I was travelling to Europe – somewhere where there were castles nearby airports. As I landed with my luggage I found myself on a shuttle bus and about 11 of us were being lead into this dark labyrinthine parking structure through many turns, eventually being dropped off deep inside what appeared to be a castle. As I was walking through I found myself lost in a series of hallways, walking along aisles of people eating and drinking. The format of the place shifted, sometimes it felt like an airport lounge, sometimes it felt like I was several flights up some dark and creaky stairs in the middle o some retrofitted abandoned castle turned into a tourist trap. The overall sense of the dream was that it was a trap. Waves of malevolence were coming off the shuttle bus driver and staff, sarcastically wishing us a happy time visiting.

I wandered along this maze, this labyrinth, asking people how to get to the street and nobody spoke English. When I approached and asked they looked at me, shrugged, and laughed. I started to get panicked and looked left and right for a way out. About every 50 feet or so there were dumbwaiter elevators which were paneled in dark wood, the entire restaurant was dark, perhaps just dim. I collected myself, put the panic aside and set off for a straight walk – if I progress in one direction long enough I should find some way out, I thought.

Walking along I ended up coming to what appeared to be a dead end. I felt along the wall in the corner and inlaid into the wall was a dark cast iron ring. I turned the ring and it was just like turning a doorknob. A thick heavy iron-banded door creaked open and there was a way out. I walked calmly down this hallway, which lead to stairs and eventually outside.

When I got outside, the shuttle bus people were standing there, with other passengers and then it was like nothing untoward had happened. They didn’t seem anything but disinterested to see me. As I stood there collecting myself and checking my luggage the man driving the shuttle bus asked if I had fun. I stopped being the primary actor and started being a spectator at this point and found myself thanking the shuttle bus staff for their time and trouble and raving about their service. I couldn’t stop myself from saying “I’ll be sure to tell all my friends about this!”  and right after that the shuttle bus staff exchanged a look and a man with dirty blond hair came up along side me and started to ask me involved questions regarding where I came from and who I may talk to regarding the shuttle bus service people and started patting my pockets and fumbling to grab my arm to take off my watch – he definitely wanted something of mine. I smiled, shook off his flapping fumbling hand, gathered my things together and… promptly woke up.