Dream Weaving

We were on the 21st floor of a large hotel in what appeared to be a rather rural area. It was a large lobby like dining area that took up a whole floor and were at an engagement party or something. We hadn't been there for more than 5 minutes when my brother and I were dispatched to the car to bring something heavy up to the party. I took the nearest elevator that would bring me to the lobby directly across from the check-in desk my brother took the fire side elevator that exited near the doors.

The elevator decent was uneventful. The kind of elevator ride I had taken a thousand times before. As I watched the digital count down of floors I thought of nothing in particular. The floors seemed to pass by in chunks of 2 or 3. 20...17...15...11... 8...4...2, and then it happened. The elevator seemed to cut loose and dropped the last 5 feet to the ground. My stomach hit me in the throat. Strangely enough the door opened as it should have, and I stumbled out in a daze of what just happened.

As I gazed across the lobby I saw my brother stumble out of his elevator as well, and my mind began to race. The sinking feeling that sent us swimming into the middle of the ocean when a tsunami was coming hit me all over again. My brother made the same realization as I yelled, "RUN!". We both ran toward the doors leading out of the building and a rumble could be heard above. The building was coming down.

My brother exited the doors about 40 yards ahead of myself and despite my superior speed I could not seem to catch him. In fact he was pacing away from as me as I looked up to see the top half of the building coming down towards us. The sound was horrific, but my heart was screaming for my wife and 15 month old son who were still on the floor I left. And I was running for my life when their lives were almost certainly over?

I began to wonder if my life was forfeit so my brother could survive. After all hadn't I warned him and helped him escape? My heart caught in my chest as my legs heaved my 160 pound frame as quickly as they could. My heart pumped battery acid and I could not run any further without my family...

Suddenly, I am standing next to my wife who is holding my son and we are on the 21st floor again. And then it hits me...This building is coming down. I tear my son from my wifes arms and tell her we need to get out. There is no time to talk. We run for the stairs and seem to cover 20 floors in a breath. As we burst out of the rear entrance to the hotel the building is collapsing out the other way, and I am awoken with my heart pounding out of my chest not knowing if the building ever really finishes it's decent to the ground, and I am left wondering why I asked that question. As I stare at my now groggy and concerned wife I am unable to speak. I know a large building will soon fall. Hundreds of people. Trapped? Dead?