i had a nightmare last night. it's one that i've had before several times, but last night's was worse than normal.

in the dream, i'm always somehow present at the investigation of a murder, often as an investigater with the police. last night, i was a reporter for a newspaper, and just happened to arrive at the scene before the police. every adult in the town was dead, but there was no trace of any children.

usually, i stumble upon something rather out of place... a carnival or circus. within one of the tents, all of the towns children are being held in thrall by a supernaturally evil clown. through the rest of the dream, i investigate the circus, discover the clowns weakness, and free the children. several are killed along the way, more dead adults are found, the clown is fucking scarey... it's a nightmare. but i prevail.

last night, in the dream, i knew that i was in a dream, and that i had dreamed it before many times. i already knew where to find the children and how to free them, so i cut out all the investigation and went straightaway to free the children. the clown didn't like that. he physically attacked me himself, which he's never done before. he chased me through the town, to where the police were still investigating. he killed them all, in gruesome, horrible ways. he continued chasing me, wounding me, and scaring the hell out of me. he began killing the children. he nearly killed me. then i woke up.

i couldn't sleep for a while afterwards, then i didn't sleep well once i got back to sleep.

i went to run errands at lunch. at 61st and Yale, there was a clown standing on the corner, holding a sign. he didn't look like the one from my dream but he still freaked me out. i hate clowns.