Monday, September 20, 2004

Fright Night

I had a nightmare last night.

I'm at the Mall of America.

The end.

Just kidding.

I'm leaving the Mall of America, walking to my car in the fluorescent orange light of the (strangely) empty parking lot. As I approach my car, it starts to move. A man, dressed all in black, sits at the wheel. He pauses to put a short top hat on his head, and looks up to see me running toward him. He opens the door and gets out. Leaving the door open, he calmly walks away from my car, silently watching me. I yell some obscenities at him and get in the car. He moves toward the car again. I can't lock the driver's side door. I start driving, but the parking lot is icy and I'm having trouble controlling the wheel. I'm weaving, my tires won't catch the road, and the man in the black hat stands watching and waiting. Then he has friends. One of them jumps on top of the car, the other is running along side the car, trying doors. The man keeps watching. I'm screaming and crying and it feels like I'm being held under water and then I come up and I'm gasping for air and I'm awake but I can't catch my breath and I jump out of bed to go make sure my car is still outside but no it's nighttime but what if I left my door unlocked but no it's locked...It's locked...I peer around corners, and reluctantly get back into bed, stomach still tense with fear, and remind myself over and over that it was just a dream until the words become a chant, rhythmically lulling me back to sleep.

It's when you're afraid that you feel the most alone, and not the other way around.

2 comments:

Charles said...

Cars signify the body in dreams, I think. They're a more perfect version of ourselves, one that we endow with greater purpose than our skin.

Maybe you feel led by a shadowy male figure in your life, one that you were able to "kick out," but whose behavior caused you to dash off, somehow putting yourself at risk?

Anonymous said...

I want to see yr blog mr. crj!

-mdc