you need a reed

i was being chased by a vague gray-clad person. his whole body was covered in gray - like a lycra suit or something. and i knew i couldn't outrun him so when i came by a pole, i climbed up it. it was a tree. but it only had two tiny branches. i went to the top one about a hundred feet up. and before he reached me and touched me (really, i was just afraid of his touch, not being killed) i decided that i would jump. i thought that i would probably just break my legs but otherwise survive. and so i went to the end of this tiny branch with its two leaves and i hung from it ready to drop. but i was stopped. a plump motherly figure firmly told me "you need a reed." and i was annoyed that i was being disturbed in this stressful moment but she repeated "you need a reed. it will bend and you can drop safely into the water." and even though it was barren ground beneath me, i saw the truth of this. and then i was sitting in a bathtub washing myself and thinking "a reed. i need a reed." and she had brought me to this clean place where i could think and there were big bright clean towels to dry off with folded all around on the white tile. she asked me if i was okay and i said that i was. my mind was racing with gratefulness and thoughts of how i had almost dropped and injured myself but just needed a reed.