The Nightmare

Age ~ 18 months

I was sleeping soundly when suddenly I felt horrible fear.  I started screaming at the top of my lungs.  My parents came running.  I was standing in my crib, screaming, scared out of my wits.  I was sure that horrible scary things were outside my window and that they intended me great harm.

Years later I saw a picture of that same window.  The curtains on each side were made of a paisley patterned cloth.  The color of the curtain background was a dark brown.  Viewed at night, only the paisley “eyes” would have shown in the night.  Even so much later (I was in my last year of junior high when I saw the picture) I had a visceral reaction to the picture showing those curtains.