A Lofty Dream (a work of fiction)

Lately I have been dreaming of climbing great heights. Literally. Like climbing 5 floors on small staircases that can barely fit one person. I would already be walking almost sideways, trying to fit my behind & reminding myself that I must jog, and another person appears on his way downstairs. You have got to be kidding me!

On the top floor was a bunk bed (this morning's dream) filled with someone's clothes and underwear (not smelly, thankfully!) and the way down the bunkbed is via an iffy stepladder.

Some days I would be climbing a precipitous cliff, hanging on for dear life. I would reach somewhere, but it was no place I had seen before. 

When I was younger I had dreamt a lot about falling.. into the abyss.. I have never actually hit the ground, but then again I usually will wake up & not know (about the fall). The dreams got worse in high school.  Other kids will be worried that they'll be woken up by ghosts or lost souls roaming the hallows of our halls, but I tend to jumpstart with a 'falling' dream. 

As an adult I read that these dreams are an analogy of "failing" and the insecurities related to it. Makes sense. There was a LOT of competition in high school. So many clever kids, many effortless. One girl slept through the whole lecture and at the end managed to solve the complex equation. And a public exam, which will determine our future, loomed in the corner. Way to go- give those kids a scare- no pressure though, it will just affect the rest of your life.