These Ones
I got to visit the house before it was torn down. I climbed into my old room because no one had ever fixed the window latch after all this time. I cut my hand pretty good on some glass. It was still a hell of a large room to me. I had expected it to seem smaller but it wasn't, which I'm glad of. Before we entered the property my dad and I were just leaning on the cyclone fence, hands in pockets, scowling in Koolick fashion. I know we were both thinking, "Let's just walk in there!" So that's what I said and we crossed the fence. My dad, in his Sam Gamgee way, started ripping out certain plants by the roots to transplant at home while I scrambled up the side of the house.
When we first moved there it was a really "bad" neighborhood. There was always a replenishing supply of discarded needles and condoms in the alley. This is where I learned about sex and drugs. I learned about death when some poor guy jumped off the roof of the apartment building next door. When my parents started calling the cops and making their no nonsense presence known, is when the neighborhood started improving. We got to know those cops real well. Now there's a bunch of offices and parking garages. Living in Ballard, I had forgotten how people seem to ignore "bad" things, and I expected people to at least stare at my dad and I as we trespassed on the property. I was blatantly breaking into this house in full view of ten corner offices but no one even glanced our way. That would never happen where I'm living now, and I had become used to that idea.
They would be my favorite dreams, because they're always so vivid and beautiful, if it weren't that something really horrible is always happening to me in them. Oddly this was unique in that nothing was attempting to harm me (physically at least), but it was by far the scariest. During the entire thing I felt this intense, paralyzing fear and I can't quite explain why.
In the dream there was this maddening rush to get provisions. Everyone was nearly murdering to buy essentials from grocery stores. I was compelled, too, and along the way I met up with Courtney. Suddenly people started screaming, pointing at the sky, and running for cover. The wind whipped up as a few large creatures were spotted flying in the sky. The creatures were strange and varied; some resembled giant birds but most were nebulous squid-like things, looking sort of like the wildlife you'd only in the very deep ocean. All of them were in very dark colors of purple, blue and black with bits of red here and there. More filled the sky and they began singing or screaming, I don’t know. It was this wailing, humming dirge that seemed to go on for hours as they filled the sky and blocked out the sun. Courtney and I hid under a pile of garbage (ew, bad choice), and watched them soar.
One of the bird-like creatures landed a few feet away from our hiding spot, facing away and didn't seem to notice us. It was almost cute, resembling a sparrow, except that it was four feet tall. I was positively beside myself with fear, but Courtney began making little twittering noises to get its attention. While trying to be as quiet as I could, I begged her to stop, but she was determined and started scooting nearer to attempt to touch it with her foot. She succeeded, lightly tapping the bird-thing with her foot, and snapped back quickly to watch. The creature didn't seem to have felt it at first, but presently turned to regard us calmly. Then it opened up its beak revealing many horrible long teeth, and roared deafeningly. I remember feeling a strong wind from its call. After that it resumed its calm demeanor and flew away to rejoin its buddies in the sky.
It then seemed that the singing became louder, and on the horizon something larger than the rest was flying with the creatures. It had the same color scheme as the rest, but it seemed to have big wings made of writhing tentacles. I was scared before but it doesn't even compare with how I felt as that thing flew over. I thought I would die just looking upon it. I tried in vain to scream and felt I couldn’t breathe. All the other creatures parted for it and gave it a wide berth. Through the gap they made we could see it was night. Once it had flown over and away I was greatly relieved.
From there, like most dreams, it dissolved into another story--something about finding an heirloom book. I'm sure it sounds silly, I mean, flying, giant, ethereal squid? Where did I even get that crap from? All I can say it that is was enormously frightening to me, one of the worst dreams I've ever had.
When we first moved there it was a really "bad" neighborhood. There was always a replenishing supply of discarded needles and condoms in the alley. This is where I learned about sex and drugs. I learned about death when some poor guy jumped off the roof of the apartment building next door. When my parents started calling the cops and making their no nonsense presence known, is when the neighborhood started improving. We got to know those cops real well. Now there's a bunch of offices and parking garages. Living in Ballard, I had forgotten how people seem to ignore "bad" things, and I expected people to at least stare at my dad and I as we trespassed on the property. I was blatantly breaking into this house in full view of ten corner offices but no one even glanced our way. That would never happen where I'm living now, and I had become used to that idea.
They would be my favorite dreams, because they're always so vivid and beautiful, if it weren't that something really horrible is always happening to me in them. Oddly this was unique in that nothing was attempting to harm me (physically at least), but it was by far the scariest. During the entire thing I felt this intense, paralyzing fear and I can't quite explain why.
In the dream there was this maddening rush to get provisions. Everyone was nearly murdering to buy essentials from grocery stores. I was compelled, too, and along the way I met up with Courtney. Suddenly people started screaming, pointing at the sky, and running for cover. The wind whipped up as a few large creatures were spotted flying in the sky. The creatures were strange and varied; some resembled giant birds but most were nebulous squid-like things, looking sort of like the wildlife you'd only in the very deep ocean. All of them were in very dark colors of purple, blue and black with bits of red here and there. More filled the sky and they began singing or screaming, I don’t know. It was this wailing, humming dirge that seemed to go on for hours as they filled the sky and blocked out the sun. Courtney and I hid under a pile of garbage (ew, bad choice), and watched them soar.
One of the bird-like creatures landed a few feet away from our hiding spot, facing away and didn't seem to notice us. It was almost cute, resembling a sparrow, except that it was four feet tall. I was positively beside myself with fear, but Courtney began making little twittering noises to get its attention. While trying to be as quiet as I could, I begged her to stop, but she was determined and started scooting nearer to attempt to touch it with her foot. She succeeded, lightly tapping the bird-thing with her foot, and snapped back quickly to watch. The creature didn't seem to have felt it at first, but presently turned to regard us calmly. Then it opened up its beak revealing many horrible long teeth, and roared deafeningly. I remember feeling a strong wind from its call. After that it resumed its calm demeanor and flew away to rejoin its buddies in the sky.
It then seemed that the singing became louder, and on the horizon something larger than the rest was flying with the creatures. It had the same color scheme as the rest, but it seemed to have big wings made of writhing tentacles. I was scared before but it doesn't even compare with how I felt as that thing flew over. I thought I would die just looking upon it. I tried in vain to scream and felt I couldn’t breathe. All the other creatures parted for it and gave it a wide berth. Through the gap they made we could see it was night. Once it had flown over and away I was greatly relieved.
From there, like most dreams, it dissolved into another story--something about finding an heirloom book. I'm sure it sounds silly, I mean, flying, giant, ethereal squid? Where did I even get that crap from? All I can say it that is was enormously frightening to me, one of the worst dreams I've ever had.