Kimberly Clark, who lives and works in London, England, seems like a normal young women of twenty-five. She's pretty, she loves to dance,and she has many friends. Also, she has a good position in the office of a large company. Kim Clark does have a problem, however. The problem is that she has a mysterious dream. It's mysterious because it is a dream about a person and place which are completely strange to her. And it is mysterious also because it is a recurring dream. That is,she dreams the same thing frequently. Finally, she has the same dream almost every night. The strange dream always begins on a country road. Kim stands on this road and sees a lane with a white fence and a hedge on each side. At the end of the lane,on the top of a little hill,she see a small,white cottage with green shutters. In the dream,she than walks up the lane to the house,goes in,and looks around. In one of the rooms she finds a man asleep in bed. He is a little,old man with white hair and a white beard. In the dream,when Kim comes near his bed, the man walks up. Then he sits up and looks at her. When Kim opens her mouth to speak to him, however, she wakes up in her apartment in London. The dream bothers Kim very much. It's all so strange! She know any little,old man like that either. And yet,night after night she has the same dream. In the dream, she's always on the same country road. She sees the same lane with the same hedge and white fence. And at the end of the lane stands the same small, white cottage with green shutters. And each time,when she enters the house and looks around,she sees the same little,old man asleep in bed. And every time, when she opens her mouth to speak to hin, she wakes up in her own bed in London. Kimberly speaks frequently with her roommate, Janet Wilson,about recurring dream. One day Janet says,"Kim, let's go out to my parent's farm for a few days. It's so peaceful there." "That sounds like a good idea," answers Kim with tears in her eyes. "The dream troubles me so much. It's on my mind constantly." Kim and Janet make plans to go to the country. And early the next saturday morning they leave the city in Janet's car. As soon as they are away from the sights and sounds of the city,Kim sits back on the seat beside her friend and closes her eyes. A little later,as Janet turns the car on to a country road,Kim wakes up. In a second,her eyes open wide. "There it is,Jan ! " she exclaims."There it is !" "There is what ?" "The place !" "What place?" "The place in my dream ! Look !" "Please,Kim,forget about your dream ! You only imagine this place is the same ! There are many places like this in the country !" "No, Jan,it's not my imagination! This is the place ! There is the lane with the hedge and white fence! And look! There is the little ,white cottage with green shutters ! Please, Jan,let me out !" Janet stops the car and turns to her friend. "Please don't go up there. Kim! It's not a good idea! Lets go on !" "No,Jan ! let me go ! I have to go and see !" Kim opens the door of the car and gets out. First,she stands on the road,just as she always does in the dream. Then she walks slowly up the lane with the hedge and white fence on both sides. Her heart pounds when she finally stands in front of the little,white cottage. Everything looks exactly the same,except for a sign in front of the house which says FOR SALE. Kim goes to the door of the house and knocks. Her hand tremble as she waits. In a minute the door open. And there in the doorway stands a little,old man with white hair and a white beard! The same as in her dream! Her whole body shakes. When the old man sees Kim,his eyes open wide,and he immediately closes the door. "Oh!don,t close the door"cries Kim. "Please! I have to talk to you." The man opens the door a little and looks at her."What do you want here?" he asks. "Why don,t you go away?" Kim doesn't know what to say. But she does want to talk to him. "I-I see- I see that this house is for sale," she stammers. "Yes it is. But i'm sure you don't want to buy it !" "Why do you say that ?" "Because-uh-because a ghost hunts this house." "A ghost hunts this pretty,little house ?" "Yes,it comes almost every night now." Kim tries hard to think of something to say. "Do-uh-do you know who the ghost is ?" She stammers. "Yes,I do now." "Who is it ?" In a loud whisper he exclaims. "It's you !" Then he closes the door. *ARLO T. JANSSEN
