Friday 17 April 2015

O is for Oneiric


For this year's A-Z Challenge I have selected a word from the dictionary for each day and written a story around it with a 100 word limit. For extra interest I have chosen words that are unknown or unfamiliar to me. All definitions are from the Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus 2007 Edition. Today's word is: Oneiric.

Oneiric: Relating to dreams or dreaming.

The wrong people had got wind of his methods, he was sure of it. He was an oneiric investigator, the first of his kind. He had nailed many a perp from the visions he’d had in his sleep. But it wasn’t recognised by the authorities, so he worked privately.

But something was going wrong. He hadn’t dreamt at all the last few nights. That was bad when bodies were piling up. He’d woken up at night, sweating and panting. Most people who had violent dreams filled with death and gore wanted them to stop, but he was the opposite.

35 comments:

Tammy Theriault said...

Oneiric. I like that! I'm quite the oneiric person too! Spell check doesn't like that word on my iPhone. Haha!

L.G. Keltner said...

That's a good word to know, and I love that he needs the dreams that most people would dread!

Scribbles From Jenn said...

Cool new word. Although I don't want to know anyone who doesn't want his violent dreams to stop.

Scribbles From Jenn - Visiting from the A to Z Challenge

Melissa Sugar said...

Eerie. I like the word. He wants the dreams to continue. What a cool piece you've written. Can he only fine the killer if his wicked violent dreams continue? Poor dude,

LuAnn @ BackPorchervations said...

This is cool, Nick. Kind of like "30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary" in bloggy form!

Blogoratti said...

That was a short dark tale...and nice word!

Jennifer Hawes said...

A dream investigator?? So cool! That'd make an awesome book.

Tasha Duncan-Drake said...

Oh dear, sounds like someone is blocking him - never good to find a murderer with the supernatural on their side. I'm intrigued to know what might happen next :)
Tasha
Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

He better remember one of those dreams soon.

Tamara Narayan said...

Sounds a bit like Inception a little, a movie I've only heard about but haven't seen yet. This short would make a great foundation for a longer piece.

T. Powell Coltrin said...

An investigator lead by dreams. That's a cool concept.

I never want to be oneiric anything. My dreams are violent.

A Tarkabarka Hölgy said...

Intriguing! I'd like to know more about him! :)

@TarkabarkaHolgy from
Multicolored Diary - Epics from A to Z
MopDog - 26 Ways to Die in Medieval Hungary

Annalisa Crawford said...

An interesting take on the word. Seems like a risky gift to base a career on, though.

Annalisa, writing A-Z vignettes, at Wake Up, Eat, Write, Sleep

Cathrina Constantine said...

Good Word and intriguing snippet.

jaybird said...

This is so cool I wanted you to keep going. I think you should continue fleshing this out into a full fledge story!!

Sophie Duncan said...

I like the idea of this guy, sounds like a story I'd like to read. Sounds like someone is blocking his dreams, that can't be healthy for him, or for those he should be dreaming about.
Sophie
Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles
FB3X
Wittegen Press

Keith's Ramblings said...

I suppose his dreams provided him with a living! Next time you see him suggest he eats cheese before going to bed!

cleemckenzie said...

I love the word and I love the idea that you could dream the solution to a crime.

Liz A. said...

Uh oh. Is someone blocking his dreams? Is he next?

David Powers King said...

I could do with more oneirics in my life. :)

Sarah Foster said...

That was awesome! I wanted it to keep going :)

betty said...

Makes you wonder what happened that he stopped dreaming those dreams!! I hope it is just a temporary thing and once again that trait of his comes back so he can catch those who are killing people.

betty

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Nick - this is a great word .. and a wonderful story line ... you really did bring it to life (except I'm so glad I don't dream like that!!) - however we need to find the perpetrators ..

Great - well done .. cheers Hilary

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Could be a TV series. Sounds like a lot of interesting possibilites.

loverofwords said...

What a great use of the word! Are there such things as oneiric investigators?

Mark said...

Wow, big word and my new one for the day. Thanks for enlighening me:)

djinnia said...

Love the word and the story!

My first thought when I reached the end was "Please, Sir, may I have some more" story? I would definitely read more of this.

Julie Flanders said...

This seems like a great plot for a novel to me. I would love to know more about this guy and his dreams! How cool.

Anonymous said...

Interesting story. I bet that would make a great full length novel.

~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Member of C. Lee's Muffin Commando Squad
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author

Nick Wilford said...

Thank you all! This story was written very off the cuff about half an hour before posting. I thank those who said they would like to read more and I would quite like to find out more, so it's definitely something to bear in mind!

diedre Knight said...

Intriguing concept! Terrific flash, now I want to know what happens next!
Very interesting theme you have :-)

Cherie Reich said...

What a great word! And I want to read more!

J E Oneil said...

Ah, one I've actually heard of, although I can't remember where. What a cool way to use that skill. I think there's a book behind this one.

Michelle Wallace said...

Ah, this one sounds like a full-length story waiting to unfold...
Great flash fiction!

Holly Jahangiri said...

Oh, how interesting. I know the feeling of desperation when the dreams - even the nightmares - stop altogether. Fortunately, it wasn't permanent and the stakes weren't as high.

It's said that only the insane don't dream. Or is it that not dreaming leads to insanity? Either way, it's an alarming thought.