Off air "Story Time" (Free-form, from memory).

Title: The trains are here!

Several years ago, I think it was back about 2000, I'd been having dreams for over 15 years about a place that shouldn't exist, because it made no sense to me. There were these really old steam trains that had things all over them, like an artist, perhaps a welder of some kind, who had attached these tubes, pipes, metal beams and a whole assortment of steel items over several of these old stream trains... it was a wild sight... but the way I saw them, like in each consecutive dream of this place, they were older or newer in some way. Sometimes the paint was all worn off, other times they looked almost new. Did I mention they were oddly painted as well?... Anyway, sometimes they were all rusted and the trees were all growing up around them.

I never knew when I was going to have these dreams, they just happened every year or so, and I tell you, how I got there was absolutely amazing! I found myself floating over some absolutely beautiful mountains, swooping like a large bird, zooming this way and that. It felt incredible! I had no sense of being myself anymore, I mean, my human life anyway, I was this free spirit and didn't care or even think about my human life - never even crossed my mind. I was just there, flying and loving it! Absolutely beautiful. It's then I'd see the trains and suddenly feel, like a memory, which made no sense at all since I'd never seen them before, except in these specific dreams and no where else, that I had to go see them up close 'again', so I did, each time I saw them. I'd float around them, no longer flying, but floating, slightly zig-zagging right and left as I'd focus on every part of these surreal creations. I'd think to myself: "This is important... very important." It would become so intense, this deeply spiritual feeling of importance, that I'd wake up suddenly with a feeling like it's Christmas... not the event, but that childhood joy was just beaming from within me, like I'd just met God or something, only there was no God, or religion, or any of that stuff. It's difficult to explain - But it was that amazing.

So as I said earlier, after 15 or so visits to this amazingly odd place in my dreams, or visions I guess you could say, after 12 years or however long I'd been visiting this location out of my body, or whatever was happening to me. I'd start to focus whenever I was there of the area around them so I might find them one day, at least that's what I told myself. It seemed ridiculous because I had absolutely no idea where this place was, and figured it was probably only existing somewhere in my own mind... but these were no normal dreams... not even close! These were so different, and I knew better. And why were they recurring for half my life (at that time)? I'll never forget that feeling of flight and freedom though. It felt more like home than being awake. One day, if I have another place that I discover in this way, I might wish myself never to re-awaken into this dark, thick, painful, awkward, dull, nasty, debaucherous, blind world of the waking human ever again... I mean, why would I? Perhaps that sounds mad to some, but that's how beautiful these visions were, and are still. But it gets better...

Some time around 2000, I think it was, I was visiting some new on-line friend I'd met over the internet, which was a random event I had not planned very well at all. (We didn't last long as friends). Their location will make sense in a moment. One day they asked if I wanted to tour Snoqualmie Falls with them. I asked why. They said Twin Peaks was recorded there. That 'peaked' my interest of course, so I said "Sure". I didn't give it anymore thought than that at the time and had no idea what was about to happen to me. I just wanted to see the falls and maybe eat at that lovely diner that was featured in the series. Cherry pie sounded awesome. I'd heard they still serve that in honour of being featured in the TV series.

An hour or so later, we were about to arrive somewhere, and I don't even remember where, like which small town it was, but we were close to one of them when I had a funny feeling all of a sudden. I felt out of place, more than usual, I mean. It started out strong enough, but it got really creepy after only a few more seconds. This person said to me "Are you OK?" I don't remember what I said other than "I know this place". I think they said "Yeah, from the show." I said "No... from... somewhere else." I was having trouble remembering where and how I knew this area that we were approaching, but I sure knew it alright! I suddenly shouted "Turn right, here!" They jumped and looked at me like I was crazy. "Now, please!" They rather reluctantly slowed down and said "Why? What's going on?" as they checked the mirrors. "There's... something in there I have to see." My heart was racing and I felt both frightened and joyous at the same time. Something really big was about to happen, but I had no idea what it was. They turned right and we drove some more... moments later I pointed and said "There!" I don't remember the exact words we exchanged at the time, this was many years ago now, but they were absolutely perplexed and a little bit frightened why I was insisting on taking them into a wild forest in the middle of nowhere, with no signs or trails heading that direction at all. I think we may have butted heads a little, but their curiosity and my persistence about knowing something is in there got their curiosity and we started into the woods together with myself in front, leading the way. The woods were not at thick as they first appeared, at least from the small 2 lane road where we'd parked their car, so I sped up as my excitement grew.

I pushed past a few thin trees and felt like I knew every tree the closer I got. My new friend was somewhere behind me asking which way I'd gone as I was rushing so swiftly now they could no longer keep up with me. "I know this. I know this!", I kept repeating to myself. I shouted back to my confused internet friend. "Trains are here. The trains are here!"

Suddenly I caught a glimpse of some large rusty object and I felt so many confusing emotions at once. I was being overwhelmed by so many events in my mind at the same time... and I knew what was about to happen, and yet I didn't because this time I was awake, and it was real. I had a moment of doubt and stopped to look around, attempting to ground myself in 'reality' in preparation for what was about to be show to me... and what I was about to show myself.

I took a big breath and ran into the partially open area, and there before me were several large old steam trains, rusted, paint almost wore off, with these welded objects attached to them in the most surreal way. There's barely any tracks left under them at all, just enough to stop them from falling over after all these years. I almost cried. They're real, and I knew it all these years, and I'd never been there before, not once... I just stood there and stared at them as I teared up. "They're real... I knew it... I'm here... I'm really here."

My friend crept up behind me, their mouth wide open. They said "I've been coming here every year for a while now, but I had absolutely no idea these were here! What is this place?" I looked at them, teary, and said "I've been here so many times now... and they are real this time... or I guess they always were real, but... I don't know how I've been here so many times before... except out of my body... but here they are, yes... real." They saw my face and almost teared up themselves, they knew what I was feeling and they said "You shouted 'trains are here' before you even got this far into the woods... I just don't... know what's happening right now."

My friend stood there as I ran up to each train and caressed them, making sure I was there, feeling their cold rust and worn paint... I even climbed one of them and shouted "Yes! I did it!" from the top. I think my friend went into shock because they could not explain what just happened to them, and I laughed because I could not wait to tell them the rest of my story that led up to this point.

I think we didn't even see some of the things we wanted to see because we ate somewhere else and I told them my story. Not sure if they believed me or not, and it might have impacted the new friendship we'd just formed. I remember them saying something like "Are you absolutely sure you're not trolling me right now! This had better not be a prank!" I remember saying "You were right here with me when it happened! You drove me here yourself, randomly!" I don't think they could fully accept what happened, but I was ecstatic and loving the vibration within my soul for many days after that day in the woods.

Clearly there's far more to the universe and myself than could ever be limited by space or time. Time and space were now, most certainly, an illusion, completely fake... and the things that are expressed in shows like Twin Peaks, X-Files, They Live, etcetera were not only existing on the outer limits of imagination, but existed deep within myself. We are most certainly far more than just our bodies, and it's wonderful! I think there's more than one lesson here, too... this was not just about me, this was about everyone else too. This was about David Lynch as well, and I think this is how he gets many of his ideas for more than just Twin Peaks. He can explain the rest of that process himself. He talks a lot about meditation and visions in his creative process and observance of the world around us. All I know is that for me, I know what happened to me, why it happened, and how it happened to me, and how important it was, and still is, to the core of my being. I am my own proof that I am correct, and as impossible as that is to explain to anyone else who's never learned such things about their own world around them right now, it's absolutely true. This event was and is one of many events in my life that I'll never forget... and regarding many other such occurrences, there's only a few I'll ever speak of. This was an 'easy' one to explain. I also know that certain places have a different sort of energy to them, and at the right time, reality becomes 'unlocked' to those who dare walk through.