Dream of a Faceless Friend

First off, this is a very old dream. I had this dream over 15 years ago already, back in senior high school. It’s one of those dreams that spanned many nights, the next night continuing on to where the previous night ended. It was quite a lucid and unforgettable dream. I’ve been thinking about it again lately, after so many years of locking it away. I thought I’d finally write it down in a public forum and find out how others (strangers) think of it. The only people I’ve ever told about this dream were close friends, but alas, they are far away now, living their own lives.

I’ll start by describing the first night...

Dream Night One:
There I was standing in the crowd, with my schoolmates, singing the national anthem in the early morning flag ceremony. As usual, we placed our right hands on our left chests while singing to the beat of the anthem leader. 4/4ths was the beat. And as usual, I never really bothered about these ceremonies, as I’d lip sync my way throughout the entire song, while amusing myself looking for some birds chasing each other from branch to branch.

However, as the song drew to a close, something surprisingly unexpected happened. Out in the skies so clear and blue, a bright light exploded out of nowhere. It blinded everyone in the school grounds. When the light faded away, my vision started to come back. I noticed I couldn’t move my body anymore. My hands were stiff and my legs were locked in place. It’s as if I was trapped in my very own body. I could still sense my thoughts though, and I could still feel the light breeze blowing through my skin, but I could not move any part of my body. I couldn’t move my head either; I can only control my eyeballs. Or could I? Maybe it was just the focus that my mind shifted to that made me think I could roll my eyeballs to the sides.

I surveyed my schoolmates in 180 degree fashion, and I noticed they were all unmoving too. It was very weird and eerie. The bell rang, and suddenly everyone marched in fashion to their respective classrooms. Like robots, (or military) the marching was too in sync, it was creepy. I marched along too, helpless against my body. As soon as we got to our classrooms, we all sat down at the same time. Our butts pounding the seats in uniform. First class started, the teacher came in. She gave commands to take out our textbooks, read some lines, or copy some notes on the board. We all did so uniformly without any deviations or differences. Classes became lifeless, mechanical, and dull...not to mention boring. It felt tired in my mind, but my body kept moving. The bell rang again for recess.

We lined up as soon as the bell rang for recess. The line to the cafeteria was so long, I thought it went for a mile or so. It moved slowly forward though, I felt a little relief in that. But somehow, something unexpected happened again. I don’t know how I did it, but I could move my arms again. I clenched my hands into a fist, and stepped forward not in sync with the rest. It felt so free. This freedom made me want to break out of this line. So I decided to run forward. But as soon as I got a foot out of the line, alarm sounds went off. Emergency lamp lights were directed at my foot. Everyone in the line started pointing their fingers at me. I got scared and nervous. But I pushed through and ran. Then people in janitor uniforms suddenly appeared and came running after me. They trapped and apprehended me. They put me in some straitjacket like a hardened criminal. I was led to the principal’s office. They pushed me inside, and lock the door behind. The principal’s chair with its back turned to face me, and there I saw our principal with a hideously looking grinning face. She grabbed the straitjacket and led me to a secret room behind the bookshelves. In that room was a chair. Much like the one they used for electrocution on death row.

I was made to sit down on this chair. And I saw this device hanging on the roof. It looked like some kind of brainwashing device. It was placed over my head like a helmet. The principal brought down the switch, and I could feel electric pulses flowing throughout my body. I blacked out in shock. When I woke up, I noticed I couldn’t move my body again anymore. I shouted in my mind, but my lips wouldn’t move, no sound came out. I panicked, scared and helpless...then I woke up and realized it was just a dream. My back was sweating...

The day went on normally, I came home from school. I watched some TV, ate dinner, and went to sleep. My strange dream continued the following night.

Dream Night Two:
And there I was back in class again, moving mechanically like robots, out of my control. Like the day before, I couldn’t move my body of my own will. The bell rang for recess and we lined up outside again. In the middle of the line, the same thing happened. I could control my body again. I was about to step out of the line, but a hand from behind tugged me back. It cautioned me to stay. The hand felt like a friend’s. It had this feeling of reassurance flowing through it. I heeded its message and stayed in line. Throughout the day, for fear of getting caught and brought to the principal’s room again, I pretended to be one of them.

Our folks didn’t pick us up from school. Nobody was allowed to go home either. It seemed like the teachers phoned our parents and told them that the kids will be spending the nights in school for the whole week, or maybe months or the whole semester if it went on like this.

That night I was sleepless. I decided to sneak out. I tiptoed my way to the door, careful not to step on anyone, not to wake them up. I walked silently through the corridors, careful not to draw any attention. But around the corner, I saw a silhouette of another. It looked like it was escaping the classrooms, too. I followed where it went. It walked out into the fields. Then it stopped. It knew I was following behind. It turned around and beckoned me to come closer. It was that same hand that tugged me earlier this day to stay in line. But no matter how much I looked into its face, I couldn’t see anything. It was faceless.

The night was still young, and the stars were shining so clearly on a cloudless sky. I looked up and admired the beauty of the stars. Before we were all brainwashed, I started to study a bit about astronomy and started memorizing some constellations. I started telling it the names of the patterns I could recognize. I talked to it about anything to keep my sanity alive from this crazy school. How I missed my old classmates. How I missed home and my family. Hours passed and I was getting tired. It beckoned me to go back to my classroom. I returned and fell asleep right away. I woke up and realized it was just a dream. My back was sweating again…

Again, the day went on normally, I came home from school. I ate dinner, did some homework, and went to sleep. The dream continued again that night.

Dream Night Three:
The days in school went on mechanically. I still kept pretending like I was one of them. Our parents were the least bit informed much less worried of what’s really going on in school. Every night, I’d sneak out again and meet my faceless friend in the middle of the fields. But as the days and nights went on, I became very restless and impatient. I really wanted to get out of this crazy damned school.

One night, I opened up this topic of getting out of this school. I had a plan. I was getting out on a Friday. I told my friend I will call my dad at home and ask him to pick me up at noon. Like those spy movies, I managed to hotwire the phone booth inside the school to make outside calls. I made the call and everything was set. All I needed to do was wait for Friday to come.

Finally, Friday came. Classes proceeded accordingly, and then the bell rang for lunch break. We were in line outside again towards the cafeteria. I was on the lookout for my dad’s car to arrive by the gates. A few minutes later, a familiar car drove by. I knew it was my dad. I started to make a run for the gates. I ran so hard, I ran for my life. Behind me, all the fingers started pointing. The janitor men started appearing too. But amidst that crowd, I saw that silhouette again of my faceless friend. As soon as I got to the gates, all of time stopped. It was like the matrix happening. I kid you not, I had this dream around 1996-97 before the matrix was even in the movies. My view of the world inside the dream rotated around. I saw my faceless friend.

I was in a dilemma. Should I go out and break free of this prison and leave my faceless friend behind? Should I stay and maybe break out together? I never really intended to leave my faceless friend behind. It just didn’t occur to me that he wanted to get out. I woke up and realized it was a just a dream. But that time freeze (and the whole dream) bothered my waking days a lot.

What do you think? Any interpretations?

Perhaps:

The blinding light is symbolizing a message intended for you, a signal or a beacon to wake up from your oppressions.

maybe before the light you were one of them also?

after the light occurred you were able to realize the state of control your life had on you. you noticed how your life was so black and white, and in the hands of others.

your faceless friend seems to be an anonymous identity, but maybe it is you. the part of you that you don't understand, and can't predict. the part of you that wants to break free.