Friday, April 25, 2008

Ever Have a Disturbing Dream?

The other morning I woke from a disturbing dream. It was really short. Nothing gruesome. But, disturbing. I was in a bathroom. Tiny, tiny bathroom, not my own. The walls were a clean white. The door had a dark blue door frame, knob on the right. Don't recall if there were a washstand or not. On to the disturbing part. I wanted to get out. The door was locked, or stuck, or something that prevented me from opening it. Not fun. Not good. It seems I heard something or someone outside the door.

This tiny room seemed about three feet square. Just to be sure--in the interest of clarity--I went to one of our bathrooms and measured to approximate what I dreamed about the size of that disturbing bathroom with the stuck or locked door. A 3 foot square area was about the right dimensions. (Again, in the interest of clarity, it's somewhat similar size wise to lavatories on an air plane, though the configuration was different.)

Wanting to leave the confines of the bathroom, I knocked on the door. I wanted some one's attention to the fact that I was stuck inside and wanted out. No response. Of course. So I knocked again. This was where the dream got really disturbing. Knocking on the door produced little sound. Even when I removed a shoe and used the heel to increase the sound. It was like knocking on a solid surface--no reverberating noise, no hollow resonance to carry to the outside world. Have you ever pounded on a plastered wall? The old-fashioned kind made by hand AFTER the studs are covered with chicken wire or something and then the plaster is smoothed on very thickly and left to dry for some time. Old walls? Walls when knocked on make very little sound. It was like that. The door was solid. Unlike a solid wood door.

And the dream felt absolutely real. Not like a dream. I hate those kinds of dreams, the kind where you think you're really there and it's really happening. Not the kind that while you're dreaming, you KNOW its just a dream! Weird enough that you know it's not the "real world." This Disturbing Dream seemed way too real--hence, far more disturbing.

I'm not claustrophobic, but being in a 3' x 3' enclosure sans window or escape route . . . I think there's a real possibility that I could freak out--in reality. As a rule of thumb I guess I better check out escape routes in foreign bathrooms--after ascertaining whether or not they're only 3x3, the door is framed in blue, walls are nice and white, etc.

Just for reference, after I woke, I tried to remember if there were hinges on the inside of the door. I don't remember any. In my not fully awake state, I began a logical checklist. IF the room were only the dimensions it seemed to be, the door would have had to open out--which would preclude the hinges being on the inside. Hmmm. Another point to consider when using public restrooms. Make sure the hinges are on the inside and that I carry a healthy, flat head screwdriver and hammer in with me when entering. Oh, yes. And a cell phone. And pray it works. Inside the restroom with the solid walls and door that doesn't reverberate.

I'm done. Sorry for this Disturbing post.

2 comments:

BB said...

That sounds utterly hideous... my idea of a nightmare! Only one thing could make it worse... if a rat was in there with me!!

Now I have to watch Desperate Housewives to put something less disturbing (?) in my head!

:-)
BB

Debby said...

Sounds awful. I hate dreams that cause you to jerk awake in a panic.