Last Night I Dreamt of Chaos

A recent dream of mine

     Five o'clock came just as it did every other day. My mental whistle blew and it was time for me make the trip home from work. On my drive I noticed smoke rising along the horizon in the distance. I cocked my head curiously, but decided not to make much of it. Then, to my right I heard a loud explosion and felt the vibrations move through the ground, into my car and up through my body. A building fell almost in slow motion and traffic began to slow at the sight.
     I managed to pull over amidst the chaos and gather my barrings as I made the decision to venture into the ruble and check for any people that may have been in the building at the time of the explosion. A ratty strip mall led the way to the mess of concrete and steel and it was there that I noticed two men that gave off vibrations of malice and jubilation. They were panting and trying to subdue smiles as they looked at the heap of destruction that they had created. I pretended not to notice and walked on, but others who had noticed the men's beaming faces began to walk in their direction. Before I could calculate what was to happen next, gun shots rang out across the parking lot and I ran for cover. There were other explosions that added to the noise pollution across the city and it became clear to me that order was crumbling and giving way to anarchy.
     I stepped over dead men lying out on the pavement, took their weapons, and made my way to my car and then home. The city was a ball of nervous energy at this point. People were panicked and running as well as driving recklessly to leave the scene of terror that was all around us.
     When I finally reached my apartment, I noticed windows had been knocked out and shattered glass littered the ground. Things were being thrown from windows on all levels and I could hear screams and crying. I ran up the stairs hoping to find my boyfriend safely inside our apartment. I opened the door afraid of what I may find inside, but as the hinges creaked I saw Brian pace through the living room, into the kitchen, and empty the contents of our cabinets into a suitcase.
     Just as I was moving to help him, we heard the c**k of a gun coming from the back room. In the doorway stood a man of around sixty years pointing a gun at us and holding his side which was bleeding profusely. He made it known that he needed transportation and there were to be no questions asked. Brian began to argue, but I made a gesture to quiet him and offered to help the man with his wound and give him some food and water. He looked at me curiously and slowly lowered his weapon. He told me that I reminded him of his daughter and sat down in our living room chair. As we were cleaning his wound, the man told Brian and I that the men responsible for the explosions were people hoping to gain control of the government that was now falling apart. One of the most valuable things to these men would be cars with valid plates that could aid them in maneuvering virtually undetected by the authorities.
     I ran to the window when he had said this, and looked where I had parked the car. It was gone. Locked doors offered no protection from the people who now roamed the streets. The man looked shocked that our car had been stolen so quickly. "They're moving faster than I had expected," he said. "We need to move."
     We barely had time to pack anything. We only brought food and a few items of clothing. We'd have to look for other people's handouts or leftovers if we needed anything else. Brian and I ran ahead as the old man hobbled along behind us waving us forward. There was only one car left on the edge of the parking lot. One of the back windows had been knocked out and there were dents in the door. It would have to do. The old man caught up to us and panted for breath. His bleeding had quickened and his blue shirt was black with blood beneath his hand. He hot wired the car for us and hopped in the back seat as we drove away to join the ranks of those trying to get out of the city.
     As we waited to pass through the check point, someone through a bottle of flammable liquid at one of the cars ahead of us. It went up in flames just after its passengers had stumbled out and ran away. People were rushing up and down the line banging on windows and trying to break into cars. The old man advised us not to let anyone in or else we'd be swamped and most likely killed. He did his best to secure the broken glass in the back of the car, but attained a few more injuries in the process.
     We passed through the checkpoint finally and rolled on just a bit faster than before. It was then that the nervous silence in the car broke and we felt able to speak once again. Everyone seemed to have a plan. The old man was going to be dropped off by the river where some acquaintances of his were supposed to be waiting for him. Brian was planning on investigating the Resistance that we had heard people talking about. It was supposed to be a group of people devoted to restoring order to the country and establishing a system much different from the old political system. I wasn't feeling particularly optimistic about Brian exploring anything in such an environment, but I knew that he would do what he felt he had to. And so, when the time came, we all parted ways.
     I set out to gather supplies and help as many people as I could by setting up a sort of shelter away from buildings that may be targeted by the groups that had been blowing up government buildings. I found a mansion on the countryside that seemed untouched by the approaching mobs and hoped that I would be able to set up shop there.
     Holding down the fort, so to speak was a young woman around the age of twenty. Her father had left town, most likely not to return, and her brother had also left to join the Resistance and fight off looters and those with ties to the old government. We talked about all that had happened and what we expected would come to pass. Then, we got to work converting the mansion into a shelter and gathering supplies for the refugees that we expected to accept into the quarters by nightfall. We set up rules for entry and an overall plan for how to handle each forseeable situation. We then took turns going out looking for people in need and guarding the mansion. It was a descent distraction from worrying about our loved ones as well as ourselves, but deep down we knew that the worst was yet to come.