“They’ve promised that dreams can come true — but forgot to mention that nightmares are dreams, too. ~ Oscar Wilde

Dreams can be wonderful. Funny. Romantic. Weird. Delicious, even.

And then there are nightmares. Nightmares are dreams too.

Nightmares can be dreams of past events remembered. Distorted, piece-meal memories which awaken fear, dread and anxiety.

Sometimes I wake up suddenly — struggling to breathe, the bed damp from sweat. Heart pounding. Muscles cramped from tension. A scream ready to escape, if it hasn’t already.

Other times, the ability to wake is seemingly hampered by my mind refusing to surface from the murky depths of dark dreams as if I’m pinned underwater. The facial expressions and laughter of my tormentor echo in my head with historical precision.

The worst is when I feel the pain of what is occurring. I wake to sensations of burning or dull and blunt pressure being applied with steadying force.

It takes many minutes, sometimes an hour, to refocus. To feel the safety of my surroundings — the free and easy sound of my own deep breaths, the texture of the sheets, the weight of the blankets, even the ability to move and pace as I calm myself.

Dreams can and do come true, even the stuff of Nightmares.