Dream a Little Dream

I don't normally have nightmares. Actually they're so rare that when I do I remember them. Vividly. I learned later that what I was having were designated night terrors, not mere nightmares. I used to get the terrors infrequently, every few months and experienced nearly every classical example of what people go through with when the terror strikes: immobilization, feeling awake, seeing a faceless figure standing over me, perhaps reaching for me, seeing a giant spider-like creature crawl across the roof or the floor coming towards me -- you know, the basics.

When I was in my twenties I thought I'd beaten them. I gathered the strength to wake myself out of the night terror, usually with a scream (I will say I screamed in bravado and leave it at that) and rolling out of the bed and launching myself to the nearest light switch. I'd always be disoriented for a few minutes and when I finally realize what was going on, I'd crawl back in bed and go to sleep.

I scared my dog a few times, but to the best of my knowledge, due to their infrequency, I never scared any girlfriends or overnight guests.

Like I said, I thought I'd beaten the attacks, and yes -- they are attacks -- but occasionally I still get them. Maybe once a year and usually when I'm beyond exhausted, I've discovered. Last night was one such case.

I was lying in bed trying to fall asleep and I believe sleep eventually came to me. And then I was wake. I couldn't believe I'd only slept for a few minutes and as I lay there on my side, staring at the wall across from me, I wondered why I was awake and if I would fall asleep again anytime soon. The wall has a bookshelf and a TV stand with an as yet unused TV sitting on it and between the two pieces of furniture a backpack. I  clearly remember lying there looking at the TV stand and the backpack thinking I needed to get back to sleep. 

And then the backpack moved.

Did I see that? Was I looking at Rufus lying over there next to the backpack and he moved in his sleep?

As I lay there trying to reason out what I was looking at and wanting desperately to fall back asleep the backpack stood up and jumped in my direction, reaching it's arms out as though it were reaching for me. I then realized I wasn't looking at a backpack I was looking at a, a ... thing! A shadow-thing about four feet tall I'd guess, with sharp spiky fur, a barrel-like torso and short legs, that was now launched towards me and reaching as though it's intent was to grab me.

I moved as fast as I could backwards and screamed (in bravado, mind you), then woke up. I also woke  Rufus and my roommate's dog, Charlie who weren't even in the room with me, I discovered as Rufus' head poked in the slightly ajar door.

Once I realized what had happened I became extremely annoyed with myself -- I turned on the reading lamp next to the bed, did a once over of the room, and turned it back off to hopefully drift off to sleepytime-land.

I hate those night terrors. Sometimes I'm able to fall immediately into a deep sleep and others I'm up all night wondering if it's going to hit again as soon as I drift off. I did fall back asleep in no time, but I was awake a few times throughout the night, but not for nightmares just because I couldn't stay asleep.

Anywho, I thought I'd share.