intruder in the family home

I was in my family home in Newcastle where I lived when I was a teenager. It was night and was walking down the hall. I could see my niece sitting at a desk in my brother’s room. She was absorbed in what she was doing. My nephew suddenly ran down the hall toward me, crying. In my dream, although he was the age he is now—in his twenties—he was the size of a small child. He was frightened as an intruder had entered the house. I picked him up to sooth him and, holding him in my arms, I looked around. Sure enough, the door opening out to the verandah was open and a gentle wind blew through, lifting the curtains. I was startled as the verandah is on the second floor, so someone must have scaled the outside of the house to enter at that level. Other things seemed to be out of place but there was no sign of the person I knew to be a man. I went into my parents’ bedroom and telephoned the police. I could hear sirens sounding and realised that my nephew had already called them. Whilst I was still speaking with the operator, the man appeared and began to overpower me with mild violence. From this point on, my nephew changed into my brother but at this stage he was still the size of a child so he was helpless to protect me. The man forced me out onto the verandah where he was joined by several other men; they all appeared to be very rough. I tried humouring them but they dangled me over the edge of the railing, threatening to drop me. Upside-down, I could see my worried sister standing on the ground below. I called out to her, telling her that should I die, she must know that I love her. I could also see my brother trapped on the balcony with the men. I called to him to tell him I love him and to tell him not to worry, that there was nothing he could have done. The man holding my feet hesitated and I took the opportunity to kick him and twist through the air. I landed, unharmed, on the ground. I hugged my sister but we couldn’t leave without my brother. He was now his real-life size, but he was still surrounded by the gang of men. I willed him to jump, knowing that the ground appeared to be further away from his vantage. He risked it and leapt over the railing, landing on the ground beside us.