This is probably the weirdest dream I had.

I was in a cemetery (a fusion of the Chinese and Manila North cemeteries) for an internment when a group of alien-looking humanoids entered with violent intentions. I tried to run away, and when I got into a river bank, I brought out a one-pull inflatable boat, but it failed. So I had to scamper in the muddy river bank to get away. I lost them when I got off the perimeter of the cemetery.

I got back in, the aliens were gone. I entered the chapel, and saw a coffin with my paternal grandmother (who passed away three years ago). She was to be cremated, and the undertaker told everyone to get out, with the immediate relatives first.

Finding the command dubious, I took a peek. The undertaker threw the body off the coffin. The only thing was that it was not the body of my grandmother. It was someone who looked stupid and cross-eyed. It made the sign of the cross, knowing its fate.

At the crematorium, the body was put in the cremation chamber. Everyone went home except for me and my father. After burning, the ashes were like dirty diamonds. The undertaker then told us to go back a day later.

On the way home, the internment for the ashes were discussed, and the Manila North Green Park was mentioned. The sidewalks had Chinese tombs in them.

Then I woke up.

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If you are not familiar with the cremation process, it is darn simple. Anyway, I will describe the process as I saw it in the Chinese Cemetery crematorium.

The crematorium is divided into two parts: the first is where ceremonies and last minute rites are held. The other holds the cremation chambers. It is off-limits to most people except for a relative or two of the person to be cremated.

The body is put into the burning chamber, just like how a baker puts bread in an oven. The burning process depends on what is being burned. When the remains of my uncle were cremated, it took 2 hours – note that my uncle was dead for 25 years then. We had to transfer the remains to a smaller resting place, so cremating the bones was needed.

The ashes settle on a metallic pan. Now, even with cremation, it is normal to see charred bones, so the ashes are ground into a grinding machine. Afterwards, the finely-ground ashes are placed in an urn.

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I always get death-related dreams. Mind you, I was not the one who is dead in those dreams. Most of them were relatives, alive and dead. Most of the time I wake up after those dreams, without any wish to go back to sleep. And no, I don’t tell the relative that I had dreamed about his/her death. Besides, in the dreams, they are usually dead.