“The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” 

– Robert Byrne, American chess master and author

It was what some might call a lucid dream – a blending of cognizance with unconsciousness. It was dark and it seemed to me that it had gotten dark early that evening. It was summer, about 8 p.m., yet I needed headlights to drive. I was on my way to the ATM at a local mall. It seemed to grow darker as I drove. In fact, when I shut off the engine and stepped out of my vehicle, it felt like midnight – I could barely see my hand in front of my face. It was then I realized that the overhead parking lot lights were all out.

As I walked across the lot, I became aware of an unsettling fact: no one else was there, not a vehicle, not another soul. As...

Please subscribe to keep reading.