The one where the nightmare quest continues...

So the nightmare quest continues. I really wasn't trying Thursday night to cause nightmares. For one thing, the kids would be getting home late and for another, frankly, I'd run out of ideas for the moment. But due to a snafu or miscommunication between Hubby and I, he and I didn't end up eating dinner until about 9 that night. Leftover pork chops and corn on the cob. And guess what? No, I didn't have a nightmare, but I did have a bad dream. What's the difference Spot? I hear you asking me. I consider a nightmare to be one where you are absolutely terrified. You wake up disoriented, panicked, heart pounding, clammy sweat, your body poised for fight or flight. That is a nightmare. And I haven't had one in months. A bad dream is simply scary while you're in it, but you wake up with the full realization that it was a dream. And roll over and go back to sleep.

I had a bad dream. A weird bad dream, no less. I was around thirteen. I lived in a huge house with my parents (who oddly enough, were my actual parents, though younger than they are now), and a lot of little brothers and sisters. (which is weird because I only have one sister). Anyway, the parents had a friend over, a male (not someone from my real life, total stranger). He was obviously a close friend of my parents but I got a totally creepy vibe from him and didn't want to be around him. So I left the room they were in watching TV and started down a long hallway. The friend followed me. Then he started making suggestive comments and threats about how he was going to come back when everyone was asleep. I was very scared in the dream! As soon as he left I locked the door, and then ran through the house locking windows and doors. The house got bigger and bigger and more maze like and I was frantically trying to get everything locked up to protect myself and my siblings, knowing I was only seconds ahead of this guy every time (because I could see his face looking in the windows), and that he was getting increasingly angrier with every lock he encountered. And then I woke up, shrugged and went back to sleep. I'm sure a psychiatrist would have a field day with this one! But I'm blaming the pork chops.

Dreaming is a funny thing isn't it? I know some people say that they can have lucid dreams where they control what's happening. I have never had one of those. I do have a weird recurring dream that I have every couple of years. I wake up crying and missing someone I've never even met. I have a friend who says it must be a past life memory. And isn't that an intriguing thought??

So far, all I've gotten from my quest is one bad/weird dream and a whole lot of sleep deprivation. Eating before bed is definitely not conducive to a good night's sleep. And when four people in the same household are suffering, it gets a little cranky. So I think we'll try again maybe one night next week.

Oh, and I did get a story idea from this experiment. And since I needed one for a competition, I guess at least the experiment wasn't a total fail.

tell me your dreams,
♥Spot