Motha. Fuggin'. Warning: This topic has not been posted in for at least 120 days THREAD NECROMANCY.https://imgur.com/gallery/JE4TbioSo I've been suffering from a minor case of insomnia the past two years or so. Nothing awful, but I average about 4 hours of sleep a night or so. Sooner or later it's going to bite me. I'm too afraid to get on some sort of sleep aide and have tried a multitude of remedies: running to tucker myself out, not using electronics for an insane amount of time before bed, various herbal/food remedies, the works.
Regardless, I still have dreams. I often like to write them down and use them for creative inspirations.
Last night's dream was a doozy. This dream was REALLY fascinating in that it was entirely third person and I wasn't a participant in the dream; it was like I was watching the story unfold as a casual observer, like I was watching it on a television screen. It was also strange that it had a clear resolution, although by the time the dream was winding down the story sort of got choppy and discombobulated and almost "blurry" as it seemingly rushed to a conclusion. Maybe due to a shift in a sleep cycle?
Regardless, I've been on a Studio Ghibli kick recently, although I haven't watched Princess Mononoke in probably four or five years. This dream definitely felt inspired by the move to some degree, so of course now I HAVE to watch it (it's also the only Studio Ghibli film I won't let my six year old watch just yet).
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A large human village in a deep forest. A shadow creature attacks, many people running off into the forest to escape. A small group of people end up stumbling upon a strange, mysterious forest meadow.
It is roughly one hundred feet by one hundred feet. A perfect circle. Soft grass, the only decorations or landmarks several cairn stones, of one which is larger than the others (at about 8 feet in height).
A forest spirit – a strange woman of light – comes to the survivors and explains that the shadow creature is the Change Bringer, an agent of order who has come to the forest to bring change, namely, the expulsion (death) of all humans within the forest. The humans had become selfish and no longer respected the forest, and as such the humans are being hunted. The spirit explains that the Change Bringer will remain in the forest for quite some time – weeks, perhaps months, and that the group cannot leave the circle or else they will be killed by the shadow creature. Because the shadow creature is one of shadow, as long as they are in the light it cannot detect them – it can only detect them if they come into contact with the shadows of the treeline, the shadows of the forest.
The group is thus trapped and has to make ends meet. No food, no shelter. It is partially a dream akin to a survival story as they try to adapt.
Eventually, they notice as wolves surround the meadow, and spend several days/nights “checking out” the group. The group is fearful, unsure what to do should the wolves attack. Eventually, however, a large dire wolf enters the clearing – it is larger than a normal wolf, its tail long and flowing, and it wears a strange mask. It is the leader of the wolves of the forest, and it approaches one of the men of the group and offers him a dead rabbit. More wolves start doing the same, including one that has a broken paw.
We then learn that the man was a hunter and found a wolf trapped in a bear trap. The wolf was emaciated, dying, so the hunter freed the wolf and gave it both food and water to help it regain its strength. In return for this kind deed, the wolves of the forest have all agreed to help the hunter and his friends by bringing them food – namely, small game.
Eventually one member of the group decides to leave the meadow and is ultimately killed by the Change Bringer.
In the climax, the group learns that the kindly forest spirit and the Change Bringer are actually one in the same, two sides of the same coin. They are able to escape the wrath of the Bringer and flee the forest, vowing never to set foot in its boundaries again.