The dream began in an odd setting I didn’t recognize. We were “at home”, but not a home I’d ever seen before in my waking life. Graywyn was there and a third person (I won’t name him, but we’ll call him “J”). Our house was close to a park. In was implied that we visited there often and today was no exception. Little Andromeda was nowhere to be found in this dream world. It was just us three humans and Baby Blue, who seemed to go to the park often.

In this dream world, it was Blue’s habit to walk unleashed from one area to another. This is something I would never do in waking life. I’m too overprotective of my dogs, especially in an area like this, which had several lanes of heavy traffic. When we got to the gate at the entrance of the park, Blue darted away. It was my worst fear. All three of us ran after him. I was sure he’d be run over. After some doing, we did catch him and I heard myself mutter that we could no longer allow him to walk himself to the park. He would now have to be leashed.

Baby Blue frolicked and played in the park for a while and then it was time to walk back home. As we walked back, I carried him in my arms, holding him close to my body. I hadn’t forgotten how close he’d come to death on our way earlier. Graywyn and J seemed to get further and further ahead of us and I decided I wanted to cross a busy road at a different point than they did. I also realized by now that the walk back seemed much further than the walk there. My surroundings started to look strange to me and I questioned if I’d taken a wrong turn. Baby Blue was no longer in my arms. Now I walked with a black horse in his place.

This horse was old and I had the sense that he’d been with me a very long time. I loved him more than I could ever love another thing. Nothing could happen to this horse. He had to complete the journey home with me. I continued to worry that we’d lost our way as I crossed an intersection that seemed to get wider as I walked across it. We did make it to the other side, but now I wondered if I was following the correct path home. I approached an older woman and asked her if she knew of a particular area (I no longer remember the name). Her face lit up when she heard this name and she said, “Oh, yes! I do. You’re not far at all! Just keep walking in that direction and you’ll be there soon enough.” I was relieved to know that I had, indeed, been walking in the right direction.

The woman also was going in that direction and we continued on together. My stomach started to feel a little sick and I was apprehensive to keep going as I approached an area that looked to be a carnival. I knew this place. In fact, I’d been here before.

“I don’t know if I’m allowed to walk a horse through here.” I said to the stranger walking with me. She assured me it would be okay. I kept going, if not a little slower than before. I felt a little relief as I looked through the large crowd of people and saw that there was at least one horse trailer and a horse there.

It was here that I ran into a small group of women I seemed to know. There were three or four of them. I was happy to see them, but it was a mistake to stop and talk to them, because before I could continue on my way, carnival magician of sorts walked over to us. I felt like I knew him, even though I didn’t necessarily recognize him in this dream. That sick feeling got stronger and even though I politely talked to him, I just wanted to take my horse and go. Still, when he offered water to the horse, I knew we had to take it. My old horse looked tired and thirsty from walking and he needed to drink to continue on our journey. What would a little water hurt?

We walked deeper into the crowd and accepted the water offered. As my beautiful old boy drank his water, the magician told me how he wanted my horse. I told him he was not for sale. He couldn’t have him; he couldn’t take him from me. We exchanged quite a few words. I told him the horse would go with no one but me. He told me it didn’t matter, his water was laced with something that would make him groggy. He would soon be asleep and he could do what he wanted. I’d lost and he would have the horse. I felt panicked. My horse was looking groggy, but he was still awake.

The evil magician told me one of my friends could have the opportunity to win my horse back for me. My friend and I agreed. I knew in my heart this was pointless. The game was probably rigged somehow. We were sure to lose. I saw another woman there. A carny. I begged and pleaded with her to help me. She looked deep in the horses eyes, as if she was communicating with him somehow and then she whispered in me ear, “Bring it to the 40 and you’ll win.” I didn’t know what that meant, but I told my friend those words and she was walking up to a wheel of numbers to play “the game”, whatever it was, right as woke up from my dream.

Bring it to the 40 and you’ll win. Those words have stuck with me since I had the dream. I’ve wondered what they mean (or will come to mean to me). My dreams have been trying hard to tell me something, especially the last few days. I guess we’ll find out.