Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Dreams to comfort?

The heron stood, waiting.
My camera clicked softly but I still worried that the sound might disturb his hunt, might draw attention to me.

Minutes passed slowly, and with every click I held my breath.
The heron ignored me and I took a series of stills.

Finished, my partner and I moved away from the shallow pond and further down the trail through the woods.

Then I could hear it in the background, against the silence of the trees.
Yapping. Barking.

There they were, the two of them. Emerging between the thin trunks.
Wolves. Threatening. Circling.

Standing up full I growled and lunged at them.
I knew this trick.
Stand up and reverse the threat.
Gnash teeth and bare fangs.
That stopped them for a moment.
My partner stood by me, unsure what was required.

Looking around I found a long log I might use against them. Picking it up I hefted it in my hands.
It was light and rotted through.
But it would have to do.

Turning and swinging, I hit the the closest one square in the head, breaking the rotted stick but sending him scurrying away.
The second didn't seem daunted.
I had to find another weapon.

An antler. It was blood damp from the felt sloughed off.

I swung at the last wolf. And swung again.
This didn't make sense.
I should be striking it every time. The distance between us was less than a foot.
Then I figured it out.
This was a ghost!

This wolf was a ghost.
It had incited the other true wolf into trying to attack us. That's why all my blows fell false. That's why I couldn't understand why a wolf was attacking me.
Wolves don't attack their own kind.

Realizing this, I just turned and walked away.
It faded into the back ground, no longer believed in.

My dreams just get curiouser and curiouser.

20 comments:

kimber said...

Interestinger and interestinger, I think!

tsduff said...

That is one twisted looking wolfy... um... wow! What a dream.

Jazz said...

You do indeed have the most bizarre dreams...

Ian Lidster said...

I don't want to go all Freudian on you -- so I won't. Glad it was your dream and not mine.

Ian

blackcrag said...

Herons; stately, elegant hnters. Something peaceful, even spiritual about them. You forgt they are predatory.

Wolves are obviously predatory, particularly in this dream of yours.

The question here is, why did the ghost wolf need you attention?

Eric said...

As I was reading, but before I got to the end, I was thinking, "Damn, maybe BC ain't so nice and safe as I thought!" ^_-

But at least your dreams are linear and coherent.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, what Kimber said.

Jo said...

Omigosh, Tai, you do have some bizarre dreams!

I had a dream the other night that I was in a bus and it went over a cliff. I was at the front of the bus and I could see the rocks and the blue ocean rushing towards me. I remember thinking "this is not a dream, it's real" but then I woke up and my heart was pounding.

I guess our brains are processing some bizarre thing with dreams like your wolves and my bus crash.

That is one scary looking wolf, by the way. It looks like my neighbor's dog.

Janice Thomson said...

Ok I'll take up where Ian left off; if you believe something is bad it will be so. If you look at it in a positive light then it can't hold fear over your head. OR it just could have been one really gosh-awful bizarre dream intent on keeping you awake the whole darn night...take your pick.

Scott said...

Interesting dream... is there a fear of wolves at all??

Spider Girl said...

Actually Scott, I happen to know Tai ISN'T scared of wolves. :)

All the same, what a very vivid-sounding dream. I smell a metaphor. Or is that wet wolf fur?

Lone Grey Squirrel said...

Setting aside that it was a dream (interesting), it was a great story (very interesting).

Mz.Elle said...

Oooh but how wonderful all the same! And beautifully told:)

Pol* said...

I like that one! Very intriguing indeed.

Big Brother said...

Interesting and almost poetic. Dream on girl, just hope they are not precognition.

Anonymous said...

Fantastic dream! But I really wanted to see those heron photos :(

fjl said...

Herons, lovely. x

Anonymous said...

...memory to spare,
And in my mind
I still need a place to go,
All my changes were there.

Crazy Me said...

Definitely a strange one!

jmb said...

Hi Tai,
So you are going to Italy with Spider Girl. Lucky you. I haven't been for five years although I've been about 9 or 10 times in all.
I read your whole index page and you have a very interesting blog (is that too cliche). I really enjoyed reading it and see some people I know in the comment section.
You are a good writer and I was interested in all the posts. I'll have to come again and read page 2.
Thanks for coming to say hi.
By the way I wouldn't worry too much about what you wear in Italy, it's only the Italians who have to make the "bella figura" and even the young ones are giving up on that. I always think their shoes are wonderful and their clothes are hideous.
Have a great trip and I look forward to reading about it.
regards
jmb