Bugs, Bows & Being Afraid

Bugs

I live in a house that is very large. I live with my husband and my dog, as normal. The area in which we live is prone to infestations of large bug-like creatures that, as far as I know, do not have an official name - just 'those creepy things that you shouldn't touch.' These 'things' are long (about the length of a grown man's foot) and approximately that same height. They have a small, slightly rounded head and a tail that ends in a sharp stinger of sorts. They have dozens of quick, spidery-like legs and you cannot really locate a mouth, eyes, or other facial features. They are creepy-looking, definitely, and that stinger is deadly, especially to animals. Naturally, because of this, we keep constant watch on Sid outside for fear that he will be attacked.

On a typical summer day, we leave our back door open to let in the sunshine and breeze. Sid is sunning himself in a patch of light just inside the door. As would be typical in reality, I am washing my hands at the kitchen sink. Remember, this is NOT our current home. It's very foreign to me, but I know I live there. Suddenly, Sid lets out a 'surprised dog' yelp. I look over at him and one of the creepy bug things has made its way into the open doorway. I see Sid literally back away in hesitation. I immediately spring into action to get us away from the menacing creature. See, these bugs have the ability to 'seek' you out to harm you when they are hungry. I'm not sure what they feed on exactly, but one sting to a human will surely land you in the hospital for a while, and, as mentioned, the sting will kill animals.

My husband then enters the room, having heard Sid's reaction. We try to decide on a plan of action, which is difficult because these creatures are not easy to catch and debilitate without putting yourself in real danger. Before we are able to come up with a plan, my mind shifts into another dream sequence...

Bows

[At work right now, I have a small, lime green bow tied to my lamp post. It was originally tied to an invitation my boss received in the mail. I liked it and chose to keep it.]

In my dream, someone kept coming into my office when I was not there and untying the bow. I would have to redo it every morning. It became my biggest frustration, but I refused to remove the bow to stop the menace from coming and untying it. Again, my mind shifted...

Being Afraid

I was going to visit my friend EA in her new house. She had moved to literally the middle of nowhere, down several back roads from the main highway. Houses were on several acres each and the roads were incredibly curved and dangerous. I had written down detailed directions prior to leaving my house and, even though I do have a GPS, was hesitant to use it, even when I realized I was lost. I had not followed my directions at all past a certain point; I had actually thrown the paper in my backseat for some reason. It was very dark, very quiet, and I could not reach EA on the phone to confirm where I was and where to go. I was very, very afraid.

Then I woke up.