The Bad Egg

I don’t know how the backyard managed to do it, but they attacked again last night while I was sleeping.

The Ivy

I dreamed the ivy had punched a hole in the roof above our bed, spread a web-like series of vines across the ceiling, then allowed the entrance for a couple of extremely large spiders that seemed about to drop on top of us.

Then, while I stared in horror at our bedroom ceiling, I realized The S.O. was sleeping on a bunch of insects–they’d breached the floor and made a new home under his pillow.

The Pillow

I yelled out a warning. I then grabbed his pillow and yanked it out from under his head to fight off the insects.

I shouted that the house was attacking us and yelled for him to get the fly swatter, or a broom, or a big fire torch to force back the spiders and ivy. I jumped onto my knees and began whacking the insects on the mattress with his pillow …

Oh, Darn It

The S.O. took the pillow out of my hands, spoke my name, then said “slow down, you’re dreaming.”

His words were a signal we’d developed over the last seven years. Even though I absolutely did not believe I was dreaming, I made myself go still, held my breath and then stared at the insects on the bed.

They finally disappeared (like when you get transported away in a Star Trek episode). I’d forced myself awake. That doesn’t mean I suddenly opened my eyes–my eyes were open the entire time.

This was all a dream–a night terror. Yes, I was asleep the entire time even though my eyes were open. Yes, I really did yell out in my sleep …

… And yes, I really did snatch the pillow from underneath The S.O.’s head and whack him with it

Not the First Time

Let’s just say this isn’t the first time that something like this has happened, though this one is the first night terror at the new house. It wasn’t fun to go through, but I start laughing now every time I picture the scene from The S.O.’s perspective (this woman yelling about bugs and ineffectually throwing a pillow around the room)–thankfully he also thinks it was pretty funny.

Night terrors and sleepwalking run in my family on my mother’s side. Supposedly, you are not supposed to remember the night terrors, but I always and vividly do. Supposedly, you’re not supposed to wake up a person who is in the middle of a night terror, but The S.O. always does, and I’m always glad when he brings me out of it. I think he’s glad too–since that means I’ll stop whacking him with a pillow

We’ve gone through this enough times that even though while in the middle of the dream I believe it’s real, him saying it’s a dream is enough to make me doubt, which is enough to sort of reset and wake me up. That’s my guess. It might not be the right explanation, but regardless, he always manages to make the big bad insects go away so I don’t really care about why it works, just that it does.

But still, I haven’t had a night terror in months. I’m putting the blame entirely onto this new backyard.

It’s trying to exploit my weakness and intimidate me, but I will not let it succeed!

Related Posts

Check out these posts for more information about the ongoing battle:

First Day in the New Place

Second Day in the New Place

It’s Not Just The Animals