It happened in the early hours
A week day morning
3.30 am to be exact
I had travelled far that day
I was exhausted and also hungry
But,I had an ache in my right knee
So to ease the pain I took a tablet
One containing parecetamol,
I kept a few in my purple backpack
Everyone needs a standby at some time
I had climbed the Faraway Tree
and on finding a small door just before the top
leading into a bunk bed style room I entered
I thought that climbing this tree
had added to the knee problem
So rest I did,and in no time was fast asleep.
I awoke somewhat startled
To find beside my bunk a black creature
It was trying to climb the wall
to the high window above the bunk.
It had left scratches on the wall
Its mouth was dripping with saliva
Its breathing was like that of a monster on fire
I reached out to touch it
a chain was around its neck
I thought it might have been a bear
that had escaped from the circus
It was dark,no lights in the Faraway Tree
So I was going on touch,imagination and fear
I said to myself "Lois take a deep breath"
I slowly climbed out of the bunk bed
putting my bare feet onto the cold floor.
Standing up I could still see this black creature
It wasn't as big as a bear ,its head was smaller
Its tail was not as bush as a bears' tail might be
But, it had a snout and a large pink tongue
Teeth white and very large,pink gums amd tongue
It was still trying to climb up the wall
Still panting,still oozing saliva ,its eyes wide open ,looking terrified.
I walked toward it quietly ,not wanting to come into its
vision suddenly
It was then that it made a turn as if to look at me in the eye
I stood trembling ,glued to the spot unable to move or speak
I had experienced this feeling only once before of utter fear
I thought back to that time when I caught a thief in the garden of my
home in the hills
Then he ran up the hill toward the road
with only the whites of his running shoes visible.
I calmed myself down ,it was then that the creature/animal
came down from trying to climb the wall
It was then I recognised who and what it was,
Jessie Dog had felt the loud thunder under her feet
and had become terrified ,without any hearing it must have been worse
She had climbed between my bed and the bedside table
a very small opening ,and was trying to get up onto my pillow.
She was trembling all over her poor wet body
I had not woken ,I had taken a pain pill and did not hear the thunder
I slept heavily ,dead to the world as they say
I woke from this deep sleep,got out of bed
lifted her heavy frame onto the bed
Snuggled her to me,held her tightly
Till she settled down
some hours later she was still shaking but by 5am the storm and thunder had passed and she slept soundly.
I didn't ...I never slept a wink and was up the next morning
much earlier than my usual rising time since retirement.
A dream...Yes partly,Truth yes much more of it
The moral of this story is to
listen to the weather report before retiring
So any unforseen nightmares can be avoided,and don't go climbing any trees before bedtime even in your wild fantasies
Lois (Muse of the Sea) 20.1.06
,
And in a short while I fell asleep
