My nightmares have abated somewhat this year, but last night I had one. I don't remember the whole thing, but these are the parts I do remember:

I'm inside the house with another person beside me, but I can't see this person, and there is this sense of dread and foreboding outside, it's windy. The other person says something like, "Listen...it's here" and we both hear what sounds like a large animal making awful noises [probably me snoring] and scrambling along the side of the house. We look over towards the door and it's open! I think to myself "Oh God, why did I leave it open? It's too late." I don't want to go anywhere near the door. Then suddenly this big black evil looking dog beast comes bursting through the door, obviously intent on killing us! Aaaaargh!! Zips around behind us and attacks! Terror ensues and I immediately get bitten on the forearm, but this other person knows what to do, and pulling out this long metal icicle looking thing, drives it into the heart of the beast and kills it! Then everything goes blurry...

Part II:

The next thing, we're outside, it's dark, and I'm fully healthy, not dead. And then, oh my god, what comes lurching into the scene again? The beast and it's circling us. But this time it has patches of fire on its black fur and it's whole head is ablaze, it looks hideous, snaring at us. I'm terrified. But this other person who again I cannot see, say's 'I know a trick' and goes over to a bowl of pet food [ha] and places a hand grenade in it. With great relief the beast see's the bowl of pet food, heads towards it, eats, then resumes it's threatening behaviour, head ablaze, fangs showing, awful hateful eyes. But we both know it has the grenade in it's mouth and we wait for it to explode; one second, two seconds, three seconds, four, five,...ten seconds! Come on!! It's not exploding!! - twelve seconds. I have a spear that I pull from the clothesline[?] and I slowly approach ready to stab the beast who is looking right at me, oh god how awful. It lunges at me!! Aaargh!! [I was probably yelling in my sleep at this stage] I stab furiously into it's mouth trying to set off the grenade!! Panic!! Then suddenly, slowly everything starts to freeze and stop as the beasts fire goes out, just standing there, frozen to the spot, grey now, becoming transparent as I slowly awaken from my dream and open my eyes. Oh gosh, thank goodness for that, I say to myself.

In this dream I see certain elements from horror films I've watched, but I wonder, what does the dream mean? What are the causes behind this inner drama?

Any ideas anyone? What do you think?

Thank you.