I had this somewhat rambling dream several weeks ago but I think that I remember most of it. It started out in a movie theatre. I was sitting there with my date, (as played once again by the politician, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) and another couple who were acquaintances of mine, at least the man was, because I knew his name. (Roy Brown. No recollection of this name in the real world.)
There was still some minutes before the show started and Roy got up to visit the snack bar. He returned after awhile, holding a candy bar. He turned into our row of seats and it was then that I noticed something strange. There was a trail of paper currency on the main aisle. I asked Roy if he had lost his money out of his wallet and after checking, he said no.
I jumped out of my seat and swooped up the money. Even in the dim light I could see 100 and 1000 dollar bills in my hands. It was quite a bundle of money, too. I was momentarily rich, but Alexandria noted that somebody must have lost that money and that it would rightfully be theirs.
Just then, a tall, gray haired man in a tuxedo approached me and asked if I had found some money laying about. I was tempted to lie and say no, but my conscience got the better of me and I handed him the stack of bills. He shook my hand (his hand had absolutely no warmth to it) called me an honest man and walked back up the aisle.
"Of course," Alexandria noted, "That man might have seen you pick up the money. He might have been acting like he lost it."
I looked down at my hand and remembering the handshake, came to the realization that the guy hadn't been alive. Roy and I ran up the aisle and entered the lobby. We just caught a glimpse of the guy as he entered an elevator. I just managed to get a hand in as the doors were closing and they bounced back open again. We entered the elevator and the old man pushed the down button. We went down, down, down, probably a couple of two or three thousand floors before the elevator stopped. We got out and it looked as if we had entered the man's apartment. There were plush chairs and sofas set about, and tables with lit candles standing atop them.
"You had no right to follow me down to my lodgings," he said. "And you have made a horrible mistake in doing so."
I thought about the money and it made me mad.
"Oh yeah?" I said. "Where do you get off playing around with me like that. Making me think that I was rich and then tricking me to give all the money back to you?"
The conversation continued until it became clear to me that I was arguing with the devil.
"I was testing you with this money," he snarled at me. "If you had lied, and kept the money, then you would all have perished in a fiery automobile accident as you were driving home from the movie."
"Hey, Rikki," Roy finally said something. "Lets get out of here man. This is creepy."
"Well," I spoke to the devil. "The least you can do is give us that money, for all the trouble you have put us through."
The devil was frustrated with me but surprisingly, he slammed the wad of money back into my hands. "Take it," he said. "But you'll be sorry!"
"No," I countered. "I don't want your money. I just wanted you to experience the gift of giving."
I walked over to one of the candles and touched the bundle of money to it. There was a whoosh of flame and the money disappeared in a flash.
"Next time, use something other than money for bait," I advised the devil. "Say, like a loaf of bread or something."
Roy and I entered the elevator and went back up to the movie theatre.
