Night Terrors.

        Dreamed I was sitting across from N at some public function. She’d cut her hair short and dyed it blonde. She wasn’t, however, any more pleasant than she’d been before.

I had to work very hard to hold my tongue, but imagining her as a hamster seemed to help me keep my composure.

Although there was really nothing overtly frightening about this dream, my level of anxiety continued to rise exponentially throughout the dinner.

Finally N asked my opinion, in a very obviously baiting way, as the conversation previously was all “believer talk” that brooked no opposition, at least to hear N and her companions discussion.

“Miss K knows my position all ready, and is fully aware that as a non-believer my opinion on this matter will be rightously discounted around the table. So instead, let me just say that I have met people of faith who can profess and live their faith in an inclusive, uplifting and tolerant way; adding to the richness and happiness of our world. However, that is quite the opposite of what I’ve heard here tonight.”

Later, I was having the more or less standard driving along the sea-wall with the waves building out at sea, dream.

And, just before waking, I dreamed I was called in to help with a production, last second, at the HS where I used to work. For some reason the students had set up multiple microphones on a series of i-beams and aluminum trestles laced around the theatre. Some of them were aimed in directions that would only have resulted in amplification of their own output, or massive feedback.

I put on a safety harness and pulled myself up to the top of one of the longer trestles to reset the mic in a less problematic way. While I was up there, a group of students joined me. I had to tell them to get down, as they didn’t have any safety harnesses on. Just as they were almost to the bottom of the beam I felt it give way. They jumped, causing the beam to tip out over the audience.

The seats were mostly empty, and I was able to shout out a warning to the family that was sitting in the front row. I did what I could to ride the beam down and slow its fall, but the safety harness stopped me short of  the front row, and the trestle was torn from my arms and then bounced over the family, clipping one of the children on the head as it passed.

The child seemed okay, but I insisted on calling the paramedics, as head injuries can be tricky.

In the back of my mind I was pretty angry at being called in to take over this mess, and then to have an accident happen first thing. I didn’t think I would have my job for long after this.

While we waited for the ambulance, I had the house manager clear the seating area so we could fully inspect the rest of the installations.