Do You Dream in Undead?

I've never had much of a problem remembering my dreams. They're always in color and a couple of times, I was actually lucid and able to control them, but just for a couple seconds before waking up.

Sometimes the dreams are really fun, sometimes they're frightening, and sometimes they're just plain silly. I've had many dreams of "brilliant" designs that for the first few seconds after waking, I could hardly wait to get started on. However, after a few minutes of being awake, it finally occurs to me that they are (usually) ridiculous.

They're always in color, and always vivid, which make it all the more fun when I dream about zombies!

The majority of my zombie dreams are based on survival. One dream found me in a parking lot in the middle of my childhood home town. Myself and a few others ran for a car as the undead closed in. The interesting part was how the car shrunk in size as we dove in. There were only four of us, but we were so crammed that we nearly couldn't close the doors. They did close eventually and the rest of the dream was like playing life-sized pinball while riding in a blood-splattered clown car.

Another was first-person shooter, like a lot of great zombie killing video games (THIS ONE is my personal favorite). Blasting away at the forever oncoming undead with unlimited ammunition was a literal "blast."

But the one that really captured my attention and memory…the one I STILL tell people to this day had no running, no shooting…no action whatsoever.

In this particular zombie dream, my eyes fluttered open in the middle of the night and I was still in my bed with the covers pulled up close. Once they focused I was shocked to find every open spot on my floor filled with undead. My eyes slowly panned across their faces starting with the one furthest from me. There were "fresh" zombies as well as those in advanced states of decay. I was frozen…unable to move as they all stared daggers thru me…as if they would pounce any second.

Finally, my eyes reached the last zombie; the one right next to me. He was tall, and skeletal and frightening…and as my eyes met his, he leaned down close as if to see if I was awake…his rotting, soulless eyes no more than an inch above mine.

It was then I woke up.

It may not sound like much, but in my tiny brain it was spooky and creepy and AWESOME. I loved it.

So tonight before bed, I recommend watching as much zombie horror as you can. And if your normally tranquil REM cycle turns a bit too freaky, just holler for me. I'll be the one in the blood-splattered clown car.

Aim high. Run fast. Nightie night.

Brett