Kids That Go Bump In the Night...
I had a nightmare the other night, and it was the first time in a long time (in fact, it's been so long I can't even remember the last time). But it wasn't just a typical nightmare; I couldn't just shake it off or rub it out of my eyes. It was terrifying. I mean that literally--I'm not being sarcastic or facetious or typically silly. I was absolutely, one-hundred-percent, afraid.
It's been a long time since I've had a nightmare, but it's been even longer since I've felt such intense fear. It was strange, too, because as I was waking out of my dream I knew, even in the semi-conscious state I was in, that what I was feeling afraid of was ridiculous. It was two kids, a boy and a girl, somewhat Children-of-the-Corn-ish maybe, but all they were doing was walking towards me. I was going out of my mind with fear, though. In my dream I was paralyzed, and I was trying to scream for all I was worth, but the only sound that came out was a choked, raspy whisper. And yet I knew that if I could just scream, someone would come and save me and wake me up.
I finally managed to yell, screaming at the top of my lungs, and woke myself up. I had fallen asleep in the living room on the couch, and when my eyes snapped open I immediately looked towards the bedroom door to see if my roommate was going to come running out to see what had happened. But he didn't. I was angry. What if I'd been mauled by a mountain lion or a pregnant goat that had snuck in during the night?
But in my dream I had felt so terrified that the feeling carried over into wakefulness. I could hardly move I was so afraid. Eventually though I was so exhausted my eyes closed and I fell asleep, this time without event. Although if I'm remembering right, I think I dreamt of having that dream all over again.
I've been wondering if there isn't some psychological reason for this. Pent up emotion? Fear of children? Hostility towards my roommate? Too many movies? Indigestion? Low iron levels in my blood? Anyone?
It's been a long time since I've had a nightmare, but it's been even longer since I've felt such intense fear. It was strange, too, because as I was waking out of my dream I knew, even in the semi-conscious state I was in, that what I was feeling afraid of was ridiculous. It was two kids, a boy and a girl, somewhat Children-of-the-Corn-ish maybe, but all they were doing was walking towards me. I was going out of my mind with fear, though. In my dream I was paralyzed, and I was trying to scream for all I was worth, but the only sound that came out was a choked, raspy whisper. And yet I knew that if I could just scream, someone would come and save me and wake me up.
I finally managed to yell, screaming at the top of my lungs, and woke myself up. I had fallen asleep in the living room on the couch, and when my eyes snapped open I immediately looked towards the bedroom door to see if my roommate was going to come running out to see what had happened. But he didn't. I was angry. What if I'd been mauled by a mountain lion or a pregnant goat that had snuck in during the night?
But in my dream I had felt so terrified that the feeling carried over into wakefulness. I could hardly move I was so afraid. Eventually though I was so exhausted my eyes closed and I fell asleep, this time without event. Although if I'm remembering right, I think I dreamt of having that dream all over again.
I've been wondering if there isn't some psychological reason for this. Pent up emotion? Fear of children? Hostility towards my roommate? Too many movies? Indigestion? Low iron levels in my blood? Anyone?