During a nap earlier, Venger entered my dream � a dream in which I was lucid, mind � but my husband woke me up. I tried so hard to hold on to it, to stay there with him, but it all just slipped away. But I'll describe what I can.

I ran some kind of . . . rest stop across from a much more popular joint that I had frequented before I was offered the run of this other place. I was in a bedroom with a guy with bleach blond hair. I told him that I didn't like the color of his hair. I think I was trying to lure him into sex.

Suddenly, about half a dozen teenagers barge in. All goth, punk, thug types. They worked for Venger. I got the feeling they were like an evil version of Holmes' "Irregulars," if you're familiar with the term.

So they barge in, tell my guest to beat it (which he promptly did), and threateningly inform me that Venger is on his way to see me. I wanted to laugh at them, but I played along. (Remember, I was lucid, but I actually didn't want to alter the dream. I wanted to experience the natural course of the dream, if possible.) By the looks on these kids' faces, it was as though they thought they were delivering terrifying news. They were there to give me this message and to make sure I didn't leave.

But I was happy! I was excited! I couldn't wait for him to arrive! And these kids were all smug, like, "Venger's coming, bitch. You're toast!" I was looking out the window for him, as well as I could, anyway. I was leaning toward the doorway and craning my neck. They were crowded around the doorway and wouldn't let me out of the room.