Butterflies

I dreamt the most peculiar dream imaginable.

There were vampires swarming into a gothic cathedral. A person alongside me toppled and fell, as we fled further inside, to escape them.  It was suddenly quiet.  I turned around, but it was dark.. and I couldn't see him.

Then I heard a whisper. ‘Turn the lights on…’

Fumbling around on the wall to my right, I found the switch, and flicked it on.  I turned and saw a man on the floor, with blood suckers here and there…

‘They're feeding on me,’ he whispered.

Those words and that image horrified me so much, that I woke, momentarily.. and then immediately fell asleep again - literally returning to the same place.. in my dream.

I pulled a cage-like door shut, leaving this person behind.  I’d never seen him before, and had no idea who he was.. I just knew I couldn’t help him. I ran further into the depths of the gothic cathedral, whilst being pursued by another vampire.

I managed to evade him, and waited until daylight, at which point I escaped the confines, running away, as swiftly as I could.

And now a woman pursued me.  I deduced she can tolerate the light, so can't be a full vampire, but is certainly one of them.  The chase went on and on, with her locating me, each time.

Eventually she caught me, and I realised she had razor-like teeth.  I managed to fight her off and dragged her across a field by her hands, and by her hair.  I was desperately seeking a sharp object with which to stab her in the side of her throat, and kill her.  Eventually, I pinned her to the floor, climbed onto her torso and fought her, until her arms were under my knees. I could feel her hands trying to grab at my hips. I clutched her hair, and banged the back of her head against the stone underneath her. Eventually, I managed to subdue (and I think, kill) her.

Exhausted, bruised and bloody, I somehow made it to my Brother's house, although he was not there.  I found myself in a large bathroom at the rear of the house, and realised, I was clean again.  On the bathroom wall, was a framed picture of butterflies.  In contrast to the cold, grey marble of his bathroom, the butterflies were colourful, and the background of the picture had a warm hue. For a moment, I thought I could see the shadows of the wings.  They looked so surreal and large.. they’re alive! I thought. 

As I moved slowly closer to the picture.. I was distracted by another large vampire, lurking outside the bathroom window - in the garden, in the daylight.! She hissed and snarled, and threatened me. I moved across to the bathroom door, locked it, and curled the toes of my right shoe, up against it. To my horror, I watched the handle turn, as she tried to open the door.  She snarled and hissed that I would have to allow her in sometime - as this was the only way out.  She returned to the garden, and I watched her shadow pass by the window.

I cried in exasperation.  I was trapped.  Then I heard the voice of a small child. 

I opened the door slightly.. and peeked out.  A little child hobbled over towards me.  It was a vampire, but so small, it was practically harmless, and started to cry.  I didn't have the heart to grab it and use it to negotiate my way out, so I shut the door instead.  It's Mother returned, grabbed the child, and hurled insults at me.

‘Listen - I wouldn’t hurt your child.!' I called out.

I waited until they had returned to the garden. I knew I had to make a run for it, so I took a deep breath, and threw the door open.

Remarkably.. I found myself in the long kitchen of the house.  I didn’t look back, and instead ran straight ahead, through two other rooms, and into what appeared to be, a narrow hall.  The main door of the house, was at the other end.  Another door to my left was ajar.  I walked across the hall briskly, and caught a glimpse of some young boys in the room, to my left.  They were kneeling on a chesterfield sofa, which had been moved, and was now pressed up against the window. They laughed, whilst playfully observing what they saw outside.  Little vampires, no doubt.  Thankfully, they appeared to be distracted, and didn't see me.  I opened the front door, turned right and ran all the way to the main road.

They didn't appear to pursue me.

I found myself on a path, surrounded by woodland, and recall wondering where to go…

And then suddenly, I found myself at a large, gothic, Victorian house.  My parents appeared, and I realised it must be their home.  And then I noticed, the vampires had followed me there.

‘No.! No.! I have to get away from here! I didn't want to bring them to you..!' I felt sickened and horrified. However, as I turned to leave, I once again found myself in different surroundings.  My belongings lay around me, which led me to believe I was now in my own home.  On the wall in front of me, was the same framed picture of the colourful butterflies, which I had first seen in my Brother’s bathroom.

A voice whispered in my left ear. ‘They say everyone is born beautiful’.  As I turned abruptly to my left, the same voice whispered in my right ear, ‘But the truth is.. everyone can become a butterfly.’ I swung to my right, but once again, there was nobody there.  I looked back at the picture.  It was certainly the same.. a soft, warm background, upon which the colourful butterflies danced. They were different to each other, yet of course, they were the same. I peered more closely.. I realised they were hovering, and were not attached to the back of the picture. Dancing.. floating.. I told myself.

As the music played in my head, I felt uplifted, and turned to my Mother and Father, who were still with me.  My Father flashed me a big smile and laughed. He stood up and started moving things around. It was odd.. as I had never seen him lift a finger at home before, and I didn’t know why he was doing so now. Anyhow, I felt calm and happy.. and as the music picked up tempo, my Father swung around and danced in the centre of the room. I laughed and spun around. 

My flat seemed large and spacious, and I soon realised, it was part of the gothic cathedral. My Mother explained that we live alongside the vampires now, harmoniously.  I recall.. the door kept opening, and I felt an invisible force - as though someone very strong, was pushing it open, each time I tried to close it.

‘That's the vampires,’ my Mother explained. ‘They're invisible, but live in other flats in the cathedral.  They're our friends now, and we all live side-by-side. They will materialise shortly.. and you’ll find that they are quite like some of the people here.. in fact, they’re much the same really.’

And then some of them materialised.  And they were just like you and I.  And just as friendly, as many people appear to be.

I glanced at my Father, who looked at me and smiled. I followed his eyes to the picture of the butterflies. I felt my lashes flutter, as my eyes danced around the room.

Are the vampires genuinely friendly, I wondered. And did they know.. that I had killed one of them.  And what if it hadn't died.. what if it were still…

More vampires, and more people arrived. As they all danced together, I couldn't tell any more, who was a person, or who was a vampire.. or whether any one there was pretentious, or sincere.. man or beast.

I looked towards my Mother and Father.  They seemed relaxed and perfectly at ease.

And then I realised.  They’re accustomed to it.

Ah, I see.

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