile to my left was a large group of people walking on another trail, but they were walking in the opposite direction from where I was headed. Although their trail appeared to parallel the path that now trailed alongside the woods to the right of me, the two trails were separated by a wide stretch of desert-like wilderness.
SCENE 2 - THE DESOLATE WILDERNESS
Given the fact that I had been use to staying on the narrow path through the woods, I looked to see if the new path to the right of me led to the trail that the people were on. It appeared that it did, some distance away to my right. But I was afraid that I wouldn’t reach the people to the left of me before they totally disappeared from sight. So I immediately took off running across the stretch of desolate wasteland that separated me from them. As I was running and jumping over any plant that threatened to slow down my pace, I suddenly felt compelled to glance back over my right shoulder. What I saw caused me to stop dead in my tracks!
It was the golden fields that stretched for miles toward the distant horizon. They reminded me of ripe wheat ready for harvest. They seemed to glow as the light cast on them by the sun created a white haze that momentarily dazzled my eyes! Immediately I wanted to turn back and run towards the fields, but there was a vast and desolate-looking wilderness between me and the golden fields, and no one was headed in that direction. I could see that the people to my left were about to disappear behind tall bushes, and I didn’t want to lose sight of them and risk getting lost out in this wilderness. So I had to make a quick choice.
Reluctantly I turned my head to face the group of people once more, but discovered they had already disappeared from view behind tall bushes that grew on either side of the wilderness trail. I quickly resumed running to catch up with them because I didn’t want to be alone in the wilderness.
SCENE 3 - A FAMILIAR "WALK"
I felt a great sense of relief when I saw the people again a short distance ahead of me. Immediately the thought flashed through my mind that they must be on a Sabbath afternoon walk. Furthermore, as I drew closer to them the road appeared very familiar. The tall, dense bushes on either side of the trail reminded me of the thick bushes that grew along the road a short distance before the entrance to Whipsnade Wild Animal Park. [1] I gathered that this long line of people were interested in taking a Sabbath afternoon “walk” to this wild animal sanctuary, located in a remote forest setting in Bedfordshire near where I use to live in England. Although the path through the “woods” had seemed unfamiliar to me, this wilderness trail was not.
As I finally reached the back of the large group of people it reminded of a slow moving funeral procession! I guessed there were hundreds of people in front of me, but it seemed strange that this many people were out in the middle of the wilderness. But even more strange was that they were walking shoulder-to-shoulder, lined up in straight horizontal rows of six that stretched across the whole width of the trail. I noticed that there was no room to pass anyone without going off on the grassy shoulders. As they moved forward, their regimentation reminded me of an army.
More people began to join and fall in line behind me and on either side of me. I wondered if they had come from the path through the woods that I had been on, and if they had seen the desolate wilderness and harvest fields, too. Because the crowd was so large and densely packed, there was hardly enough room to swing your arms without bumping someone. We were packed in so tightly I had to be careful so as not to step on the back of someone’s shoes.
Since I was bewildered as to why so many people had chosen to take a walk out in the wilderness, and why they walking away from the light that shone over the golden fields, I began to question the adults closest to me. Surely they would have answers. But they didn’t respond to my questions. They seemed not to even notice my presence or hear my words.
Directly in front of me to my left a teenage boy was dutifully pushing his bike, and a woman her baby stroller. The bike seemed out of place since there was no room to ride it. And I couldn’t tell if the woman was the boy’s mother, because there was no interaction. Everyone around me was so focused on staring straight ahead, as they walked in complete silence. The only sound that could be heard was the tramping of feet on the stony path, interspersed with the occasional chatter of children’s voices from somewhere up ahead. Were we going to a funeral? Everyone seemed programmed like a robot!
Although I didn’t know anyone, or where we were going, I felt a certain sense of familiarity. Although I had no memory of what "Sabbath" meant, I remembered having taken walks with groups of people on warm Sabbath afternoons. Since it was a beautiful warm day, I concluded that this army of people must be on a Sabbath afternoon walk.
SCENE 4 - THREAT OF LIONS
Suddenly, the terrified cry of a child ahead of me broke the silence: "LION! HELP!"
"No, it’s probably only a mountain lion!" scoffed an adult male voice nearby.
"No, it’s not!" shrieked the boy in terror, as I heard him plunge through the underbrush towards the trail.
"There are no lions in these parts!" chided another authoritative male voice.
"Well, sometimes mountain lions can bother people," argued another adult. "But it’s rare. I don’t see any lion!"
I tried to look ahead, but people were packed tightly together as they towered above me. It was impossible to see anything but the backs of many legs. As I turned my head to the right and peered into the dense bushes that grew along the side of the trail, I saw the lion slowly emerge from the darkness. His pace was slow and lethargic. His head hung low. Purposefully, he raised his head, and our eyes met. In horror I watched as the lion slowly began to charge toward us.
Instantly, I fell out of line. I pushed my way through the packed rows of people and took off, running down the left side of the trail like a loose cannon! Because there was no room on the trail I had to run on the grassy shoulder. People flew by in a blur. My legs had never worked so well before. Finally, I realized that I had passed the head of the procession. This trail had abruptly ended at the entrance to a forest.
For a second, I fearfully glanced back over my shoulder. What I saw confused and astounded me! Six young women appeared to be leading this procession of people! They were flirtatiously laughing and talking among themselves as they carelessly sauntered along in the front row. But did they know where they were going? Everyone behind them continued to walk in regimented silence like a slow moving wall. I noticed that the people on the ends of each row formed a perfectly straight line along the edge of the trail. No one stepped over the edge on to the grassy bank or got out of line.
Suddenly, chaos broke out. Lions began leaping out from the thick bushes that grew on either side of the trail. Horrified children and youth saw them first. They panicked as they ran screaming in every direction, but the adults appeared not to see the lions until they were right upon them.
It seemed that the intent of the lions was to confuse and separate the families as they feverishly tried to escape the charging lions. Many people ran for "safety" back into the bushes from where the lions had sprung. Other people fled past me and disappeared from sight into the forest. Since the lions had taken them by surprise and ambushed them from the sides and rear of the trail, there appeared to be no way of turning back on the trail.
But what left me speechless and amazed beyond words was the beautiful glow of the setting sun that now illuminated the wilderness trail behind the terrified people. Although it cast deep shadows across their pathway it also appeared like a fiery pillar behind them, beckoning them to turn around. It reminded me of the light I had seen over the harvest fields and made me wished I had chosen a different path.
THE FOREST OF FEAR
Quickly, I turned to look ahead. The trail had abruptly ended at the entrance to a forest. There was no other place to go. Stationed directly in front of us, blocking an easy entrance into the woods, lay a herd of sleeping elephants. Some were sprawled out on their sides. Others were down on all fours. Several of them slowly opened their eyes and lifted their heads as I ran screaming around them. Others slowly rolled over to get a better look. Three slowly lifted their trunks, one by one as if to trumpet, but no sound came out! They all appeared to have an intoxicated grin on their faces. After several attempts, they gave up and went back to sleeping. Even the roars of the approaching lions didn’t rouse them from their apathy. I was confused and frightened by their indifference. I expected them to stand up, and protect me from the charging lions. But they weren’t behaving like elephants.
For a moment, I stood behind the listless elephants, and looked back. The lions continued to charge in and out of the remaining people. People were running in circles, frightened out of their minds. A few people headed straight for the elephants with the lions hot on their trails.
Anxiously I peered into the darkness of the woods for a safe place to hide. Immediately I noticed my father, standing like a statue on a little mound of earth. Relieved to see a familiar face, I raced towards him, ignoring his strange grin. I leapt up onto his shoulders, just as a lion pounced.
Angry that he had missed, the lion began pawing the air in fury. Bearing his wicked looking teeth and snarling cruelly, the lion repeatedly tried to knock me off my father’s shoulders with his sharp claws.
Frantically, I begged my father to save me from the angry lion. But all he did was stagger around for a few moments while I jerked on his head and screamed in his ears. With the same mocking grin on his face, he returned to his former statue-like pose, unmoved by my cries or the lions roar. He continued to stare towards the entrance of the forest, while I single-handedly continued to resist the lion’s attack by waving my arms and yelling loudly.
As I fought back, I could see lions in the darkness ahead of me, running back and forth looking for someone to chase. I could see the elephants still sprawled out over the ground just inside the entrance to the woods. Several of them continued to lift their trunks as if to trumpet, but no sound ever came out!
Abruptly, the lion attacking me dropped to the ground, and slunk off into the forest. Incredulously, I watched as many more lions retreated into the darkness. The shrieks of the children grew fainter as the lions disappeared.
I was relieved and thankful to be alive, as I sat silently glued to my father’s shoulders. But I couldn’t understand why my father hadn’t tried to help me fight off the lion, especially since the lion had shown no interest in him? Why was he after me, a child?
As I lifted my head and looked to the right, my heart almost stopped. Towering above me on a huge rock, not far from where I sat, stood the largest bronze lion I had ever seen. He held his kingly head high as he gazed intently into the forest. Power and strength seemed to emanate from his motionless body. Why hadn’t I seen this statue before?
Quite unexpectedly, the lion began to turn his massive head very slowly in my direction! I watched in terror mixed with awe! He seemed to be quietly surveying the land before him. He was real! Our eyes must not meet!
Abruptly his head stopped turning, just short of looking at me. Relieved that I had gone unnoticed, I solemnly watched as his large eyes became rooted to some place beyond my left shoulder. Blazing coals of fire seemed to leap out from his eyes! I had never seen eyes express such a mixture of rage and sorrow before! Yet at the same time they communicated a lamb-like gentleness. They seemed human!
I knew that if he turned his head any more to the left I would be seen. And yet, I sensed that he had already seen me! But he made no move to attack! I was frightened and confused by these contradictions.
After several minutes, he noiselessly lifted his head, returning his gaze to his former statue-like position. He didn’t open his mouth or make a sound. Although I sensed he was different from the other lions, he was still a lion. I didn’t trust him. I didn’t want those blazing eyes of fire turned on me.
Behind my back, to the far right, was a small cabin I hadn’t noticed before. Quietly, I slid down from my father’s lifeless shoulders, and ran for it.
THE CABIN
The cabin was about a hundred feet away, tucked away between the trees. As I neared the door, I noticed that the front wall appeared to be made out of stone blocks, instead of wood. Thick bushes grew on either side of it, completely hiding the rest of the cabin from view.
As I burst through the door, I was surprised to find myself in a small, gloomy, windowless room. The walls and ceiling appeared to be made of wood beams. The room appeared to be about thirteen-by-fourteen-feet - a little larger than my bedroom. It was filled with many people, busily trying to patch a gaping hole in the front outside wall by taping together pieces of cardboard!
From the outside, the wall appeared to be made of solid rock, but now I could see that most of the front wall was missing! There were many cracks and holes that were not yet covered by the masking tape and cardboard. Even though people continued to "repair" the wall, it looked like it could cave in at any moment. One plunge from that lion out there, and this cardboard wall would be flattened!
But none of the adults agreed with me. They were very proud of their "repaired" wall. They were praising one another on the great job they had done. All were confident that it was strong and would keep out any enemy. Quickly, I glanced around the dark room looking for a safe place to hide. But there was none. As I pressed my way anxiously through the people, I noticed a door on the opposite wall, and quickly opened it.
I found myself in another room of the same size, only this one was much brighter. Again there were no windows, but the long tubes of fluorescent lights and the painted white walls made it very bright. There were many people in this room, too. Their attention appeared to be focused on the "wall" that divided the two rooms.
Before I entered this room, the dividing wall had appeared to be made of wood, but now I could see that it was not. It was made out of reeds that were somehow fastened together. It looked like a large hanging mat. Several men were stationed at either end of the reed "wall," holding it up as high as they could with their hands, desperately trying to get it level, and evenly lined up with the door that I had just walked through. Other men and women in the room were waving their arms and shouting directions as to how to do it right, but they couldn't seem to agree. Everyone had a different idea as to how to line up the wall.
The problem was that the "wall" was too low for the tall people, and too high for the short people. If you held it too high you could see the feet of the people in the other room. If you had the "wall" touching the ground, the tall people could see over into the previous room. Not only that, but the "wall" was a bit short, and so men and women were stretching and pulling it, trying to make it fit the opening.
As I watched the people struggling with their wall, I wondered why they wanted to separate themselves from the people in the first room. Then I noticed the closed door I'd just come through. It was made of wood just like the door to the cabin, but it was standing there, barely attached to one wall! This wasn't a safe room either. Again I noticed another door on the opposite side of the room and quickly left.
Immediately, I found myself in another brightly lit room of the same size. People here were holding up a green, loosely woven fabric to separate the two rooms. Just like the last room, the wall that separated the two rooms had appeared to be white and solid from the other side. But now I could see that it was not.
The fabric wall that divided the two rooms appeared to fit better than the reed wall, but it was so obviously thin and worn in places, I could see the people in the previous room still fighting over how to hang their reed wall! But no one in this room seemed to see or hear them! People just continued to laugh and joke as they "worked" on their threadbare wall. Some were trying to attach the bottom of it to the floor by holding it down with their feet. Others were trying to attach the sides of it to the door posts, but they had no tools. That didn't seem to matter.
"Haven't you seen the lions outside?" I asked incredulously.
"No," they replied. "But we know that no lion will ever be able to tear down this wall!" they bragged.
"But those lions are evil and dangerous!" I pleaded. "They'll smell you, and sniff you out! They're out to kill! Your wall is weak. It's only made of fabric!"
"Don't pay any attention to her! She's just a child! What does she know?" someone scoffed.
Sadly, I backed away and noticed an open doorway to my right. As I looked out, it appeared that it led into a dark and long narrow hallway that ran parallel to the rooms. I could see that there was another open doorway that led into the first room I had entered. As I turned to go back into the room, I looked toward the other end of the hallway. It was clothed in darkness. Bewildered and confused, I slipped away as I noticed another door on the opposite wall.
Again I found myself in another brightly lit room filled with many people. This time the dividing wall appeared to be made out of white paper. What continued to amaze me was that from the other room this wall, like all the others, appeared to be solid. But once I entered through the door, everything changed.
This time, people were holding up a large sheet of white paper, trying to straighten and strengthen it, and make it appear solid like dry wall. They kept moving it and holding it at different angles. Each time they moved it, it began to get more wrinkles in it, and fingerprints on it. No one seemed to notice. Nothing they did changed the nature of the white paper wall.
The overhead light was so bright in this room that it bothered my eyes. I needed to wear sunglasses to keep from squinting at the glare that the dividing wall caused.
As I looked up at the ceiling, I couldn't help but notice the many rows of fluorescent lights that were closely lined up across the entire ceiling! However, the blinding light did not expose the error of the people's thinking! This room was not a safe place to hide either. Again I saw another door on the opposite wall and quickly left.
As I entered this next room there appeared to be less people in it compared to the other rooms. I hoped I would feel a little safer because I was further away from the outside cardboard wall. Perhaps this room would have four solid walls.
Then my mouth dropped open as I turned to my right. I stared in disbelief at the layers of plastic wrap!
"There are lions outside!" I begged. "Why are you building a wall out of this?"
"Yes, we know there are lions outside," they assured me. "We are building this wall out of plastic wrap because it will give us a better advantage if we can see the lions coming!"
This was the first room where the people admitted that there were lions outside. For a moment, I watched as the people worked silently, carefully stretching sheets of plastic wrap over the existing layers. It looked like they had been working on their wall for some time, because it was attached to the door post and outside wall.
Again I noticed an open doorway that appeared to lead into the dark hallway that connected the rooms. I was about to walk toward it when, suddenly and without warning, I heard a loud crash and blood-curdling roar. Instantly, I knew the outside "repaired" wall had been discovered.
"A lion has discovered that patched hole!" I cried. But there was no response from them. No one paid any attention to my frantic warnings. Nonchalantly, they continued to work on their plastic wall! It appeared that they could no longer hear me, let alone the lion, or the people!
The lion's roar was fearful as it mingled with the terrifying screams of the people in the first room. To my horror, I realized that the adults in that first room were begging for mercy. I was afraid that the lion was devouring them! But the lions that I had seen earlier appeared to only chase and frighten the people. What had caused one of them to ruthlessly attack? Was he the big one with the fire in his eyes that I had seen standing on the rock? Why was he angry? Why had he decided to attack now?
Quickly, I turned around and headed for the only other door in the room. Fortunately, it was the back door to the cabin. I was grateful to be outside.
ON THE PATH TO THE WATCHTOWER
As I quickly glanced to the left and to the right, trying to make sure there were no lions hiding nearby, I noticed that a tall thick hedge about ten feet high enclosed the immediate area outside the cabin. Now I understood why I had not been able to see any more than the front wall when I had come running up to the cabin.
A narrow path led from where I was standing to an opening in the tall hedge about fifty feet away. On either side of the pathway, the land was covered with tall grass. It looked like a neglected lawn that at one time might have been a luscious garden.
As I looked ahead into the distance, I saw to my left, a tall watchtower reaching up behind a thick clump of trees. I felt sure that if I could just somehow get up on that high tower I would be safe. I must hurry to safety before that lion discovered my escape.
I ran down the path, through the opening in the hedge, and turned left in the direction of the watchtower. Before me stood a paved, covered, parking lot. The roof to the parking structure seemed very low as I approached it. For a moment I considered trying to climb up on it, but quickly abandoned the idea as I saw it was no place to hide from lions!
As I ran through the empty parking lot, I was surprised to discover how clean and evenly paved it was. Thick wooden posts appeared to support the structure. There appeared to be enough spaces for at least two dozen or more cars. But the area was deserted. It appeared that no one had used it for a long while.
As I came out on the other side of the parking structure, I saw to my right what appeared to be a large field that trailed off into distant trees. Directly ahead of me was a stretch of grassy shoulder, and beyond that what looked like the remains of a highway that had been begun, but never finished. Beyond the far curb, a thick hedge lined the other shoulder of the road. The paved road trailed off into weeds to my left, but seemed to lead in the direction of the watchtower to my right.
I ran across the wide stretch of highway toward the far curb and headed right. I could see the watchtower not far away, still partially hidden by tall trees. To the right of the tower were a number of large, gray buildings that reminded me of warehouses. From my perspective they appeared to be several stories high, lined up next to one another close to the watchtower. As I ran toward them I felt sure that if I couldn't get up on the watchtower, I would at least be able to hide in one of these other buildings.
But as I got closer, I saw that the buildings had no windows or doors. They stood like silent gray sentinels, mocking my fear. Why did everything appear to change?
THE WATCHTOWER
Just as I was wondering what to do, I realized that I had taken my eyes off the watchtower when I had seen the large warehouses. There in front of me to the left, stood the watchtower, towering hundreds of feet above me. It was round like a lighthouse, but appeared to have no windows or doors. It was much taller up close than it had appeared from a distance.
As I ran towards it, I felt utterly helpless, because there was no way I could ever get up on that tower! There were tall trees on the left side of it, but they had no low branches for a little girl to climb on. On the right side of the tower, huge gray cement blocks that looked like the buildings nearby, appeared to have been placed on top of each other, forming a giant staircase that led up to the roof of the tower. But the blocks were far taller than I was, and appeared impossible to climb. As I reached the base of the first block, I stood on my tiptoes, and lifted up my hands. The top of the first block towered high above me. Then all of a sudden, the cement block seemed to shrink. Quickly I scrambled up it with little effort! The same things happened with the rest of the blocks! By using my hands and feet, I slowly jumped from one "step" to the next until I finally reached the top of the tower.
As I stepped on to the watchtower, I was amazed to find two convertibles with their roofs down, perched on top of the flat roof of the tower! A young man was quickly walking towards the older convertible that was furthest away from me. Before climbing into it, I heard him say quietly to himself, "Now I’ll be safe!" Then he sat down, turned around, and reached for the plastic roof, and pulled it over his head.
I hurried to the remaining convertible that stood in front of me. It was a flashy, bright yellow, sporty-looking model. Its chrome rims caught my attention as well as the new paint job. It looked expensive. I climbed inside as I had seen the young man do. I noticed that there was just enough room for one person. I looked around for the clear plastic roof, and found it folded up behind my seat. As I started to pull it over my head, I began to realize how pointless the whole idea was!
Immediately, I stood up in the car, and peered down through the tops of the trees to my right. Fear gripped me once more, as I heard the sickening screams of the people in the cabin begging for mercy. The screams grew louder and more intense as more people were taken by surprise! But the deafening roar of the lion could be heard above their screams for help. I couldn’t bear to think about what was happening to those people.
Why had they chosen to remain in that cabin—in those unsafe rooms? Why hadn’t they believed my warnings and left as I had? Why were there no children in the cabin? What had happened to the other group of people and the children who had been chased by lions?
As I stepped out of the convertible, I could see the cabin far below on my right. But now it appeared to be standing alone. No longer was there a tall, thick, green hedge surrounding it as I had seen earlier. In place of the green hedge, rambling, dead thorn bushes grew. The front of the cabin faced the edge of the forest, and behind it stretched abandoned wilderness. Spindly-looking trees and more dead briars seemed to grow everywhere.
As I looked down to the ground on my left, I was shocked to discover that the large cement blocks that I had just climbed up on now appeared to be nothing more than plastic children’s building blocks! They no longer formed steps, but were scattered in a heap at the base of the watchtower. The letters of the alphabet seemed to spell out my doom!
Not only had the steps been demolished, but so had the warehouses! They lay in a heap of rubble close by. Even though there was no way for a lion to get up on the tower, because the access to it had been destroyed, I felt sure that the lion in the cabin could very easily jump up on this tower and destroy me if he chose. No longer did the tall watchtower feel safe. As I listened to the cries for help far below, it felt like the distance between the ground and me had shrunk.
As I took two steps back to the car, I was shocked to discover that the flashy convertible had become an over-sized, child’s plastic toy! As I stepped back inside of it, I noticed large silver bolts held it securely to the roof! It wasn’t going anywhere. Neither was I.
I was at the end of my resources. There was no higher place to climb. I knew of no safer place to go. It was over. There was no one to help me—no one to rescue me. I felt that it was just a matter of time before the raging lion would be through “devouring” the people in the cabin, and would discover me. I was overcome by utter desolation and despair! As I started to reel and groan in tortuous anguish, I woke up from the dream.
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Footnotes:
[1] Although I didn’t realize it at the time I had this dream, Whipsnade Wild Animal Park in Bedforshire, is the United Kingdom’s biggest zoo. It is a sanctuary for hurting and neglected animals—a safe place where they can roam around in large enclosures while they live out their final years in peace and safety, especially elephants!
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