Bamboozling Cave Dream Interpreted

Here we have a dream submission that covers a recurring dream

I'm translating this submission from Spanish to English so there may be some odd phrases intertwined. 

"At first I was on a bus because I was heading somewhere, but I ended up in a cave. I've dreamed this cave several times before, I almost always have a destination that I'm heading to, but I'm led to the cave through an alley, sewers, and a community. Back to this dream, my tour guide/ canyoning monitor appears and I ask him for directions. Before we arrive to my destination, I notice he smells burnt and realize that it seems like he's been attacked (by me?). 

Then, I have a flashback where I see two women in a hospital bed in Russia. They're not in a good head space as they ramble on that people are spies and murderers everywhere. One woman is young and the other old, and the old one is afraid of the young one because of a syringe she has that's filled with poison or maybe an anecdote. I decide to get out of there, but also am very cautious so that I don't find any traps. I leave through the basement and find some signs that show me the way out. The more I follow them, the deeper sense of dread I feel. Then, I wake up."

Interpretation time!

First off, I'm glad you were able to recognize your instincts and wake up before your dream turned into a nightmare. 

There are many ways dreams can be interpreted as it's all dependent on a variety of factors from biological to psychological and even spiritual. Let's get into some theories!

So, your dream of that cave is clearly a recurrent dream that has a lot of power in that it makes you forget your actual destination and always brings you to it- sort of like muscle memory? This signifies a strong connection. The cave doesn't have to be a real place, it can be an unresolved memory or issue, what you define as home, it can even be a part of your own mind. 

It's logical that you asked for directions, sounds like you're an analytical person and like to plan rather than wander. The part where you realize the guide has been attacked and question that it was you who did so sounds like you also share the strong connection to that "cave", and that connection seems toxic as it compromised someone that was just trying to help. 

For the two women, there's a power dynamic in this section; the old woman is afraid of the young woman because the young one holds the syringe as you said. You also mention that you aren't sure if the syringe is poison or an anecdote. I think that the syringe signifies a change, which would make sense with the younger woman having control over it as she also represents something new/change. The old woman may be afraid of such change. The whole section can also mean you just watched too much TV or some outside influence. 

You getting out of there ASAP, but being weary of those exit signs/markings show that you may be afraid of uncertainty OR that there was something malicious that you were being led to. What if you were being led back to the cave? It would be a weird loop. 

Wrap up

Now that we dissected the dream, let's attempt to tie it together. Your recurring dream of the cave can signify your comfort zone and the injured guide can represent the consequences of not leaving that zone. The two women can also represent change vs remaining constant, and you searching for a way out may mean you are having (or were having- depending on when this dream happened) an internal battle. That sense of dread you felt following those exit signs can mean that you were afraid of the end result/ refused to end that internal battle. 

These are just theories based on a multitude of factors, and while a good amount of dreams have hidden meanings, some are just randomly wild!

From one dreamer to another, sleep well and in peace.