I sat straight up in bed, the sweat pouring off me. My black satin sheets were tangled around my legs, my leopard print comforter was on the floor. My eyes adjusted slowly to the darkness. What had I been dreaming about? I just remember feeling a cold sensation and then a pain in my side. Was I running? How did my covers get everywhere?

I untangle my legs and slide out of the right side of my king-size bed, gather up my comforter and try to straighten my bed out. I take a moment to see what time it is…3 a.m. Wow, I got about 2 hours of sleep this time. I really need to stop doing this. I turn on my bedside table lamp, and walk across the hall to the bathroom.

After I wash my hands, I go grab a glass of water, my cat twines himself around my legs as I stand at the sink. He looks up at me with his Amber eyes and gives me a squeaky meow. I explain to him, that no it’s not time for breakfast, he will have to wait a few more hours. His black and grey tabby tail twitches as he follows me back to bed. As I slide myself in between the sheets, I pray that I don’t have another nightmare.

I switch off the beside light, and close my eyes, I go through my relaxation therapy I have taught myself, relaxing each muscle in my body one at a time, until I drift off to sleep. Buster, my cat, curls up on my passenger side pillow and purrs softly. I feel the effects as my body slowly relaxes, I start at my toes, and work my way up, usually by the time I reach my fingers I am usually out. I drift off to sleep….

I walk into the room and the walls are made of glass. I feel like I should know this place. I walk up to the right window and look out, there is a green valley, with a blue stream running through it. Over by the stream, you stand there. I see you, and as you look up, you wave and beckon me to come down. I look around, and I see no exit. The door I previously walked through is no longer there. I look up and there is nothing but blackness. I look down and see nothing but the valley below. I look as if I am floating, but I am just standing inside a glass box. I move to the wall of glass on the right, and feel around, trying to find a hinge or a handle or even a hole. As I move along the wall, I feel nothing but smooth glass. Same on the wall connected to that, and so on around the glass block. I can’t reach the top of the glass cube, how do I get out??? I see you, you are waiting for me. I get on my hands and knees and search the floor of the cube, nothing looks amiss, no holes, no handles. I feel the frustration and anger beginning to build. I know there is a simple solution, there always is. I get up off my hands and knees and begin to walk around the square room.

After making about twenty laps around the block I look up. There is now a chair in the middle of the room. That wasn’t there before, I know, I searched every inch of this room!! I walk over to it. It is a plain metal folding chair. I sit in it. I decide, maybe it’s like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz? I click my bare heels together and say I want to be outside the box. Nothing…should I have expected any different? Maybe it’s not a thinking chair, maybe I can reach the ceiling if I stand on it? I stand on the seat of the chair, and I still can’t reach the top. What now? As I step down of the chair, it slides across the floor….

I pick up the chair and fold it up. I walk over to the wall on the right. I grab the chair by the legs and haul back like a batter at home plate. I swing the chair, and the glass all around me shatters. I begin to fall through darkness. I flail my arms and legs, crying out your name, and reaching into the darkness thinking that you might grab me and bring me to safety.

I sit bolt upright in bed…Sweat pouring off of my body, my black satin sheets wrapped around my legs and my leopard print comforter on the floor. It’s 4 a.m. Buster is staring at me, like I have lost my freaking mind. I give up sleep for the rest of the morning. I wander into the kitchen, open a can of cat food for the cat, and brew a pot of hot tea for me. Well, looks like I get an early start to the day.

I wander off to take a shower, and get started with my sleepy day….

(to be continued)