Nightmare

Inspired by the writing of commenter Finnegan, I decided to record the details of my next dream. After several nights of blackness I have something to recount from last night. The dream was an extremely frightening experience which I have attempted to recreate and interpret.

 

Lying on my back looking at the bedroom ceiling I caught a movement at the corner of my eye. There was a square opening where none should be. A male face thrust silently through and fixed me with a stare that penetrated my soul. As if I had been injected with some paralysing agent I was utterly unable to move. The face smirked as if recognising I was defenceless. He eased himself through the small hole with great agility and lowered himself to the carpet. Immediately he was followed by another who quickly stood beside him.

Together these visitors monitored my reaction and were satisfied. At no time did they speak. I gained the clear sense that they exchanged the thought "this one poses no threat." As they moved noiselessly through the bedroom door I fought hard to achieve motion. Eventually I could sit up. The sound of drawers opening and papers ruffling came up the stairs. My wife was awake beside me but seemed oblivious to the intrusion.

With a supreme effort I managed to stand up and walk stiff-legged through the bedroom doorway to the stairs. The body of a dead woman lay in the hallway below and the two men were looking down at her then up at me. I put massive effort into screaming at them "What are you doing?" but my mouth would not open and no sound would come. I tried to shout for help through my closed mouth. The intruders stepped over the body and strode calmly out through my front door. I continued to try and shout loudly but could only mouth silent words.

*****

 

I awoke sitting bolt upright and drenched in sweat. The most complete and clawing sense of dread filled my mind and I shook like a leaf. "Why were you crying, who were you shouting at?" my wife was asking me. I could not reply, I was trying to work out why I was so scared. The time was 3:00am. As I recovered by degrees I began to recall the dream and recounted it to my wife. Unable to sleep I lay in child-like fear and saw 5:00am before sleeping again.

 

*****

 

My work situation is hardly tolerable. A relatively minor yet restrictive arm condition has rendered me ineffective in my job and unlikely to obtain an alternative in the near future. My attempts to ask for acknowledgement and help have been ignored. I have been stifled and left to wither on the vine. There was £4,000 in Sterling and Dollars in the house at the time and I knew the intruders would find it. No pay rises for seven years has left me frustrated and angry yet I am financially reasonably secure. My female boss was the dead woman on the floor. She has a burning animosity toward me after receiving an official letter from my Union's lawyer. She would fire me if she could but twenty nine years service and a genuine problem means she is frustrated. I will never have forgiveness toward her for her unkindness to me and I wish her ill-fortune.

 

*****

 

Anger and resentment at my present predicament have dragged me to this new low. This dream seems to draw together various powerful elements of my unease. The pure physical fear which followed in its wake however was real and profoundly disturbing. [Rest assured, dear readers, that this spell of low self-esteem is transient. My mental and physical powers will rebound and I will rise with strength and confidence to meet all new challenges!]