Am I awake?

I was in that state of semi-consciousness that occurs just when you are waking up. I think I read somewhere that it’s called “Theta”. You know, you’re not totally conscious and you’re not really still asleep, but somewhere in between. It seems your mind is still rising up out of your last dream and it mixes with what your senses are picking up around you...

I was on a big cruise ship and my supervisor and the owner of the company each had me by an arm and they were dragging me over to the railing. I looked down over the side and saw a small, yellow, rubber dinghy far below, rocking in the waves next to the ship. They tossed me over the side and I fell into it, a splash of cold sea water sloshing in with me.

My supervisor, wearing an emotionless face, reached over with a big knife in hand and severed the rope that had kept the little life-raft fastened to the ship. I’d been cut adrift. The big boss raised his eyebrows and smiled with a sympathetic expression as he waved and called out “good luck!” The ship steamed slowly away from me. My supervisor cupped a hand to the side of his mouth against the wind and screamed, “It’s nothing personal!”

I know it’s not personal - If it were, I guess I'd still have a job.