could someone help me interpret this?

[Johny023]

i'm a 17 year old male, if any more information is needed feel free to ask, i'll answer almost any question.
this is a reoccurring dream I've had, although i don't have it too often.

the dream is in 3rd person and it starts with me and a few other kids that i don't recognize in this area I've never seen before, there's a forest completely surrounding the place with only one path in or out, to the north, there's a lake in the middle of the area with a small river going to the west, the land arcs upwards to make a bridge over the river and there's a pier going out from the "land bridge" over the lake, just a little south of that is a house.
we where all out near the east side of the lake and we all (me included) look to be around 8-13 years old, we where just running around having fun, it looked like we where playing tag or something like it. eventually we got tired and walked to the house, when we got there i grabbed a apple out of a crate near the door, it felt natural as if i did that every time i walked by the door. everyone else went into the house. i walked up to the pier and sat there to eat the apple while watching the lake and the house. i was thinking about how perfect everything is, and how happy i was that i made it this way. one of the kids came up behind me and said "hey we saw a carnival over in that empty lot, we're going to go see it are you coming? it will be fun." i stop for a second and thought to myself, "that's not right, how could anything get in here, maybe something small could slip in but a entire carnival?"
then another kid comes up to me and pulls me to my feet and says "of course he's coming, it would be no fun without him" we just laugh and i say "yeah I'll come." so we catch up with the rest of the group who where already walking there.

we walk over to the north side of the area and take the path to the carnival, the path has trees on both sides with no side paths. we eventually come to a gate, outside the gate there's a crate with candy in it, i take a piece of candy and put it in my pocket, and everyone else takes a handful. we are all talking about the carnival and how fun it's going to be, the view moves so i can't see myself or the other kids but i can see the carnival. there's a Ferris wheel and a bunch of tents around it, i check to see how it got there and the lot it's in is completely surrounded by trees with no other paths in or out. all of a sudden it starts to fade away, it disappears leaving just a empty lot with a bunch of trees around it that are now dead. the view goes back to me and I'm now at my current age (17) the trees around the path are all dead, the crate of candy is now just a bunch of rocks, and the kids i was with are gone. i stand there for a few seconds, really confused, then i look at the crate of rocks, i reach into my pocket and take out the piece of candy i had only to see that it is a rock.

i start walking down the path back to the house, thinking everyone went home. when i get to the end of the path i see that all the trees surrounding this area are dead too, the grass is dead, the lake is dried up, and the house looks like it's been abandoned for many years, and looks like it could collapse any second. i just stood there in disbelief, i eventually walked to the house. when i got there i reached for a apple without really thinking about it, only to find that they where all rotten, i looked in the house but as i expected no one was there.

i left the house and walked back up to the pier, the only thing that hadn't changed, and just sat at the end of the pier wondering how this happened and what i should do now. i was really upset and felt like i should leave, but when i try to memories of the place from before came back to me and i just couldn't leave them behind. eventually i pull myself together and leave. i walk off into the forest of dead trees, i walk for what feels like days, but find nothing. after a while i get too tired to walk and have to stop to rest for a while. then i wake up.

does anyone know what this could mean?
thanks for your time, sorry it's a long read.

[IrisRavenstar]

Hi Johny,

I think your dream is reflective of your age, where you are coming into being a young man with sexuality being something you are dealing with learning about and forming opinions and attitudes about. The apple, the carnival, and the candy all point to this. Apples because they relate to the fall from Grace in the Garden of Eden (though as a Gnostic Christian, I think that was more planned than wicked, like we had to "fall" in order to learn to be real boys and girls, and not puppets, via experience). Carnival because the word come from "carne" which means meat or flesh, so the fleshly existance vs. the spiritual. Candy is often a metaphor for sex, like "Don't take candy from strangers" to avoid sexual predators... or an old novel by that title, which I remember reading as a teenager; it was rather popular at the time, very naughty, not something I was supposed to be reading at all. How did I even get a copy? I forget!

Eight to thirteen still can feel like the age of innocence, but sexuality issues become more important at seventeen, and the relationship part of it all can certainly be difficult to work through. The dead trees, the abandoned house, the dried up lake, may speak of the feeling that those simple innocent times have died, and you may MISS them! Life was easier then, less complicated. With the candy being just rocks, I am wondering too if you just broke up from a relationship, perhaps, and if this dream is mirroring how you feel about that. Maybe it was a difficult breakup, so now you think all the apples are rotten, and you know, they do say that it only takes one rotten one to spoil the lot.

It's not necessarily true, I guess, though I certainly understand the feelings I see here! Breakups are hard, whether it's a teenage romance, or a long term marriage. The person you once loved and cared about suddenly becomes the enemy, and it's sad, really. All I can say, really, if I'm getting this right, is to give it time. Time heals and brings insight.

You might enjoy the book _Something Wicked This Way Comes_ by Ray Bradbury... it's a novel about a carnival coming to town, one that has a magical carousel that carries people backwards to being children again. The carousel used to film the movie made from the book is in a carousel museum in Connecticut, and it rather fascinates me, as it goes counterclockwise, and the horses' heads are too small for their bodies. The whole museum is fascinating, if you're ever in the area!

All best...

[Johny023]

i never actually thought of it that way, that's a area that rarely comes to mind. you are right about me feeling like feeling the simple innocent times have died and i do miss them, there are many times where i just wish i could go back and stay in that time forever. although i've never been in a relationship, due to a lot of problems i've had, caused by other people i try to avoid the general public so i've never gone looking for a relationship and never really wanted one. i used to be the kind of person who was friends with everyone, now i prefer to be alone, i've kept my really close friends, but i avoid everyone else. better safe then sorry is how i see it.
i think i've heard of that book you mentioned, i'll have to look into it sometime.

thanks for the help.