The following is a visitor-submitted question or story. For more, you can submit your own sleep story here, or browse the collection of experiences and questions other visitors have shared here.

Running, running, running (S&D)

by Anonymous

City I was running away from as bus exploded

City I was running away from as bus exploded

I was at some kind of army bootcamp. A group of my friends from high school were all at the very top of this slide attached to a big pool of dirty/grimy water, which we were supposed to jump into (for some strange reason). Next to the pool was a moving railroad track submerged under water, which we were supposed to use to get back to our position right now after jumping into the water.


I jumped in when it was my turn and got onto the railroad. Except instead of leading me back to where I was before, I entered into this strange dungeon, where I got the news that apparently there was a bus in the middle of the old city we were in that was about to blow up. Just as everyone was panicking, three ninjas jumped down from the ceiling and said that they could save three people from the ordeal. Luckily for me, one of them grabbed a hold of my hand, and we started running.

I don't think I've ever run that fast before. It was literally like, jumping, flying over entire buildings and sidewalks--as fast as lightning! We dodged past the bus with the bomb just as it was about to explode, our feet pounding on cobblestone streets, zooming past laundry hanging, people lounging in the midafternoon sun, guys in wife beaters playing mahjong.

Along the way we picked up an orphan girl, and as soon as we got far enough from the explosion, we looked back at the mess. Then we dropped off the orphan girl at her house in this really rural and run down area, where I saw two black cats lying on top of each other. It was weird.

When I turned around, I saw Tom (a guy from my orchestra) and we walked a bit farther down the street. All of a sudden, it was as if we were in the ‘60s or something. I got a sense of strong segregation in the atmosphere. As we were walking, a couple of black people stared at us. We walked into an eyeglasses store, which was apparently owned by my high school AP Lit teacher. I demonstrated a pair of binoculars to some customers as Tom looked around the store. Then, I felt a chill enter the store as everything became really quiet and my AP Lit teacher disappeared. There were two black police officers standing in the doorway of the store. Without even really knowing why, Tom and I tore past them and started bolting down the street. They chased after us with scissors.

The end.

What do you think about this dream? Share your thoughts using the comments link below.

Read More Dream Stories | Share Your Own Dream Story

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Dream Stories.




Enjoy this page? Please help us pay it forward to others who would find it valuable by Liking, Sharing, Tweeting, Stumbling, and/or Voting below.

About This Site

Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement's Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.

We made this site as a call to action for people all over the world to live healthier, happier, safer, and more productive lives by learning about their own sleep. We have faith that reading the information provided on this site will motivate you to be smart about your sleep deprivation and strategic about your alertness in order to live life to your fullest, most energetic potential.

In fact, we challenge you to do so! What do you say, are you up for the challenge?


A Note On Visitor-Submitted Questions:

Publishing sleep stories and questions from our visitors is meant to create a forum for open and proactive dialogue about an extremely important portion of our lives (one that occupies 1/3 of it and affects the other 2/3) that isn't talked about enough. It is not meant to substitute a trip to the doctor or the advice of a specialist. It's good to talk; it is not good to avoid consulting someone who's profession it is to help you with this kind of stuff.

If you are in any way concerned about your sleep health, don't wait for an answer on here, and don't necessarily rely on them. See a sleep specialist in your area as soon as possible.

More Questions:

Ask | Answer

The Stanford Sleep Book

Stanford Sleep Book Picture

Dr. Dement's pioneering textbook has been the core text for Sleep and Dreams since 1980, but it has just recently been made available to the wider public for the first time.

In it you'll find a more detailed account of the most important things you need to know about sleep, alertness, dreams, and sleep disorders. Studies, statistics, plus plenty of Dr. Dement's classic anecdotes painting the history of sleep medicine.

Preface | Intro | Contents | Get A Copy

More Sleep Resources

The Zeo

A revolution in personal sleep tracking, the Zeo is a wireless headband that transmits your brainwaves in realtime to a dock (pictured here) or your smartphone. The result? You can wake up and see exactly what stages of sleep you were in during the night! Unprecedented personalized sleep knowledge.

Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide

Sleep Paralysis Treatment Book

Ever woken up paralyzed? A surprising number of us have, believe it or not. But few know the actual causes of this phenomenon, and fewer still how to exert control over it. Dream researcher and sleep paralysis expert Ryan Hurd shares breakthrough insights into how to do just that.

Important Disclaimer

Please Note:

The information found on this page and throughout this site is intended for general information purposes only. While it may prove useful and empowering, it is NOT intended as a substitute for the expertise and judgments of healthcare practitioners.

For more info, see our
Terms of Use.