Last night, I had a strange nightmare... but unlike most nightmares; this one involved aspects that are still terrifying to me after waking up.

I dreamt I was above the clouds, parachuting down, it was beautiful and slow. Then as I began to fall through the clouds, I could start to see below what looked like something besides land. But I didn't know what. The clouds were cool and I was wet with mist... Then I could make out the blackness more, and I knew once I saw the long white reflection of the sun, I was falling slowly above the ocean.

There was no land, no ships, no one to save me. Just endless… black… ocean. I was miles above and started to panic - since I am both terrified of the ocean in my dream as well in real life - and as I drifted downward, I wondered if I should release my chute and die from impact... or over the next 40 minutes fall closer and closer into my worst fear.

Thankfully, the dream didn’t go any further than that. It was the kind of terrifying that makes your stomach sick.