One of those strange dreams that wake me up. 

A path less travelled through and over scrubby grassed sand dunes to andark and gloomy house.  Usually took a paved path to the house but this time the dune shortcut.  Someone was with me, my usual dream companion who remains just out of sight.  I never see his/her face. 

The house so shuttered against the day it was difficult to see.  Large paintings on the walls.  Charcoal?  Dark against the darkness.  By peering closely I could see they were portraits; an eye here, a mouth there. 

Two men, brothers were there.  One of them told me they'd finally convinced their mother to go into a nursing home.  I saw her, shawled and bent but tall, steady on her feet.  She didn't look frail or feeble.  Nevertheless the son was pleased she was finally going to a facility where they would look after her.  She was leaving behind two cats, one of them a 19 year old semi longhair tabby.  I don't know what the other one was.  And two birds, one a budgerigar.    The son said all four of them would be destroyed. 

But couldn't I take the budgie at least, I asked.  Give him a home.  No.  It would be destroyed along with the others.

And then I woke up.  The wind was howling, the half moon shone and I grieved for the death of the dream animals.