Night Visions

I can still see it clearly in my mind’s eye. In the dark of night, a multicolored apparition glowed silently by my bedroom closet. It was both frightening and fascinating, but the fear quickly outweighed my curiosity. I sensed its presence but could not identify its intentions. Finally, I mustered a yell (scream?) for Mom and Dad. Of course there was nothing in the room by the time they arrived, and I was introduced to the concept of nightmares. I haven’t had a nightmare for quite a while. The last I can recall was of Rebecca being swept down a storm drain and my being absolutely helpless. But nightmares are dreams, and that long ago apparition in Platteville wasn’t. There was a second such appearance when I was several years older, although this little, bald-headed creature at the foot of my bed at least looked human. In the most conventional sense, home is where it’s safe, where it’s secure, and now I was experiencing phenomena quite capable of undetected intrusion. I was beginning to learn that reality consists of more than what the five senses can detect.