There are nightmares and then...
I once, years ago at a company far, far away, had a boss that was so bad, my brain just likened working for him again (to be fair: in a confined space at video game tech support) on par with either 1. helena bonham carter in my mirror and johnny depp at the door or 2. a zombie vs. vampire beat down with humans picking their poison.
So I'm thinking... scarred for life? And here I was, thinking that it was all just a blocked memory. But apparently, trauma can rear its ugly head at any dream, any time.
0. My current employer was shifting offices, and as I set up my system in a 20x20 room with only desks, no cubicles, along with a half dozen other people, I realize that he's there. And he's my boss. Apparently, I've grown a backbone since the last time we met because I stand up and release a string of profanity that even my dreaming brain doesn't want to record. Then I demand that he provide me with the means to file a grievance against him. He actually looked hurt for a moment, but I know better. All he cares about is managing up.
Instead, I then get a string of managers from other departments, explaining to me that it's not his fault, that *I* am not the best employee and it's hard for him to deal with me. My stats are high in some places, but low in others. Basically, if I pursue any action, I will be let go. I tried to defend myself, how I hardly ever play WoW because I handle more escalations that anyone else while they just game, but to no avail. I woke up just enough to force a "channel switch."
1. I am dressing for halloween. Something scary, but sexy. I am blonde, wearing rags, wild-haired, and hollowed eyed. Maybe Christina Ricci in Sleepy Hollow, or the witch they visit? So I put the final touches on the costume, and the mirror looks at me while I am looking down. Classic horror movie stuff here. After a moment, the mirror isn't me at all, it's Helena Bonham Carter, dressed exactly the same, but truly terrifying, whereas I was just halloween cute.
I keep telling myself it's an illusion of the makeup when the doorbell rings and the mirror looks away before I do. Gah! I sprint for the door and open it, only to find Johnny Depp in a mad hatter / willy wonka / sweeney tood compilation smiling at me with pointed teeth. He's hungry for my flesh in a disturbing mix of both ways.
And I suddenly feel the mirror image behind me, close. I refuse to either turn around or blink. She is sinking into me, telling me it's ok, that Johnny can eat us because he's related. So now it's incestuous cannibalism and that wakes me right up for an intermission.
2. Apparently, work is not as scary as Johnny. The random managers tell me to go cool off, so I return to my room. Apparently, the new office is like a convention and we all have rooms on site. But what do I find? My roommate... bedmate is yet another horrible boss from years and years ago and boy, does she snore! So I just lay around waiting for morning.
When it comes, the morning "commute" to the elevators is more jam packed than usual and there is a sense of urgency in the air. I am escorting several of Kaylee's schoolmates but in the crush, they each end up in different lifts and I can only hope they make it to the bottom floor. Alan says he'll be back, he left something in Oklahoma that he needs to pick up.
I end up outside, at night, building a ring of protection made of thin green twigs that have some property to keep out vampires, with a handful of people. But the thing is, there are zombies coming. One vampire is demanding that we let him into the ring so he can help protect us. Apparently, they don't like their food spoiling and are willing to fight the zombies. Also, a couple of vampires have been bitten and are afraid they will be rotting forever.
Our problem then is that it's really hard to tell a zombie-bitten vampire from a zombie. So the Laurent-like leader strips his shirt and points out that we can see his veins. [Insert anime-disturbing vein throbbing here. Yes, more than Arnold or Stallone put together.]
But it's too late. Lights are coming closer, lots of them. Cut to an aerial shot of hillbillies in trucks killing everything indiscriminantly (humans, zombies, and vampires) while humans have banded into little circles of protection and zombies roll over them in waves. As daylight breaks, there are no vampires to be seen (of course), but Alan returns with hordes of his friend network. And there is hope as my circle of humans make a break for the nearest other circle to band together.
Do you think it means anything besides that pregnancy-brain is worse when you're asleep?
So I'm thinking... scarred for life? And here I was, thinking that it was all just a blocked memory. But apparently, trauma can rear its ugly head at any dream, any time.
0. My current employer was shifting offices, and as I set up my system in a 20x20 room with only desks, no cubicles, along with a half dozen other people, I realize that he's there. And he's my boss. Apparently, I've grown a backbone since the last time we met because I stand up and release a string of profanity that even my dreaming brain doesn't want to record. Then I demand that he provide me with the means to file a grievance against him. He actually looked hurt for a moment, but I know better. All he cares about is managing up.
Instead, I then get a string of managers from other departments, explaining to me that it's not his fault, that *I* am not the best employee and it's hard for him to deal with me. My stats are high in some places, but low in others. Basically, if I pursue any action, I will be let go. I tried to defend myself, how I hardly ever play WoW because I handle more escalations that anyone else while they just game, but to no avail. I woke up just enough to force a "channel switch."
1. I am dressing for halloween. Something scary, but sexy. I am blonde, wearing rags, wild-haired, and hollowed eyed. Maybe Christina Ricci in Sleepy Hollow, or the witch they visit? So I put the final touches on the costume, and the mirror looks at me while I am looking down. Classic horror movie stuff here. After a moment, the mirror isn't me at all, it's Helena Bonham Carter, dressed exactly the same, but truly terrifying, whereas I was just halloween cute.
I keep telling myself it's an illusion of the makeup when the doorbell rings and the mirror looks away before I do. Gah! I sprint for the door and open it, only to find Johnny Depp in a mad hatter / willy wonka / sweeney tood compilation smiling at me with pointed teeth. He's hungry for my flesh in a disturbing mix of both ways.
And I suddenly feel the mirror image behind me, close. I refuse to either turn around or blink. She is sinking into me, telling me it's ok, that Johnny can eat us because he's related. So now it's incestuous cannibalism and that wakes me right up for an intermission.
2. Apparently, work is not as scary as Johnny. The random managers tell me to go cool off, so I return to my room. Apparently, the new office is like a convention and we all have rooms on site. But what do I find? My roommate... bedmate is yet another horrible boss from years and years ago and boy, does she snore! So I just lay around waiting for morning.
When it comes, the morning "commute" to the elevators is more jam packed than usual and there is a sense of urgency in the air. I am escorting several of Kaylee's schoolmates but in the crush, they each end up in different lifts and I can only hope they make it to the bottom floor. Alan says he'll be back, he left something in Oklahoma that he needs to pick up.
I end up outside, at night, building a ring of protection made of thin green twigs that have some property to keep out vampires, with a handful of people. But the thing is, there are zombies coming. One vampire is demanding that we let him into the ring so he can help protect us. Apparently, they don't like their food spoiling and are willing to fight the zombies. Also, a couple of vampires have been bitten and are afraid they will be rotting forever.
Our problem then is that it's really hard to tell a zombie-bitten vampire from a zombie. So the Laurent-like leader strips his shirt and points out that we can see his veins. [Insert anime-disturbing vein throbbing here. Yes, more than Arnold or Stallone put together.]
But it's too late. Lights are coming closer, lots of them. Cut to an aerial shot of hillbillies in trucks killing everything indiscriminantly (humans, zombies, and vampires) while humans have banded into little circles of protection and zombies roll over them in waves. As daylight breaks, there are no vampires to be seen (of course), but Alan returns with hordes of his friend network. And there is hope as my circle of humans make a break for the nearest other circle to band together.
Do you think it means anything besides that pregnancy-brain is worse when you're asleep?