A different sort of nightmare.

In the past I've gotten the occasional nightmare, most envolving zombies attacking me (I don't like zombies and I'm a glutton for punishment in that I let my friends convince me to go see the "new zombie movie", hence the nightmares). I've also experienced the occasional deja-vu dream and complete random nonsense dream. However, last night I got a whole definition of the word nightmare in my dream.

I can't remember why, but I was in my house and I went to my parents room (I'm a senior in high school). Their room looked normal enough, not too dark, not ominous or creep, just normal.

After I took two or three steps in the room, I know this because I was still close to the bedroom door, I heard a hissing noise, looked down, and saw a black snake snapping at my ankles. For some reason my mind tells me it was a asp, but I don't really know what an asp looks like from most other snakes.

Anyway, as I stepped away, back towards the door, I heard more hissing and turned quickly to find that there was another snake, another black asp, behind me. I fell but when I landed I felt a third snake under me, I suppose I fell on it, and it was writhing and trying to bite me. I couldn't see it but somehow I managed to grab it by the neck and I started to strangle it.

I know it was a snake I grabbed, but when I rolled over to get to my feet, still strangling the snake, I was horrified to find I was not holding the snake in my hands but my 1 year old cat Guen. I am very fond of her, she sleeps with me every night, and I love her dearly. I screamed and let her go immediately. She staggered around for a moment and ran. I got up and chased after her (the snakes had apparently dissappeared).

When I found her she was in our kitchen, staggering around, her neck looking deformed with the furr around it mussed and disheveled. My parents were both there and, very nonchalantly, asked about what happened to Guen. I told them about the snakes and me accidentally strangling her but they maintained a bizarre and frightening apathy about the situation. I was crying at this point and I grabbed Guen and held her sobbing as she sat limp in my arms. As I was crying, "I'm sorry," to her I woke up.

I never had a nightmare like this before. I wasn't so much in terror as I was in horror, if that makes sense. I wasn't checking closets and peking under the bed so much as I was hugging myself, shaking. Also, unlike any dream before, I haven't been able to get it out of my head all day and whenever I walk by Guen I get nervous, like I'm afraid I'll snap and strangle her or something.

Does anyone know what this might mean or why it's freaking me out so much? Any responce would be appreciated. Thanks.