The Worst

When singing songs of scariness

Of bloodiness and hairiness,

I feel obligated at this moment to remind you

Of the most ferocious beast of all:

Three thousand pounds and nine feet tall -

The Glurpy Sluryp Skakagrall -

Who's standing right behind you!

Silverstein : Where the Sidewalk Ends

In relationships class we have been discussing abusive relationships. These are not necessarily gender specific but can happen in varying degrees to any individual. Its reminded me of this dream I at the end of the summer. August 16th I had a nightmare, and Its rare that I remember my dreams but this one was vivid and I couldn't shake the details for days. I wrote to a friend.

I had the worst nightmare last night.
I was standing on a street at night. It was a dark and menacing area probably some place I never should have been, but there I was vibrant, smiling, and talking with a friend. A hideous kind of (roughly the size of a buffalo) mass of pulsating veins, brain matter, and slime sludged toward me. But I didn't notice because my back was turned until it was right next to me. It creeped up.

My friend ran out of the way, but it had two short tentacle arms and at the ends instead of hands it had metal paddles with pointed hooks all over the inner sides. It gripped me between the paddles and then each breath I took went into the creature, and each pump of my heart coursed through its veins, and I was made to carry its heavy weight around as it feed off my life. I shrunk and withered, and it kept me alive with drops of water on my tongue. I could hear its labored breath as it took my life, but never seemed content just needing more and more. Relentless even. The memory of it leaves me feeling weak, gaging, and exhausted.

The pulsating mass held me up to give me drops of water and I took the moment of nourishment to bring my feet up using the pressure of the back one to kick the front one away tearing the paddles out of my chest. I dropped to the ground clawed my way away from the thing knowing my very life depended on it. With out me to sustain the mass it was very slow. Kel said I was shaking during the dream so violently it woke him up.

I believe this was my subconscious alerting me to the life sucking vortexes in my life. The people who take and take, capitalizing on all your good qualities, and using them against you for their own personal gain. The arrogant that falsely comes across as confidence who genuinely have so little self esteem they transmit their ego from the friends they surround themselves with, hiding in the middle of a bunch of good people like camouflage. Like the interview candidate who has all the right answers and looks picture perfect on paper, but turns to be The Worst hire.

I am ETERNALLY grateful to have escaped. But feel compelled to warn others of their impending presence how they lurk. If the person makes you feel :
Confined
Constricted
Bound
Bullied,
Immature
Do you feel like you need permission to act natural around them
Like they know what is better for you than you do,
Do they dangle things you want in font of you then never deliver,
Do you make excuses for their harmful / hurtful behaviors
If they act inconsistently
They isolate you in anyways they can (you may already be isolated if you are new to an area).
Does their natural demeanor insight feelings of misery / self doubt for you.
Scrutinize your clothing.
Lie
Manipulate
Are forceful during sexual activity
Ask you to keep secrets for the sake of the relationship

These are all red flag indicators that this is person harmful. That they are controlling. Its relational violence, and the person needs professional help.