Positively 4th street

Sometimes I get upset when I think about the past. I mean, that's a given, right?

I could feel the decline for some time. I don't like the feeling I get inside when I'm watching someone crumble in front of me and there's nothing I can do. I should've acted differently, but all I could feel was anger. Passive-aggressive anger. Then, the last shove and it was all over. I guess what really bothers me is the fact that they don't even care that we're not friends anymore. Or maybe they like to pretend we are... but we're not. I have no idea what they're doing, how they are, who they are... and vice versa.

It was just so easy to let it all slip away. I just wish I could forget that they ever existed. My life would be a lot easier that way. No anger. No sadness. No disappointment. But, it's not so easy for me.

The battle

Our springtime weather was short lived. The snow has returned. It's thick, wet snow that quickly covered all colour early spring had brought us. The other day, we went for a run around the small lake down the street. While we were stretching, I kept hearing croaks. Slowly, I crept towards the lake and saw about 4 or 5 bullfrogs sitting on the bank singing to each other. I tried to motion to Anna and quietly as I could, but it wasn't quiet enough, they stopped their song and all but one jumped into the water. I think he was on watch or something because he wouldn't move. Even when I poked him with a stick! Then, I thought he might be dead so I kinda threw the stick at him... that made him move. Anna chastised me after that and said, "Oh, and you claim to love animals?"

Are frogs animals? While I was looking for a picture of this frog sign that comes up every spring along roads (they literally cover the streets making them very slippery... and gross) I found this

without owls there's no toast! Without moles there's no pizza!!! AND without the frog there is no beer! Well, I won't be throwing sticks at frogs anymore.  Also, I love owls. They look like cats with wings.  

Nightmares Episode One

I just saw this ad on craigslist.de calling for submissions for stories about nightmares. Now, as much as I hate it when people share their previous nights dream, I think it would be pretty interesting to see a graphic novel portraying all these different peoples unconscious fears. Lovecraft came up with most of his story ideas from recurring nightmares and night terrors he had as a child. So, I'm going to try a few of my nightmares out on here. 

The recurring nightmare: The End of the world

The bombs.  I wake up in a cold sweat, my body is shaking after being jolted awake. I have just dreamt about the bombs. I lie very still in bed and slowly unwind the nightmare, making it make sense in my head before I try to explain it. I've found, if I don't break the whole dream down, when I try to tell someone about it, it all disappears, and I'm left telling my eager listener, "Well, I'm in a room... and there's this guy... arg! I can't explain it, but I can see it!" 

In this dream, I'm at my mother's house in Nanaimo and it's 2001, currently, not in the dream.  My mom, brothers, and I sit crowded around the television watching an announcement from the President of the United States. He tells us that there's nothing we can do. We have exhausted all efforts to make this good. He has no choice but to drop the bomb at 9:30 p.m.

"No!" I scream, "Isn't there something we can do? We have to stop them!" 

No one will make eye contact with me. They lower their eyes and turn back to the tv screen. Now, the image is of a city. Camera's are switching from the city view to the insides of people's houses. 

"Oh my god," I say as I realize that we have to watch them die. 

The bomb falls towards the city and the tv screen shows a young couple taking shelter beside their bed, they're holding hands and telling each other how much they love one another.  The bomb hits and their limbs are ripped from their bodies. The camera's pan across the city, weaving in and out of people's homes. Nothing is left. 

"We're next," I say. 

And then I wake up.