An Invitation To Night Terrors

Lay your head beside mine if you dare and enter the world of my nightmare. A long hall before you is lined by many doors, and opening each one exposes terrifying horrors. Unlock the first and see the cemetery where so many ancestors have been buried. Unkempt graves covered by thorny vines propel you back to tragedy-filled times. A second door reveals a room filled with flames where lost souls scream for second chances in vain. Behind the third door my late husband lies as I emit such mournful cries. I rush to the fourth door and watch the rerun of a fiancé who drowned while together we had swum. A fifth door swings open and I see a lonely woman, aged and forgotten by those who once loved her. There is something so familiar about this forlorn soul; a glimpse of my own future I behold. Have you the courage to take this journey with me into the terrors that come in nightly dreams? And if you are willing to behold such sights, should I see you as a demon or an angel of light? If you choose to lie at my side, perhaps these dreams will subside. But there are few who are up to this task. Are you one of the few I must ask. Night terrors seem so real as they occur, but by morning they may just be a blur. Perhaps it is my fate to remain, as now, alone, because few lovers will venture into the unknown -- a misty place where fears and tears collide. What partner would be willing to share such a frightening ride? A journey through this realm of horrors requires a spiritual guide. Those who promise to take us “for better or worse” are never truly prepared to endure such a curse.