The nightmare was just a repackaging of internal shit and external drama. Some wounds will never heal fully no matter how often I clean and salve them. Despite being lucid, none of my usual tricks brought the runaway mental train to a halt and I settled in for what was going to be another night of self-harm one way or the other.
The black dog pulled itself out of the shadows under me and snarled at the near perfect scenery. It chewed a space around itself and me, then jumped on me to push me down onto the ground of the negative space.
A three hinged jaw opened so a barbed split tongue could wash the tears off my face.
“Hi, [Sunchaser]. Fancy meeting you here.”
The creature wagged its tail and laid its full bulk on me, forcing me to lay down on the blood-warm ground and be covered by its presence. I noticed my head was clear and my mood had lightened. Around the negative space, the turmoil continued without me just as the dramas that originally traumatized me over the decades continue on as if I never existed.
“Thanks, mutt.”
It wiggled to settle itself, licked my face again, then tucked its head against my shoulder. I threw my free arm over the static furred creature and snuggled down for what would be a very deep and very restful sleep.