bad dreams

I never have bad dreams. Sometimes I have unusual ones, or some that are dark, but they never make me scared or nervous. Until last night. I was really tired earlier in the evening, but way too early to go to sleep. So instead I stayed up chatting with a friend and then retiring to bed to read for an hour or so. Too late, really. Then about an hour or so later I'm having one of those half dream/half reality moments where I think I'm sleeping in my living room and there is an odd glowing light in the corner and I clearly hear booted footsteps going across my hardwood floor. At that point I was feeling total and complete irrational panic.

I knew that Gus was in the house with me so started quietly calling him. Normally he would've come dashing into the room, delighted to be called, but he didn't. So I got louder and louder calling him. Then I heard the footsteps coming closer to me, but for some reason I couldn't move. I was convinced that whoever was in the room would be killing me at any moment.

Then I woke up to the sound of Gus barking outside my bedroom door. I realized that I was in my bedroom with the door closed and I was alone. I switched on my light and got up and opened the door. Poor Gus, he was in a panic trying to get in the door. Apparently I was actually calling him in my sleep and then he freaked out and was trying to get to me. Doing so woke me up, so I guess he did help after all. Good boy, Gus.