With that said, let's start the dream.

The setting: My mom's house, the living room to begin. The time of the year: near/before X-mas.

I was helping Mom set up the house for a *gasp* Craft Sale (like the kind that we used to do long ago in the early 80s). I was putting a wreath up on the left side of the cat's window, when I noticed a moment out of the corner of my eye.

I looked down to see a little hamster... a dwarf hamster to be exact! I reached down and picked it up. It was obviously looking for food. It was much bigger than Pikku, but I recognized her as Pikku. It was very odd seeing her again. Like I had just forgotten about her for a time period and she was here again to remind me.

Holding her, she was about half the weight of Tierna, and she was looking a bit chubbier than she was before (besides being about twice the length). I held her and just smiled. I finally had my Pikku back. Even though she was different, I just knew it was her!

I wanted to rush home so I could give her some food. I knew she was hungry, I just knew. Instead, Mom had some banana chips (that weren't sugared up or anything) and I gave her a few. She packed her cheeks and then nibbled on a few when she realized I wasn't putting her down to go eat them. Afterall, I didn't really have a place to set her down.

As I was helping decorate (now with the use of only one hand), I noticed something else strange. I was near the couch, and I saw PIKKU! Like, as in, tiny little miniature Pikku! I didn't know who the bigger dwarf hamster was, but I had thought it was Pikku. So, when I actually saw REAL Pikku, I could barely believe my eyes.

First of all, it had been months since I had thought she was dead, let alone seeing TWO of her! I picked up the little Pikku. She didn't seem to be worried that she had a counterpart that was double her size. They politely sniffed each other and little Pikku lingered on big Pikku's mouth region for awhile. I figured it out. Little Pikku didn't have food stuffed in her cheeks, so she wanted some of big Pikku's chow.

Again, back to the banana chips. I gave little Pikku the smallest chips I could find so she could fit them in her mouth. She gladly accepted them.

Now, both of my hands have a dwarf hamster, so I can't very well help Mom decorate, since I don't know how they will react to each other (since Pikku and Tierna had pretty similar reactions the first time they met, but since that time, Tierna had tried to kill Pikku every chance she got). I didn't want to leave them together somewhere, or where the cats could get to them. I decided to walk home since I couldn't actually help Mom decorate anymore (and she had to stay because it was already last minute).

On my walk...

It's getting dark outside, enough that I can still see (even if the street lights wouldn't be on), but I think my little dwarf hamsters might be getting cold. I first take little Pikku inside my sleeve. Oh yeah, before I forget, it wasn't wintery out at all. It was more like fall weather, but I wasn't wearing a jacket, I was wearing a long sleeve close knit sweater. (and it was light pink! What the...?)

After putting little Pikku in my sleeve, I notice that big Pikku starts getting squirmy, making it very hard for me to hold on to her. I start to panic, holding her tighter, I make room for her in my other sleeve. A cold wind picks up. I get chills.

I believe that both Pikkus are stable/safe in their sleeves, so I start to trot, then run. It's so windy now. I make a mad dash for home. I get inside, and Maxine wants to smell me and get attention, but I want to set up Pikku's cage. I don't know what I'm going to do with both of them. At the very least, I could make up one cage, and worry about what to do for big Pikku later.

As I was setting up Pikku's cage again, I noticed that I had an extra ceramic food bowl that I had never noticed before. I was so lucky, because I'd be able to use that for a water bowl until I get her a water bottle. I set up little Pikku's cage and put her inside it. It was so nice to see her there again.

I had big Pikku sitting on the bookcase behind the girls' cages so she could watch. She was being so good as I set up little Pikku's cage. I would give her a little piece of food and she'd happily munch away while I was rearranging little Pikku's things. After I was done with little Pikku's cage, I started to think about where to put big Pikku. I DO have another aquarium, but it doesn't have a screen cover. I decided I would put her in that.

As I was about to do that, Maxine (in real life) kicked me when she moved in bed. It woke me up, making me realize I don't have two Pikkus, I have none. A sad realization, but one that was inevitable. I was so happy to see Pikku again, that I accepted the first thing that looked like her to BE her. So, when I actually found her... the real her, the shock of seeing her again wasn't as grand, but I was so happy that she didn't get all squirmy when I tried to hold her. Where was she this whole time? How come the two cats at Mom's house couldn't see two dwarf hamsters living underneath their noses? How come I had this dream so much after the fact (of Pikku's death)? But most importantly, Why oh WHY were we having another Craft Sale in Mom's house? :)

Carisa