{"id":254,"date":"2026-03-23T07:25:53","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T12:25:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anthony.sleck.us\/?p=254"},"modified":"2026-03-23T07:25:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T12:25:54","slug":"the-christmas-morning-wake-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anthony.sleck.us\/?p=254","title":{"rendered":"The Christmas Morning Wake-up"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Most people wake up on December 25th to the sound of tearing wrapping paper or the smell of coffee. I woke up at 3:00 AM<\/strong> with one thought screaming through my head: What the hell was that?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m used to vivid dreams, but this one felt different. It felt heavy. It felt real. And even now, hours later, the images are burned into my mind with a clarity that\u2019s honestly a little rattling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 1: The Guardians in the Forest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The dream started in my happy place: the forest. If you know me, you know hiking is my therapy, so nothing felt off at first. But then the “pack” joined me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wasn\u2019t alone. I was hiking with wolves\u2014multiple of them. They weren’t aggressive or threatening; they were just there<\/em>, walking alongside me like silent sentries. They were breathtakingly beautiful. We hiked for what felt like an eternity, moving through the trees with a sense of purpose, even though I had no idea where we were headed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In hindsight, it felt like a journey\u2014until the lights went out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 2: The Silent Spectator<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

“Poof.” Darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scene shifted instantly. I wasn’t in the woods anymore; I was in a room filled with my closest friends and family. This should have been a relief, but the atmosphere was suffocating. They were all visibly unhappy\u2014distraught, even.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tried to talk to them. I tried to get their attention. But it was like I was a ghost in my own life. No matter what I did, no matter how loud I yelled, they couldn’t see or hear me.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 3: The Reveal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I started looking around, trying to figure out where we were. The room was unfamiliar, but the setup was unmistakable. It was a funeral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Driven by a morbid curiosity, I walked toward the front of the room. A group of people stood around a casket, looking down with heavy hearts. I pushed through\u2014still invisible\u2014and looked inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was me.<\/strong> The moment I saw my own face staring back at me, the dream snapped. Boom.<\/em> Eyes open. 3:00 AM.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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