Nightmare of Confusion

My eyes blink open to a sight,
of depths of the blackest night.
Heartbeat pounding in my head
as I try to shake the shivering dread.
Where was I now, did I escape?
Was any of it real or only fake?

My legs are throbbing now with pain.
Was I really running again?
Were the men chasing me,
only a dream that I can see?
Or do I travel in my sleep
to a place that is far from me?

I see the tower standing tall.
Its gleaming white stone and ivy walls.
The cool blue lake beside it too.
The scent of roses and evening dew.

Then all goes black and screams surround,
as hundreds of footfalls shake the ground.
A stampede, I think at first,
but turns out it's something worse.

"She killed the king!", I hear one cry.
An arrow shoots past in the sky,
its whistling warning gives me a chance,
to awaken from my shockfilled trance.
I move my legs that throb with pain
and begin to run in earnest again.

What happened to the room in that dark place?
The bed, the covers, the sweat on my face?
Is this the dream that frightened me?
Or was waking from this just the dream?