The dream(s):
I am in an old, old bookstore...like many of the old bookstores I used to go to in Boston and San Francisco. I am standing behind a glass counter with an old gold colored cash register, and in the glass case is an assortment of ephemera and exotic, delicate old books. I am sorting a stack of books, and glance behind me, where there is a wooden chair, with a green cushion, and on the green cushion curled in typical cat fashion is a huge tuxedo tom, gently snoring.
From my vantage point behind the counter I can easily see the front door, and down the aisles. I look up when the bell above the door jingles and see the door closing but I don't see who has come in. I frown, because something about that bothers me and then I am surprised by a man in a long dark coat with his fedora shadowing his face standing right in front of me with a book. He sets it on the counter between us, and says "for valuation".
I tell him it will be a few minutes, the owner hasn't come in yet and she does all the valuations. He disappears down an aisle to wait. But then I hear the door bell and see the door close - again with no one visible.
I am looking at the cover of the book and realize it smells odd. I am about to open the book to look at it and the cat is now sitting on the counter (he must be part Maine Coon, because he is a huge cat) and he puts a paw on the book so I cannot open it.
Then the CAT says, "Don't open it, the spirit in it is under geas to kill all in the place where it is opened."
The dream shifts, I am in an apartment with three other people. We are waiting for one more and we are clearly preparing to play a game of Dungeons and Dragons. As we are setting up snacks and clearing the table for the game, I tell one of them (who was an old friend and coworker in my waking life, Bruce) about the strange encounter with the guy who brought the book into the shop and what the cat said.
Then our host comes in from the kitchen and asks "You didn't bring the book here, did you?" and I said no, of course not.
The dream shifts again, and the D&D gamers and I are in a hardware store, looking for an assortment of items from a list. We wind up camping, literally setting up a tent in the lumber area, to wait for someone who can help us find the last item on the list.
__________
And then I woke up.