Friday, September 10, 2010

Reocurrence

In my dream I'm always searching. For what, I'm never exactly sure. It's always the same thing, though. Always important. Crucial, somehow.
I begin in a hallway. Thick darkness fills the space behind me, obstructing my view. I don't know what's back there. Ahead spans a huge labyrinth of halls. There are no lights or lamps. Flat industrial carpet covers the hard floor. Just like church carpet, I notice. Tall doors stand every few yards. All locked. Pale green light glows around the edges of each door, eerily illuminating the halls. A tall silhouette is cast around each door. Sometimes I think I can hear voices behind the doors, softly chattering. More often than not, it's dead silent. I'm frightened. Growing dread settles into my chest.
Stop, Bonnie. Stop.
I can't stop. I can't go back. I won't even try; I know it's useless. I have to go forward. An unknown force drives me, not giving me a choice.
I walk through the maze, not knowing where I'm going or what I'm looking for. Every so often I'll reach a dead end. Or I'll have to choose: right or left. I never know which way to go. But I keep going. I have to. Long shadows are cast into the dimness, only adding to my heightened hysteria. What's causing the shadows? I'm the only thing in this deserted place. I shouldn't be here.
It takes me hours to thread my way through the network of corridors. Somehow I'm never confused as to where I'm going. My subconscious pulls me forward. I can't stop now. I worry, though. My breathing quickens and I feel panic creeping up on me.
I finally reach a door at the end of a long hallway. The center of the maze. Yes, this is where I'm going. This is what I'm looking for. This is where I'll find it. This door, unlike the others, will not be locked. Am I relieved to know my journey is nearing its end? Or am I more frightened before?
Hesitantly, I reach for the knob. Do I really want to do this? My body won't stop. The knob clicks as I turn the handle and push through the door. Bright green light blinds me; I can't see. Cold fear seizes me and I instantly regret taking that first step down that first hall.
Then I wake up. Shaking, sweating, shivering.
The memory of this dream haunts me. Every time the nightmare wakes me I stay up for hours trying to decipher it. Is there any meaning to the symbolism? What am I searching for? Will I ever find it? Do I want to find it? Even now, when I know I'm dreaming, I'm still not sure if I want to keep going down that hallway.
Stop, Bonnie. Stop.
Will it ever end?

1 comment:

Alisha Stamper said...

oh babe that sounds so frightening!