SCREAM! A NIGHTMARISH TALE

66 CommentsCreative Writing, From the Archives, Health and Wellness, Music, Poetry

SCREAM!

DON’T CLOSE YOUR EYES!

the scream painting by Edvard Munch

Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Eyes wide

Must hide

Which side

Petrified

petrified eye. SCREAM

Regret

Not yet

Fear sweat

All set

gun barrel

Pin click

Feel sick

Hard kick

Die, prick

blood drops

Slight gleam

Light beam

I scream

Just a dream

woman screaming SCREAM

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Many people experience nightmares and night terrors. What’s the difference between the two?

According to the Mayo Clinic:

Sleep terrors differ from nightmares. The dreamer of a nightmare wakes up from the dream and may remember, but a person who has a sleep terror episode remains asleep.

and further:

During a sleep terror episode, a person might:

Sit up in bed

Scream or shout

Kick and Sweat, breathe heavily and have a racing pulse

Be hard to awaken, but if awakened be confused

Be inconsolable

Stare wide-eyed

Get out of bed and run around the house

Engage in aggressive behavior 

 

Read more HERE.

Have you ever woken up screaming in the middle of the night?
Did you remember what you were dreaming about? 

Looking forward to your comments!

Debbie

Pleasant Dreams!

Photo credits:   Eye   Gun   Blood   Woman

previously published 2015 and 2018

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Coming up on Monday, Feb. 22:

In Search of Zeus

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66 thoughts on “SCREAM! A NIGHTMARISH TALE

  1. Wow! I love the poem! Yes, I’ve had a few dreams where I wake up yelling more than screaming. I get up and walk around to be sure the dream goes away. I don’t like them and fortunately don’t have them too often.

  2. Nightmares feed my writing. Just the other day my husband ran from the living room to the bedroom because I was screaming. And yes, I remember too many of them. Most times I’ll refuse to discuss them as it makes them more real. But they are great fodder for my writing.

  3. I woke up screaming once when I was about 10 years old. I have no idea what I was dreaming about, but I remember my dad dashing into my bedroom to see what was wrong.

    Love,
    Janie

  4. Oh my on the night terrors. I didn’t know the difference. I rarely remember my dreams, but they aren’t dark. Fun stuff and I’m happy about that.

    Have a fabulous day and week, Debbie. ♥

  5. LOVE that poem Debbie! I can’t remember the last time I had a nightmare but whenever I’ve had them and open my mouth to scream nothing comes out so nobody hears me, in my dream or real life. Kinda’ scary.

  6. To my knowledge, I’ve never awakened screaming. But I have gone back to sleep after a troubling dream and picked up right where I left off. Guess I just had to see the problem through. Your poem is well constructed and perfectly petrifying! And ending to a dream like that would have me listening for sirens 😉
    Interesting information on dreams. I wonder what they’d say about folks who laugh in their sleep? Hubs can never remember what was so dang funny.

  7. Times like these, I am grateful I never dream. This had me on the edge my seat, which is good. Sitting up on the edge of the bed with a case of night terrors, not so good.

    1. Everybody dreams, I think. You just can’t remember them, which is good, especially when they’re bad. 🙂 Glad you liked my little poem; high praise coming from an esteemed poet. Thank you! Poetry’s not really my strong suit, but the muse strikes now and again.

  8. HI Shady; Sounds like Mrs. Shady was having a rough time, there! Good thing you weren’t seriously hurt in the process. Apparently I’ve struck out in my sleep before too, during a similar episode. This is a subject that intrigues me. I might add a follow up article after doing some more research. Thanks for sharing your personal experience. Have a good weekend! 🙂

  9. I’m glad I have never had a night terror. It sounds horrible.

    I’ve had nightmares and those equally bad dreams where you are in a weird situation and there is no way out but waking up.

    I dreamt I kung-fu kicked this person who was hassling me. I woke up because even my subconscious knew I couldn’t kung-fu kick.

    1. It’s amazing the things we can do in our dreams! 🙂 Ever have one of those unpleasant ones, where you supposedly wake up, but it’s actually still part of the dream and something else happens? 😛 I’ve had a few night terrors and they’re extremely frightening. Be glad you’ve been spared from those!

  10. Could feel the terror and I would have definitely screamed too! Wow take on the prompt, Debbie! Have had nightmares, bad dreams actually, but never a sleep terror.

  11. I’ve been spared night terrors. I don’t have nightmares as much as when I was younger – I hope that continues to be true. One of my brother in laws suffered from night terrors growing up. My husband was (growing up) a sleep walker. Grateful that my son did neither.

    1. Good thing you’ve not been plagued by terrors or many nightmares, Alana. Sleep walking sounds frightening too.
      I’ve had many bad dreams and even some terror episodes over the years. This is a subject that needs to be researched more thoroughly. Planning a follow-up article. Thanks for visiting! 🙂

  12. Well, this article is a scream,… not really but couldn’t resist. 🙂 I can not read frightening books or see horror movies. If I did, I would wake the whole neighborhood up with my screams. Hubby says I have woken him up with my laughing… I know… like laughing all the way to the little white men in their little white coats.
    By the way, I’m back from our travels… and it’s great to be back! Will be visiting you more often.

    1. Haha! 😀 Welcome back, Angelika! Looking forward to your travel posts.
      Laughing in your sleep is certainly better than screaming…..

  13. I didn’t know the difference between the two – very interesting indeed. I’ve definitely woken myself up by screaming – frightening and NOT fun. Thankfully such occasions are few and far between!

    1. Hi Michele; Glad you liked it. 🙂 Yes, nightmares seem more real than pleasant dreams, for some reason. Good thing you don’t get them too often. I’ve had a few episodes of night terrors as well. Not fun!

  14. I have had many dreams some really scary some not. Mostly they are never pleasant but I never call them nightmares. They are a part of who I am and I love them like I love myself. Beautiful and unique interpretation. Loved it!

  15. I used to have night terrors, when I was just a child. I would have all sorts of monsters chasing after me and my feet would be glued to the floor, and I’d start screaming. My mom would come in and wake me up and I’d be almost okay. As an adult, I don’t know if they’d be classified as night terrors, except for one. Usually, I’d be so involved in the dream that I’d be laughing or screaming, and they come out as muffled sounds that would wake up others, but not me. I can still remember them to this day. There weren’t many, thank goodness. Russ, on the other hand, had so many… If I put my hand on him, he would usually calm down, but he slept so soundly I couldn’t wake him up. Those scared even me.

    1. Those all sound scary, Mary. 🙁 I’ve woken myself up screaming, on occasion. Other times, hubby would tell me and I was unaware. He never experiences anything like that. I wonder if this has something to do with our genetic makeup? It’s a fascinating subject and I’ll be doing more research.

  16. I have had a few episodes of night terrors. And yes they are quite real. I also felt each word in your rhyme. Lovely take on the prompt 🙂

    1. Yes, they definitely seem real. I’ve had them too, but thankfully, not too often. Nice to know the poem had an effect. Thanks! 🙂

  17. I don’t ever remember waking up screaming, but sweaty as a pig? Absolutely! Unfortunately, I remember my dreams when I wake up and those types are so easy to kick. 🙂 Love the poem.

    1. Hi Bren; I remember those night sweats! 😛 (Try Wild Yam. It’s cheap and works well for many women.) Dreams, not so much. Glad you enjoyed the poem. 🙂 Nice to see the PibblesNMe name again.

  18. “They” say we all dream but I rarely remember them. I sleep too deeply, I guess? If I do dream it is usually something stupid or confusing.

  19. I’ve had a few terror episodes as you’ve described. Occasionally I might have rather mild night mares. On the whole my dreams are okay, often happy, but frequently confusing. The confusion aspect is usually about as close to a nightmare that I get and that in the form of mild panic that I’m lost or not ready for something.

    I almost always enjoy my dreams even when they deal with scary things. In those cases I almost watch them as though I were watching a movie and I to some degree I am aware that I am dreaming.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Road trippin’ with A to Z

    1. Interesting, Lee, to be able to experience your dreams as if watching a movie. I rarely remember dreams, except for those occasional bad ones. Had a few night terror episodes over the years too. Those are pretty nasty, aren’t they?

  20. Allegedly, I bark in my sleep sometimes, but it’s a bit muffled.

    I’ve never heard the bipeds scream, but I’ve heard them snore loudly!

    1. Dogs are so cute when they’re dreaming! 😀 I’ve heard them bark too. Some also run in their sleep or wag their tails. Glad to know your bipeds don’t have night terrors. Thanks for dropping by, Clowie.

  21. Interesting, Debbie. I actually never knew there was a term for the same. Sleep terrors. I’m reckon I may have had them.
    Quite a unique take on the prompt.

    1. Yes, sleep terrors or night terrors are different from actual nightmares. Not pleasant, are they? Hope you aren’t plagued by them too often. I’ve had several episodes over the years.

  22. Oooh, good one Debbie! 😉 Love your take on this: quick wit you have! 🙂 Luckily I have never experienced night terrors…definitely sounds terrifying, though a rare nightmare.

  23. Ooh that gave me the shivers! Sleep terrors is something I have heard about but thankfully not experienced. Quick and prompt take on the prompt, Debbie 🙂

    1. Shivers are good! 🙂 I’m glad you’ve not had to deal with these nocturnal disturbances, Shailaja. They’re no fun at all and thankfully, don’t happen to me that often.