I had a seriously strange dream last night, or maybe it was this morning. Once I dreamt it, I couldn't go back to sleep. It's been seriously hounding me all day.
I was in a parking lot, walking towards some type of large store, like a Walmart, when this fellow parked his vehicle in my path and exited his car leading a large wild boar, or warthog, or something like that by a leash, like the kind dog walkers use. The animal was large, seething and surly. His tusks were long, thick and pointed, his hair dark and coarse.
I stood in front of the two of them, my feet frozen to the ground, engulfed in fear. All of a sudden, the animal broke free from the leash and charged right for me.
My first instinct was to just jump out of his way. The beast was so fast, like a blur, and I barely cleared his attack. I could feel the rough coarse hair brush the bottoms of my feet. He charged a second and third time. All three times I was able to get out of his way.
I woke a little shaky, not nearly as bad as when I was younger and woke from similar dreams.
It's been years since I've had an animal dream. I would dream of large bears, or lions chasing me as I ran through fog so thick it felt like I was running through water. It made me feel slow, sluggish. Anything could have caught me. I would fail to outrun the animal. He would catch me, claw at my flesh and maul me.
I would awake a screaming, trembling, sobbing wreck. It felt so real. I felt so helpless. It would take me a moment or two to realize it for what it was, a horrible nightmare.
I can only surmise that I may be getting better. It may be that I am better able to cope with my out-of-control past.
No longer a victim but a survivor.
