Sorrow

I'm at our family property, only this property is different from the property my family owns in real life. The forest is all around, as in real life, but a larger house occupies a smaller open area. The house is two storied, with a steep roof and gabled windows. There is a wide porch coming across the back, which faces a thick forest.

Between the house and the edge of the forest is a small building made from unfinished tree limbs and rough hewn logs. The limbs seem to be tied to the main frame of the building, and there are wide open windows of air. From one side of the grass, I can see through the openings of the building and through to the other side. This building is obviously very old and I walk towards it in awe, as if I'd never seen it before.

As I leave the porch and walk across the grass, I notice that I'm surrounded by family members, though I recognize none of them. They are all holding cups and chatting amongst themselves, as any family would at a reunion or holiday. One of them, an older woman, comes to me and starts to relate to me the story behind this wooden building. The building had been built by women in our family many generations ago. I don't know why the fact that only women had built it was important, but the woman tells me this in deep reverance to her ancestors and I feel pride mixed with sorrow; the building takes on the feeling I would have towards a tombstone.

As this woman finishes the story, I notice my real life cousin Julie in among the other family members that I do not recognize. Someone then yells out from the side of the house and we all turn to look as one of the older men of the family leads a large brown Ox out towards us. He's bought the animal from overseas, and will use him to help around the property.

Fast forward, my dad comes out of the house carrying a load of old sheets of yellowed glass with another man. They're extremely heavy and thick, but the men carry them over to the little wooden building and place them down on the short set of steps leading into the building, explaining that they'll be used as windows. The Ox is tied beside them to one of the support posts of the building.

Suddenly, something happens. I can't see what it is because my vision blacks out for a moment, but everyone screams and it seems as though there is alot of movement. I can only guess there was an earthquake. We try to collect ourselves and see that everyone is okay when we hear deep moans from the Ox. With the movement of the earthquake, the sheets of glass were dislodged from the building and slid down onto the Ox, slicing a deep gash into the animal. We all rush to help stop the bleeding, but we know it's too late. As the Ox bleeds to death, many of us are crying and I'm filled with a sadness I've never felt outside of waking life.

I woke up more disturbed and depressed than seems reasonable.

I actually had this dream a week ago.