Nightmare I had last night about a home invasion...

[TXlib]

Following a news story about a series of home invasions, rapes and robberies in Houston:

In my dream, it was 12:30-ish, and I was in my home office on the second floor on the computer, when I heard glass breaking downstairs. I started to investigate, and then heard whispering... definitely not KCDem, who was asleep in the master bedroom on the first floor. My cell phone was also downstairs, so I was stuck upstairs, where the kids' bedroom was.

The light in my office was already off, and I turned the monitor off while I decided what to do. All the lights in the house are off; there's a little light coming in from the windows.

I collect swords (really), and I grabbed my katana just as I heard somebody starting up the stairs. Now, I don't really have a great deal of training with this sword, so I'm not sure if I'll really be able to defend with it.

I hide just around the corner at the top of the stairs, and raise the katana, ready to strike...

I hear movement downstairs, while the footsteps continue upstairs, so there's at least two of them. The intruder on the steps has reached the top. I'm in a cold sweat, palms slippery, and my heart is in my throat. I'm gripping my katana so hard it hurts.

The first thing I see is a gun pointed forward in his outstretched hand. He still can't see me from behind the corner; he's moving very slowly and (he thinks) stealthily. I have time to judge where his neck would be, based on where his arms are.

Quickly, I step forward, whipping the sword around as hard as I can, visualising where his neck would be. He sees me now, but he doesn't have time to turn his gun on me before the sword connects.

A warm spray hits me, and he drops the gun. He's trying to scream, but can't manage more than a gurgle, as the blade is lodged in his trachea. I yank the katana out; it requires some force to dislodge. He's gurgling, clutching his throat with both hands, as he slumps to the floor.

I place the point of my katana on his back, about where his heart should be, and thrust down. He's right outside my kids' bedroom, and I want to be sure he's dead before I go deal with the other one. I kick him gently. He's totally limp.

I hear the other intruder whisper up from downstairs, "What was that?"

"Nothin', I'm OK," I whisper back, hoping my whisper sounds enough like the dead intruder to fool the other one.

"Anything up there?" he whispers.

"No" I reply.

"Well, get down here," he whispers, and continues rummaging.

I pick up the gun. It looks really small, like a .22 or something; not that I'd know. I've never fired one in my life, so I hope it's as easy as pointing and pulling the trigger. I start down the steps, trying to figure out where he is; it sounds like he's in the garage. I'm hoping I can surprise him, since he thinks I'm the dead guy. I want to kill him. I want to tear his throat out with my teeth, for being in my house where my family is sleeping. I wonder vaguely if it's still self-defense if I shoot him in the back in my own house.

Just then, the master bedroom door opens, and I hear KCDem call out, "TXLib, where are you? I hear noises..."

I hear the other intruder yell "Fuck" and start in from the garage.

I sprint down the steps and turn into the hallway, just in time to see the intruder come in from the garage. My wife is standing 5 feet from him in the bedroom doorway. She starts to scream and he raises his gun.

I'm right behind him, 2 feet away. I fire at the back of his head, and he falls down.

I fire, and fire again, until the gun is emptied into his head and back.

My wife is screaming. I run over and hold her, and put my hand over her mouth. I tell her it's OK, and I need her to stop so I can hear if anybody else is in the house.

I hear my own heart pounding, her sobbing, and the kids upstairs starting to cry. (I have a 4-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old daughter.) I get the gun the second intruder was holding.

I tell my wife to go upstairs and stay with the kids until the police come. I tell her I don't want her to see the mess and I cover her eyes. I lead her past the first body downstairs, and turn to go up the stairs. She's in shock, so she's not asking me why she can't see. That's a good thing, because the body upstairs is pretty gruesome. There's blood everywhere (including all over me), and he's lying face down, head half-severed, with my katana sticking out of his back still.

I get my wife into the kids' bedroom, and tell her not to come out for any reason until I tell her to, to read the kids a book, whatever. I don't want the kids to see me with blood all over me.

I shut the kids' bedroom door and turn around. I see the body again. I'm suddenly overcome with nausea, and I throw up. I start shaking.

"I just killed two people..." The thought echos in my head. I'm still shaking, but I want to get to the phone. I go downstairs and get my cell phone, and dial 911.

And that's when I woke up.

It was a vivid dream, full of details. I still can't shake the feeling that I killed somebody.

On edit:

I was hoping that writing all of this would be cathartic, but I'm shaking now. I'm going to pour myself a stiff drink.

[HEyHEY]

1. Last night I had a brief hallucination/dream that there was someone in..

my room....I woke up to myself double foot kicking the perp (which turned out to be a pile of blankets) off the bed onto the floor. Then at the end of the bed I had it by what I thought was the throat (I still wasn't fully awake and functional yet) I punched it a couple times then sat there holding it...for at least 15 seconds until I was FULLY FULLY awake and brave enough to let go. Then I turned on the lights still shaking.


No wonder I don't have a girlfriend. On the upside I can go from sleeping to kicking someone's ass in a matter of split seconds!

[SOteric]

2. What do 'intruders'

represent to you? What's the first thing that enters your mind about the phrase 'home invasion' when you think of it?

[TXlib]

3. What intruders represent to me

I think they represented precisely what they appeared as. There have been a lot of stories of home invasions here in Houston, with people being robbed and raped at gunpoint, and killed, in their own homes.

The intruders represented a couple of low-life MFs who came into MY home and threatened MY family.

[LastKnight]

4. well

is it a good or bad thing that you are willing to kill without hesitation in protection of your family? assuming that you would do as you did in your dream. im not talking about thoughts after the fact, im saying 'without hesitation' in regard for in the moment and in the act. any sane person would have thoughts after the fact.

hope you feel better about the whole situation soon.

-LK

[TXlib]

6. Should I be reclining on a couch for this chat?

Will you be taking notes, and occasionally mutter, "Very interestink!"

[SOteric]

7. Nah, this is more

sitting around the table with a bottle of wine and six of your best friends kind of conversation. Even if it's been in the news a lot lately, it's usually the case that our subconcious sends messages by grabbing hold of what's topical, what's currently going on in our minds, in the world.

I think, - and I'm not a psychiastrist and don't play one on TV, - the fact that it shook you up as much as it did (does), hints that it has more than just it's superficial meaning to you.

[Dover]

8. ...veddy interestink! So why DOES he collect swords?

What would Freud say?

[TXlib]

10. Well, I'm *obviously* compensating for something

Or, it could just be that I've always been a D&D geek, and thought they were cool.

[Dover]

11. D&D you say....ahhhhh, now we are getting somewhere.....

we are at least at level 3......

[TXlib]

9. I think the reason it shook me up so much

is after I woke up, I spent a few minutes convincing myself it was just a dream, and I still can't quite shake the feeling that I just killed two people.

I don't think the dream was metaphorical. I think it represented exactly what it depicted -- my fear of violent crime, and of having my home violated in such a way, and of harm being done to my family.

[Dover]

5. As a husband and father it's natural to wonder if you could

protect your loved ones if need be. Especially since it seems that has never been put to the test. I think your subconscious was trying to help you go through the experience like a training class....so you could be sure how you'd respond. You passed the test, and although it was terrifying and gruesome, you kept your wits about you. Now you know.

[VelmaD]

12. Have a stiff drink

:beer:

and a hug :hug:

I understand about being freaked out. The night short bus was in his car accident I was in bed dreaming about my car getting totalled. I was wigged out all day after I found out.

After you have that drink...go do whatever it is you do to relax and empty your head. Give yourself a little TLC.

[TXlib]

13. I had a stiff drink

Now I've got a headache...