Here's why I think nightmares are cool

[AndrewTheSinger]

It all started like a very beautiful and delightful dream. I was a helper of the animals of the valley. There were ducks, birds, butterflies, it was like I was telling a story.

I was flying and exploring the environment when I met the butterfly. She had a long way ahead to go, so I just gave her a ride, she sat on my hand and we flew fast across the river. She left and I kept flying ahead.

The river got wider and I was flying right above it. I usually tend to scare myself and fall in the water, then I'll scare myself some more and imagine sharks, crocodiles, snakes. This time I forced myself towards the island, and I made it. Only when I was almost landing I saw 2 huge bulls, larger than elephants. The first one ticked and walked away. The second one was 3 times the size of the first, and he was coming in my direction making noises. I wasn't lucid enough to know they could not hurt me, I just knew I was very powerful if I had enough confidence. I knew I could wake up also.

I tried to build up my confidence and was getting ready to defend myself from his attack when I saw it was a machine, a lady was controlling him like one would control a tractor. Now I'm not so sure if she is nice, we shake hands and walk. We talk and all of a sudden a jaguar comes from behind her and bite my left hand. The animal talks, so I invert the game and hold his mouth tight close and say "You better not bite me, I'm not what you think I am".

He attacks me some 3 times more and I do the same thing, the lady complains, then a dog appears by my side, he's a friend and goes running after the girl. I didn't want the jaguar to bite me, so I was not going to allow the dog biting her, I went running after them both when I found out I was in a train, it was carrying hundreds of cages of wild beasts.

I'm trapped in this maze, surrounded by beasts, the cages are the size of rooms and made of wood. I break some of them to make my way across the train. I end up in a cage full of tigers, so again I stop to remind me that I am powerful if I believe myself to be.

I break some more cages and walk into the cage of the crocodiles. One to my left is facing me, the other one to my right is facing the cage. I found a log stick on the floor  and as the crocodile to my right comes to bite me I throw the log into his mouth. He walks away, but the one to my left comes towards me, I decide not to touch this one, so I turn around and break the cage. There are more 2 cages, I break them too and now I think I made my way out of the train.

It didn't happen, everything went dark, letters started to form saying "You can stay and wait for the next scene, or you can leave". I thought "Well, I fought so hard not to wake up feeling sorry for myself, what the hell, I'm staying.". But then nothing appeared and I woke up  

The highest level of lucidity I ever had in the dream state was during a nightmare, pretty much like this one, only the animals were smaller. I remembered the fact that the images were symbols, and there was a meaning behind them, so instantly I started viewing myself from above, acting my own dream, I was like 2 persons.

As a child I had many disturbing nightmares, and I think they helped me become fearless today.