Wednesday, April 29, 2015

A Pink Pig of Power

So here's the most interesting dream I’ve had in a while. I was at an outdoor seminar with fellow psychology faculty members. As we were seated listening to the speaker, I noticed a bunch of long silvery insects flying around near an electric pole. Two crows flew over and landed on the wires. A third dark flyer followed but was much, much larger than the crows. It landed on the side of the pole itself, clinging like a woodpecker. It’s shape was humanoid; the wings were bat-like.

Someone made a joke about a vampire, and most of us got up and went toward the thing for a better look. As we approached, it let go of the pole and flew across a highway to land on the sidewalk on the other side. People quickly gathered around and we pushed through that crowd to look. Here’s where it gets weird.

I saw a small pink pig marching back and forth along the sidewalk on his hind legs with his bat-wings spread out behind him. He was about beagle-sized and was pontificating in English. “Yes,” he said, “this is the end for the human race. Your time on earth is done.” I remember thinking,“WTF,” but only about the threats the pig was making, not about the existence of the winged pig himself. About that time the police showed up and surrounded the pig. They began to lead him somewhere and he went willing along, still spouting his statements about the end of the human race.

The next scene switched. I was no longer me but was seeing through the eyes of a doctor newly assigned to observe the winged pig. The doctor went through a number of institutional type metal doors into a basement where he found the pig living in a large barred cage. There was a big window on one side and the pig was looking out at a playground where children were playing. The doctor thought he was unobserved by the pig-creature, but suddenly the creature turned and made eye contact, then pointed toward the playground as if he wanted to be allowed out there.

The doctor gave no acknowledgement of the pig’s behavior, but started to move further away from the cage. There is a janitor there who is mopping the floor. As the doctor glances toward the janitor, the man looks up and makes eye contact. The pig creature is looking at them both and suddenly the janitor’s eyes flicker and turn dead white. He smiles, and most of his teeth are missing.

The doctor stumbles backward in shock, then turns to leave the room. Another janitor is just coming through the door and as he looks at the doctor, he blinks and his eyes turn dead white as well. Afraid now, the doctor pushes past the man into the hallway outside. He starts along it, moving swiftly. A woman with a handkerchief over her hair comes out of another door and her eyes are the same as the men.

Realizing that something seems to be infecting the others who’ve been around the pig creature, the doctor starts hurrying through the corridors to get help. More and more people begin to pour into the corridor, though, all with the same eyes, and all moving slowly and steadily toward the exit. They make no threat against the doctor but in moments he is almost completely swallowed up in the mass of people. The dream ends with him crying out desperately, “Help me. Someone help me.”  

The first part of the dream, where we first meet the winged pig, was interesting and, in retrospect, hilariously funny as he marched back and forth on his short stubby legs pontificating about the end of the human race. But the ending, with the people being infected with something and that infection spreading rapidly, was creepy as all get out.

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21 comments:

Prashant C. Trikannad said...

Charles, this is a dream story! A fine blend of humour and horror though it sounds more scary than funny, and well-written too.

Charles Gramlich said...

Prashant, thanks, man. Lana and I had some big laughs over the first part of the dream. The last part was very creepy

Anonymous said...

As you are a psychologist, you probably have an interesting perspective on the psychology of dreams. What is your "clinical interpretation" of the pig tale?

And regarding dreams, I often ponder Hamlet's speculation about the possibility of dreams beyond the limits of our lives. Maybe Shakespeare was onto something: dreams and the eternal soul?

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

That was creepy. Might be a good story there. 'When Pigs Fly.'

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Bizarre and enchanting!

Lisa said...

vivid and what a dream, I think you remembered the details because you talked to Lana about it in the morning -

Charles Gramlich said...

Robert, I generally think that most dreams consist of what is called manifest content. that is, they reveal only things that one is thinking about, reading, or watching at a given time. Some dreams seem to have much more symbolism in them. I'm not sure about this one. At the moment I don't have any kind of interpretation.

ALex, pigs on the wing. Pink Floyd

David J., yes, definitely.

Lisa, whenever I have a weird dream I go over it several times in my head to remember it. I did tell it to Lana, though. I knew she'd get a kick.

Oscar Case said...

Charles, did you have a few beers before you went to bed? Or, were you pondering another SF plot? In any event it was weird.

Erik Donald France said...

Cool how it is sort of two dreams in one, with a bridge (shift in PoV).

Porcine invasion of the eye-snatchers . . . Probably induced by having to grade student papers . . . or perhaps it's . . . prophecy???

Cloudia said...

The anguished oink of Pig Man!





ALOHA from Honolulu,
ComfortSpiral
=^..^=

Aimlesswriter said...

Flying birds then human-ish bird, maybe you're seeing the dark side of someone you know?
Marching bat-pig? Warning from someone you're not sure you can trust?
You're the doctor meeting people with empty eyes? Perhaps you're sensing something that escapes those around you?
Or
You've been watching Hitchcock, Porky Pig cartoons and the Walking Dead.

Charles Gramlich said...

Oscar, I had gotten a bit more sleep than usual during the school year. I tend to have interesting dreams when I get around to getting some rest.

Erik, I've had quite a few like that. kind of weird for sure

Cloudia, he was pretty arrogant. :)

Aimless writer, it boggles the mind to try and figure such dreams out.

BernardL said...

I think maybe one too many episodes of the Walking Dead, my friend. :) An interesting beginning to the zombie apocalypse. :)

Charles Gramlich said...

Bernard, maybe so. Walking dead is on hiatus so maybe I'm missing it.

jodi said...

Charles-Hmmmm... I've been seeing concrete pigs with wings in the garden section lately...

Riot Kitty said...

At first I thought your post title had to do with you leaving me in charge...LOL. That seems very vivid and creepy.

SzélsőFa said...

It gave me goosebumps.
As for interpretation... It must have to do with something you read/watch/think about, as some commenter pointed out.
At first it is kind of funny, a threat that can not be taken seriously, but at closer examination it turns anything but lighthearted. It may even threat future generations.
Those were my postapocalyptic two cents. :)

Charles Gramlich said...

Jodi, we've got a little statue pig with wings on our front steps.

Riot Kitty, lol. And yes, creepy.

Szelsofa, yes, some things we start out laughing at end up being pretty unpleasant, I guess.

sage said...

Wow, my dreams this morning were pretty pedestrian compared to this.

Charles Gramlich said...

Sage, I am blessed with cool dreams

Greg said...

Wow, that first part sounds pretty interesting. Very vivid. You're right though, that last part is creepy. That could make for a good story.