red

This dream was like a movie. It was called 'red' and was like but not the same as RED. I can't remember what red meant but it was all in lower case on purpose.

 It starts with this older gentleman, 60's, sitting in a chair in what appears to be a cave. He's watching some images of some sort which appear to disturb him. He stands up and walks away. Another man steps out of the shadows after the first is gone. He's in his mid- late 40's. He sits in the chair and a woman's voice says 'Your Greatest Fear' then the man is bathed in light from whatever is showing the image. We as the viewer only see the direction of the chair, the image to our rear right. The man seems mesmerized by what he sees.

Skip to the protagonist (in the dream he is played by me) and the older man in an elevator. He's asking about something I am delivering and whether I looked in the box or not. I hadn't but he doesn't believe me. We step out on a floor with many armed guards and metal detector. The box and I are passed thru detection and run clean the proceed to a small room. The man takes the box and places it in a closet without opening it.  He hands a small, thick paper card to the accompanying guard and instructs him to have me lick it before I leave to test for anthrax or any other chemical agent which may have been in the box. We three walk back to the elevator and I am held back at the metal detector while the older gentleman heads to press the Down button. The guard motions to the card so I lick it. I get a metallic taste then a dull feeling on my tongue. The dull feeling then quickly sweeps over my body. My thoughts start to become fuzzy but I know I've been poisoned. I try to tell at the old man but only a moan comes out of my mouth. I pass out and land face first on the ground.

I wake up (in the dream, not real life) when something is dripping in my eyes. I can't say I opened my eyes when I woke because they're already being held open by some device. I try to turn my head but I can't move it. I try to pick my hand up, move my legs, anything... But I can't. I'm completely paralyzed. Whatever is dripping into my eyes is both keeping me paralyzed and my eyes moisturized, so at least I have that. This goes on for days. Or at least it felt that way.

I wake up again. This time there's no dripping but am still paralyzed. I look down and see nothing holding me but still unable to move. The older man from before and a late 20s man are standing above me.
"How are you feeling?"
"Don't be rude, answer him." Giggled the younger one.
The older just smiles then turn my head slightly to the right.
"We're going to start our tests now. Remove this feather from your face." As he places a large feather on my left cheek, just barely over the corner of my mouth. I think about it for half a second. I'm unable to turn my head or raise my hands so I take as deep of beat as I can. My chest is heavier than it has ever been and my mouth is closed so breathing enough air through my nose was very difficult. Closing of the valve which lets me breath through my nose and pushing air out as hard as I can forces my lips open and sends the feather away.
"Very good!" The older man appears genuinely pleased and slightly surprised. He tools my head back forward facing and glances to a clock. He then holds his hand out.
"Grab my hand."
In my mind my face was showing confusion but I know he just sees the normal, straight face. I close my eyes so I can focus on my hand moving.
"Is he giving up?" asks the younger.
"Not yet."
I slowly start to feel individual muscles tighten one by one then group by group in my arm. I start to feel my face muscles tighten. I feel my forehead scrunch and my eyebrows drop then a rumble turns into a yell as my mouth opens and my hand lifts off the table for a wild, uncontrolled swing.
"Record time!" The older beams.
"Ok. We're done testing. Get up."
I'm now able to move my feet and head. I can't quite lift my legs but I'm able to shift then sideways off the bed and the younger man helps me twist and sit up. I look around the room which seems more like a widened area at the end of a hallway. Further down the hall is a corridor to the left then a little further a sealed guard booth to the right which is empty and further still a circular glass elevator on the left. The elevator looks like a travel tube from The Jetsons cartoon or a giant sized version of the tubes used at drive up bank tellers.

The younger helps me stand and walk the direction of the elevator being lead by the older. We pass by the corridor which slopes quickly downward into darkness. The walls were lumpy and the ceiling jagged with stalactites. It wasn't a man-made hallway.
"We're underground, aren't we." I managed to groan.
"Very good observation." The older replies without turning.
The younger man lets me go and I'm able to stand on my own, though hunched over and wobbly like a geriatric. I hobble out a few steps and my focus is broken by a commotion. I look up to see a man shrouded in darkness throw the body of the younger man into the closing door of the elevator, holding it open.
"No! Stay back!" Shout the older man, standing in the elevator desperately pounding the buttons.
I did my best to stumble up behind the dark man. Maybe I can stop him..

Then I woke up.