Dream Diary #82: The Shadow

There was a late summer party taking place down the street but I wasn't feeling very social and was a bit anxious so I decided to stay home instead. Because of this, some people decided to take advantage of my being at home and left their kids with me to babysit. I wasn't interested in being there but I could see people outside, dressed up and walking across the street in the direction of the party.

Part of the way through the evening, I remarked on how calm and peaceful my evening was going and how I'd made the right decision, not going to a messy, troublesome party where I'd have to be social and make an effort to talk to people. 

Then for some reason, the movie Halloween was on (an inappropriate movie to watch with very small children around) and suddenly I heard sounds coming from upstairs. I had a vision that the events of the movie were taking place upstairs.

Sure enough, before I could get upstairs to investigate, a tall, black shadowy figure came floating eerily down the stairs.

I somehow managed to get the majority of the kids out of the house and told them to run down the street to the party, until there was me and just one other child in the house.

The shadow cornered me and the child in the living room and all I could do was stand and watch hopelessly as it got closer and closer. I looked down at the child and realised I hadn't been looking after him all evening; it's like he appeared out of nowhere.

The child was glowing like a ghost and I realised that it was the child version of the shadowy figure and that's what it was after.

It sounds callous to write now, but I knew I had to sacrifice the child-ghost to the shadowy figure in order to save myself, so that's what I did.

I ended up at the party down the street anyway and the parents of the children I was babysitting praised me for my bravery, though I felt a fraud because of the child-ghost I left behind.

My relief was short lived when I realised the shadow was following me, though no-one else could sense it or see besides me.  

I ended up fleeing to work in desperation. 

In the dream, my workplace was a room full of dishwashers and cleaning equipment; I think it must have been the kitchen for a large hotel or other establishment.

My colleagues were surprised to see me there but I joined in with whatever activities were taking place and for a while I felt calm and relaxed.

Once again, this was short lived when a colleague burst in and said that an intruder had been spotted on the security camera and that it was heading straight for me.

Now, not only feeling afraid, but also tremendously guilty for bringing this onto my colleagues, we frantically went around the room turning off all the equipment and dimming all the lights in order to make the room look empty.

I went to the back of the room where there was a bathtub with an attached shower and shower curtain, where I ducked down and closed my eyes and prayed that the shadow didn't find me.