I dream of grotesque looking people in service hallways | Andrea de Michaelis – Creating my own reality, one thought at a time

I had an interesting dream last night. I’ve had a head cold this weekend and been pretty fuzzy from Benadryl and sleeping a lot. I turned on the tv just as the movie Shutter Island came on. I am not sure how much I slept through or might have heard unconsciously as it was on, as I was also scrolling through Facebook and half the time the sound was muted. If some of my dream scenes are from the movie, I’m unaware of it. I turned it off 10 minutes before the ending. In the dream, I am walking in a large building, like a huge old manor house. I’m aware that it’s the middle of the night and “after hours.” I’m walking through the service hallways, and every so often I encounter a service person walking past on their nightly duties. It begins to be apparent to me that every one I see has a physical deformity, and some are quite grotesque. I think, “how cool they have employed so many that may be unable to get employed otherwise.” The hallways are in shadow and everyone that passes me is carrying a lamp. I have no lamp so I am able to see them coming before they are able to see me. For each one, I want to be courteous and nod a hello as we pass, yet they all seem shy and/or ashamed and embarrassed to be seen. I don’t want to invade their privacy by making eye contact but don’t want to seem rude. As I go deeper into the building, the people get increasingly more physically grotesque and in their shyness are hunched over like animals scurrying about as we pass. I want to let them know it’s ok and I’m not freaked out by how they look, but don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable by saying anything.

I pass another hallway and, even though there are no lights, I seem to know my way. I can hear the others passing me in the hallway, even though I can’t see them now that no one has lamps. Everyone says hello as we pass. Several tell me it’s ok in the dark, that I’m on the right track, meaning the right hallway to get to wherever I’m going. It’s like in the dark they are concerned with making me feel comfortable and welcome, but in the light they shrink away as if not wanting to offend me by how they look. That’s all I remember of the dream.