I don’t consider myself superstitious at all—I walk under ladders, meow at any black cats crossing my path, and when I have to pick a number I always go with thirteen (it’s always available). But when I worked at an ESL camp 7-8 years ago, one of the Chinese students gave me this thing (talisman?) to defeat any nightmares that try entering my home. I’ve had it nailed near every bedroom window I’ve slept in since.
Just now I realized it had been flipped over, and the sword was facing inwards instead of outwards. Without a second’s pause I thought “well *that’s* why I haven’t been sleeping well lately!” and turned it back around.
