Sometimes I have such vivid and startling dreams that they sort of coat my day; I feel them somewhere bumping around in my subconscious, showing themselves on the projector in my head. So I’m going to try to recount the one I had last night, that woke me around 3:25.

I was in a salon with my mother, aunt, and Ash. They had paid for me to get the works: hair cut and style, mani/pedi, and a massage. The woman who was doing my hair was a loud, assertive woman, just the kind I like in these types of jobs because she tells you where she’s going with your style, asking questions along the way, and not letting uncomfortable complete silence creep into the service. So, my hair is being reworked and my three family members are watching and suddenly, we decide to leave and I took my old car (from high school) and went… somewhere, deciding to come back in an hour for my massage. The dream skips to a time when I realize I have to be back for my massage but I don’t take my car, I run. And I run. I am running through buildings and fields and whatever is in my way, all the while feeling the press of time, must hurry. I come upon a car dealership that is closing but I burst through the doors, telling them as I run that I am late.

The apparent owner of said car dealership – middle-aged yet well-aged man – threatens me in a playful tone. I am confused. I look over my shoulder to see him coming out the other doors and chasing me. In front, across a field, I can see the salon. Behind, the man is still in pursuit. The dream speeds up in a blur and I am in the middle of this field in a clawfoot tub, with shower curtain pulled. I know the man is closing in on me and I am scared. But then, there is someone in the tub with me. It is this man’s son, who was supposedly the one chasing me all along. He was tall, looked like he might be named Paolo or somthing; dark shoulder length hair, olive skin, beautifully sculpted body. not too muscly but perfect. He tells me that from the moment he laid eyes on me (5 minutes ago?) that he must have me. As dreams go, I had a feeling like Ash was somewhere around and that the situation I was in was bad.

Paolo (let’s say) embraces me and I push him away, “No, I am getting married.” This is where my dream and actual memories clash because I tell him that I cannot because I am already married yet getting married. (??) And this boy’s father is actually the one running the catering service for our wedding and this boy says, “No wonder we’re serving steak and potatoes at tomorrow’s event.” Like that has anything to do with it. Anyway, I’m still in this tub, with Paolo’s beautifully tanned arms wrapped tightly around me – the guilt was creeping in, settling in my stomach. Suddenly, Ash pulled back the shower curtain and the look on his face was one I hope to never see.

The picture swirls again and Ash’s hands are around my neck, he’s seething, saying “Kill, kill…”

And then Ash startled awake, waking me in turn, and my heart was racing. Dreams are all too real sometimes.