I sit up in bed, am I dreaming? I rub my eyes and turn my head to my left, towards the sound I’m being drawn to.
The window curtains flap away. I hear some sound coming through. It sounds like howling winds. I had not shut the windows before going to bed. I get out of bed, put on my robe and walk towards the windows. As I gather the curtains with my hands, to stop it from flapping, I feel the wind on my face. I draw the curtains to the side of the windows to look outside. It’s dark, but from the street lights outside I watch the branches on the trees swaying away, as though they are dancing to music. It looks like a storm is coming. Suddenly, it starts to rain and it’s chucking it down! The sound of the howling winds continue. I feel like I am marooned on an island! I close the windows.
I walk towards the other end of my room. I draw the curtains at the window to one side to look out. I gaze out into the darkness. My eyes darts downwards, to the swimming pool, two floors down. Some of the pool chairs lay scattered on the ground and some are in the pool. The lights alongside the pool are still lit. I watch the rainfall.
I catch sight of some movements at one of the gazebos below. I panic! Two burly figures with raincoats on, lay a huge package on the ground at the gazebo. They are talking to each other, but I can’t hear anything. Who are these people and what are they doing at this time of the night! I am wide awake now. I run to my bedside table to grab my phone to check the time, it’s 3:00am!
I run back to the window, leave it ajar, just enough for me to hear their conversation. I feel some splatter of rain, but I’m too wound up by the drama unfolding below, to care about a little splatter on me. They are still at the gazebo.
The two burly figures sound gruff and I think they must be men. Sounds like they are arguing and there are lots of hand gestures. The rain is easing off now.
One voice comes “come on lets empty it out into the pool, we got no time to waste”. The other says “you sure you wanna do this?”
“Bro, this is what we’ll be paid for, get the job done then collect” comes the reply.
I see two other figures walk towards the gazebo; physically they look smaller in size. Women?
The two men carry the package and walk towards the pool and place it at the edge. One of the men crouches by the package, unties one end of it. The other stands watch. I can’t believe what I see come out of the package! SNAKES! They slither into the pool. I feel goosebumps and the hair at the nape of my neck rise. The pool fills up with snakes! I panic, WHAT DO I DO?
The man who untied the package now stands next to his accomplice. I just stand rooted watching them. One of the men walks towards the package and checks it.
He announces “they’re all out; our job is done, lets get out of here”. With the empty package in hand he walks over to his accomplice. The other two at the gazebo walk over to join the men by the pool side. All four stand and look at the pool. They laugh and they seem pleased.
One of them look up, and around as though to check if they are being watched. Suddenly he stops and stares at my direction. I let out a gasp! I move away from the window, I knock into a lamp shade. Panic shoots through me. Have I been spotted!!! I walk to my bed and sit myself down. I’m paralysed with fear.
I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting on my bed. I hear the doorbell ring! I don’t know what to do!
I jolted awake; sweating, I sit up and look around; I get out of bed and walk towards the windows. I draw the curtains and look down at the pool.
I let out a sigh of relief..it was a dream!
Journeys & Adventures by JAYA 