Fresh Cut

Lush and Dry

Lush and Dry

Why were there trees in my dream?

I woke up and immediately sat up panicking! Looking around my bedroom, everything looked the same so I must’ve been dreaming…but I felt so stretched, like my nerves couldn’t handle seeing another setting in my dreams.

My emotions were running high and I felt a strong urge to cry. The sensation was there, but I knew it wouldn’t happen even if it was possible for me to cry. I didn’t know what the warm wetness on my cheeks would be like, what the release of emotion as this happened would feel like either, but I now longed to experience it in this unexpected, unsettled moment in the dark.

I drifted back to sleep, but instead of being in a house, looking out over a smooth lake, I was in a forest. I felt so on edge as I awoke again, touched the lamp on my bedside table to cast out a dim soft light and glanced at the time on my table clock. 2.05 a.m. Would it be possible to fall asleep again? I wondered, as I closed my eyes, but as soon as I saw the blackness I was there instantly.

I was standing on a very dry, dusty path that didn’t seem fitting to be here in the surrounding lush, dark green woods. I stepped off the path then everything enveloped me, darkness covering like a transparent blanket. The further I walked off the path the deeper the colors became. Pausing for a minute to find my bearings, I looked around the forest trying to identify some place that looked familiar. I turned around to face back the way I had come, but I didn’t recognize the way out either.

Panic started to crawl around the wet, green forest floor. It was so thick I could almost see it. It was as if I felt the panic, but the anxiety was only a projection of my feelings, not actually from within me, and now I could just see a dark, rag-like shadow stealthily hovering but ready to pounce.

I closed my eyes so I couldn’t see anything, but regretted it as I could now sense more…the something…creeping up. Determined not to let this thing or feeling or whatever it was overcome me, I searched for a reason, or a way to become free. I then realized that it wasn’t actually able to hurt me, otherwise it would have done so already, instead it was moving so silently, almost still, as if looking for a way in.

The sound of bracken crackling underfoot behind me made me freeze even more so.

“Reveal yourself!” I heard a familiar male voice carrying an authority in his tone.

I didn’t move, even though I really wanted to see the face that matched the voice.

“Show yourself!” I heard from behind me again but I had an instinct that let me know he wasn’t talking to me.

I opened my eyes cautiously to see something materialize before my eyes. The creepy feeling that had been curling around my feet in the forest was turning into something real, from near invisible like a shadow to darkening into a misty black form. Its shape was more clearly forming, with tattered wing-like arms, floating right before me, so close to my face! I should have completely freaked out as I hadn’t ever been so close to a haunting shadow in my dreams, or in real life, and I knew from the icy and stealthy way in which it moved and the impression that it gave, that it was same creepy thing. But I didn’t freak out. It felt like something was protecting me, even in the thin barrier of distance of space between it and myself. I felt confident and then it occurred that Abe was here too!

I turned around and saw two angels next to Abe as well. The angels weren’t the same as the one I usually saw in my dreams.

BJ was right there coming up behind him also, followed by Angelo, both running really fast toward us.

I then saw Daniel here as well but he was off in the distance, standing on the peak of a mountain, posed as if standing guard. He was surrounded by what looked like thousands of angels, some transparent, some clear in detail on either side of him. His feet weren’t touching the ground, but were lifted just above the rock he was on at the same height above the ground as the angels beside him.

“Have to pray — increase the light!” I heard BJ shout out.

“Be gone!” Abe commanded loudly but calmly in my direction, but he wasn’t looking directly at me.

I felt something evil dispel from the atmosphere and I swiveled around to see that there was nothing there now but rich the green forest and the same surrounds minus the shadow and its creepy feeling.

I kept spinning to face back to Abe and the guys, but they had disappeared along with the dream, as my eyes opened and I could now only see the blank material of my silk pillow cover.