---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was terrifying, the idea that we could…"
description: "\"“It was terrifying, the idea that we could fall asleep girls, minty breathed and nightgowned, and wake to find ourselves wolves. “I”\" — Nina LaCour"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/nina-lacour-2768_terrifying_it-was-terrifying-the-idea-that-we-could_3184584.jpg"
---

#  It was terrifying, the idea that we could fall asleep…

![“It was terrifying, the idea that we could fall asleep girls, minty breathed and nightgowned, and wake to find ourselves wolves. “I” quote by Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/nina-lacour-2768_terrifying_it-was-terrifying-the-idea-that-we-could_3184584.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/nina-lacour-2768_terrifying_it-was-terrifying-the-idea-that-we-could_3184584.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/nina-lacour-2768_terrifying_it-was-terrifying-the-idea-that-we-could_3184584.jpg)

> ““It was terrifying, the idea that we could fall asleep girls, minty breathed and nightgowned, and wake to find ourselves wolves. “I””

[Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote imagines a surreal transformation from human to wolf, symbolizing fear of losing control and identity during sleep.

**In simple terms:** Fear of losing self while asleep.

Key Takeaway

Embrace awareness of inner changes.

Themes

identity transformation fear surrealism

Mood

uneasy reflective

Type

literary metaphorical

When to use this quote

- nighttime anxiety
- creative writing
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

mythology psychology altered states

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you feel when you lose control?
- What symbols represent your hidden fears?

A Different Perspective

The metaphor may be too abstract for practical use.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Breathed Nightgowned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breathed-nightgowned-5848831/) [Nightgowned Wake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nightgowned-wake-5848832/) [Terrifying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrifying/) [Terrifying Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrifying-idea-3336322/) [Wolves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wolves/)

## Related quotes

> [As terrifying as sharks are, I find it far more terrifying, the idea of being trapped on the bottom of the ocean with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-moore/as-terrifying-as-sharks-are-i-find-it-far-more-terrifying-the-idea-of/)

[Mandy Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-moore/)

> [Death is a big theme in the book, illness. What is that? It's a fact that human beings - no matter who they are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/death-is-a-big-theme-in-the-book-illness-what-is-that-it-s-a-fact/)

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

> [“Men slept at night. They sat when they ate. They ate meat that was cooked, not raw. Wolves didn’t sleep at night. They crouched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-noffke/men-slept-at-night-they-sat-when-they-ate-they-ate-meat-that-was/)

[Sarah Noffke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-noffke/)

> [“I'd expected to see yellow eyes, like a dog; instead, I realised as I stared back, that they weren't animal eyes... They were human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-mcgregor/i-d-expected-to-see-yellow-eyes-like-a-dog-instead-i-realised-as-i/)

[Angel McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-mcgregor/)

> [“mankind have a little corrupted nature, for they were not born wolves, and they have become wolves; God has given them neither cannon of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/mankind-have-a-little-corrupted-nature-for-they-were-not-born-wolves/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [“Predators the two were equals on different fronts. Alpha, and beta; wolves fed, fucked, and bled hard, and they lived up to the name.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sai-marie-johnson/predators-the-two-were-equals-on-different-fronts-alpha-and-beta/)

[Sai Marie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sai-marie-johnson/)

> [If you live among wolves you have to act like a wolf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-khrushchev/if-you-live-among-wolves-you-have-to-act-like-a-wolf/)

[Nikita Khrushchev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-khrushchev/)

> [It is crucial to have guys who talk in your team. I will use someone like Wolves' Conor Coady as an example, he never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mctominay/it-is-crucial-to-have-guys-who-talk-in-your-team-i-will-use-someone/)

[Scott McTominay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mctominay/)

> [At times, you're welcome, depending on what's being cast. 'Dances with Wolves' - they wanted authentic-looking Indians in the film, and so they got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-studi/at-times-you-re-welcome-depending-on-what-s-being-cast-dances-with/)

[Wes Studi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-studi/)

> [“The wolves were circling, wary of the might and presence of the kingly beasts who dared to challenge possession of the crown and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-canham/the-wolves-were-circling-wary-of-the-might-and-presence-of-the-kingly/)

[Marsha Canham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-canham/)

> [“Grief is like an ocean. It comes in waves - some waves are bigger than others and you cannot prepare for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-lane/grief-is-like-an-ocean-it-comes-in-waves-some-waves-are-bigger-than/)

[Summer Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-lane/)

> [Wolves eat cats for dinner. By God, I wanna be a wolf. ~Kane Tyler~](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lora-leigh/wolves-eat-cats-for-dinner-by-god-i-wanna-be-a-wolf-kane-tyler/)

[Lora Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lora-leigh/)

> [Are humans ever going to get smart enough to realize how cruel it is to eliminate entire species that we think are annoying? Will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jomon-johny/are-humans-ever-going-to-get-smart-enough-to-realize-how-cruel-it-is/)

[Jomon Johny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jomon-johny/)

> [“As healthy and viable populations of wild animals, wolves were gone from most of eastern North America long before the death of the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-hampton/as-healthy-and-viable-populations-of-wild-animals-wolves-were-gone/)

[Bruce Hampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-hampton/)

> [The peasants of the Asturias believe that in every litter of wolves there is one pup that is killed by the mother for fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-peasants-of-the-asturias-believe-that-in-every-litter-of-wolves/)

[Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/)

## More by Nina LaCour

> [“No," I say. "I didn't know that," and as I say it I feel flooded with bitterness at all the things Ingrid kept secret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/no-i-say-i-didn-t-know-that-and-as-i-say-it-i-feel-flooded-with/)

[Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/)

> [I want to tell you about everything but I can't because I couldn't stand for you to have that look on your face all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/i-want-to-tell-you-about-everything-but-i-can-t-because-i-couldn-t/)

[Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/)

> [“We all want to be feel something, we want to be someone to one another.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/we-all-want-to-be-feel-something-we-want-to-be-someone-to-one-another/)

[Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/)

> [“I know," I say. "It sucks. Let's go get tacos and sit on the beach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/i-know-i-say-it-sucks-let-s-go-get-tacos-and-sit-on-the-beach/)

[Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/)

> [“I sleep through the next day. Each time I go to the bathroom, I try not to look in the mirror. Once, I catch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/i-sleep-through-the-next-day-each-time-i-go-to-the-bathroom-i-try-not/)

[Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/)

> [“Crushes are supposed to be fun, aren't they? They definitely aren't supposed to be so torturous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/crushes-are-supposed-to-be-fun-aren-t-they-they-definitely-aren-t/)

[Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/)

> [“Maybe it doesn't matter, maybe if we all force ourselves to act like we're okay even if we're not, eventually things will get better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/maybe-it-doesn-t-matter-maybe-if-we-all-force-ourselves-to-act-like/)

[Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/)

> [“My room is so quiet and empty it hurts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/my-room-is-so-quiet-and-empty-it-hurts/)

[Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/)

> [“That's what friends do: they notice things. They're there for each other. They see what parents don't.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/that-s-what-friends-do-they-notice-things-they-re-there-for-each/)

[Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/)

> [“I don't want to hurt you or anybody so please forget about me. Just try. Find yourself a better friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/i-don-t-want-to-hurt-you-or-anybody-so-please-forget-about-me-just/)

[Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/)

> [“I don't know if any of this would have happened if we had been at home... Would we have crammed ourselves into the bathroom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/i-don-t-know-if-any-of-this-would-have-happened-if-we-had-been-at/)

[Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/)

> [“I can't believe that we could be so impermanent”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/i-can-t-believe-that-we-could-be-so-impermanent/)

[Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/)

> [“Whenever Ingrid and I got out of the suburbs, into Berkeley or San Francisco, and saw how other people lived, Ingrid would cry at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/whenever-ingrid-and-i-got-out-of-the-suburbs-into-berkeley-or-san/)

[Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/)

> [ “She \[Ava\] was never something waiting to be solved. All she is—all she’s ever been—is a person trying to live a life.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/she-ava-was-never-something-waiting-to-be-solved-all-she-is-all-she-s/)

[Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/)

> [“My mom says Ingrid's name and I start to hum, not the melody to a song, just one drawn-out note. I know it makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/my-mom-says-ingrid-s-name-and-i-start-to-hum-not-the-melody-to-a-song/)

[Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/)

[Explore all 141 Nina LaCour quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/)

## More Terrifying quotes

> [“I find it terrifying how any of us can die at any moment, yet we live our lives always planning for the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr-user/i-find-it-terrifying-how-any-of-us-can-die-at-any-moment-yet-we-live/)

[Tumblr user](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tumblr-user/)

> [It's fucking terrifying that no matter how many promises they made, no matter how long you've been together, someone can get up &amp; walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larissa-derrah/it-s-fucking-terrifying-that-no-matter-how-many-promises-they-made-no/)

[Larissa Derrah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larissa-derrah/)

> [You are terrifying, and strange, and beautiful. Something not everyone knows how to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warsan-shire/you-are-terrifying-and-strange-and-beautiful-something-not-everyone/)

[Warsan Shire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warsan-shire/)

> [The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/the-threat-is-usually-more-terrifying-than-the-thing-itself/)

[Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/)

> [You have to find a balance with food in your life - you can't take out food. It can be absolutely terrifying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carre-otis/you-have-to-find-a-balance-with-food-in-your-life-you-can-t-take-out/)

[Carre Otis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carre-otis/)

> [Trying to put music out there in the world is a pretty exciting, yet terrifying, thing and I've just been through the ringer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-bruno/trying-to-put-music-out-there-in-the-world-is-a-pretty-exciting-yet/)

[Aaron Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-bruno/)

> [What Messi does is terrifying. It's indescribable magic. You can't analyze it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-luis-menotti/what-messi-does-is-terrifying-it-s-indescribable-magic-you-can-t/)

[Cesar Luis Menotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-luis-menotti/)

> [The nine most terrifying words in the English language are "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-nine-most-terrifying-words-in-the-english-language-are-i-m-from/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [He had been through a good deal in the course of the Great Quest — he had seen beautiful things and horrible things —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ende/he-had-been-through-a-good-deal-in-the-course-of-the-great-quest-he/)

[Michael Ende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ende/)

> [Senseless violence is, almost by definition, hard to understand. Not that I can understand terrorists who kill from hate, but at least we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-estrich/senseless-violence-is-almost-by-definition-hard-to-understand-not/)

[Susan Estrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-estrich/)

> [There were also horror shows on the radio. Very terrifying and thrilling to me as a kid. They had all these creepy sound effects.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-hagedorn/there-were-also-horror-shows-on-the-radio-very-terrifying-and/)

[Jessica Hagedorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-hagedorn/)

> [I’ll always defend the people I love even though I’m as terrifying as a baby penguin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niall-horan/i-ll-always-defend-the-people-i-love-even-though-i-m-as-terrifying-as/)

[Niall Horan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niall-horan/)

> [I'm curious about what makes people do things that they do, unless it's absolutely terrifying to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/i-m-curious-about-what-makes-people-do-things-that-they-do-unless-it/)

[Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/)

> [To feel is perhaps the most terrifying thing in this society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-taylor/to-feel-is-perhaps-the-most-terrifying-thing-in-this-society/)

[Cecil Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-taylor/)

> [I really enjoyed being pregnant up until the point when the terrifying pains began.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-weymouth/i-really-enjoyed-being-pregnant-up-until-the-point-when-the/)

[Emma Weymouth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-weymouth/)

[Browse all 570 Terrifying quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrifying/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“It was terrifying, the idea that we could fall asleep girls, minty breathed and nightgowned, and wake to find ourselves wolves. “I”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nina LaCour"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/it-was-terrifying-the-idea-that-we-could-fall-asleep-girls-minty/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Terrifying"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/it-was-terrifying-the-idea-that-we-could-fall-asleep-girls-minty/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/nina-lacour-2768_terrifying_it-was-terrifying-the-idea-that-we-could_3184584.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/nina-lacour-2768_terrifying_it-was-terrifying-the-idea-that-we-could_3184584.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/nina-lacour-2768_terrifying_it-was-terrifying-the-idea-that-we-could_3184584.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It was terrifying, the idea that we could fall asleep girls, minty breathed and nightgowned, and wake to…” — Nina LaCour",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Nina LaCour",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“It was terrifying, the idea that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/it-was-terrifying-the-idea-that-we-could-fall-asleep-girls-minty/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/it-was-terrifying-the-idea-that-we-could-fall-asleep-girls-minty/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
