Thirteen hours earlier, Susan sat with Bill McKinley at their favorite spot in Calder Intermediate School's solarium, where the faculty liked to lunch. A light, cool breeze washed through an open window nearby, overlooking the water garden. Shouts and laughter came from a class on recess, out in the gardens.

She let out a sigh. "Listen, for the party tonight, Bill, I'm really not in the mood." She reached into a pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of note paper.

Bill looked worried. "Same thing again last night?"

She nodded, and handed him the paper. "For what it's worth, thanks for suggesting this."

"Well, Professor Matthews always liked this technique..."

Susan was skeptical. "I doubt your semiotics professor ever saw symbols like these."

He unfolded the paper. "Amazing." The markings were mostly tiny dots in very tight arrangements. Occasional short lines seemed to group the dots into patterns.

Susan kept her voice low. "I found a finer-pointed pen this time. Left it near the pad by the bed."

"These are clearer than yesterday's," he said. "I'd say this is Braille, but there are way too many dots here, and too close together."

"I don't know how to write in Braille, Bill. Or any other language besides English."

"Are these really notes about what you've been dreaming? This looks like random tapping." He handed the paper back to her. "Maybe you were nervous?"

"I don't think it's random." She put the paper back into her pocket without looking at it.

He looked at her with concern. "If it's not random, then what does it mean?"

"When I look at the marks closely, I think I see yesterday."

"Yesterday?"

She hugged her arms. "Images like a TVR, or a vivid dream, but I'm awake. I don't know. It's just wrong."

Bill was reaching for her hand when another teacher bounced up to their table. "Hi guys. Have you heard?"

Susan tried to smile, unsuccessfully. "What's that, Rina?"

"We're gonna be on the Grid!"

Bill brightened slightly. "Really, all your students?"

"Yes! The town council just approved our request to have the C-I fly cams into town for next weekend, just for our concert."

"Wow. The full deal?"

"Part of the regular TVR gridcast. Isn't that great?"

Susan tried to be supportive. "That's amazing, Rina. But, I'm surprised the council would do that--invite the C-I to watch, I mean."

"It's great for Calder, don't you think? We'll be famous!" Rina flashed a goodbye and left.

Susan was grateful for the interruption. There was little she wanted to say to Bill here. She tried to concentrate on a small waterfall outside the window.

Bill was watching her. "Susan?"

She didn't answer.

"Look, come by tonight before the party, like 6-ish. We can talk alone. OK?"

She watched the stream cascading over the rocks. Occasionally, a little strand of water would branch away from the stream, forming a path of its own, reaching a mossy dead end, never making it to the quiet pool below.