Jen, the dream where you were being hunted by a man with a shotgun is quite intense, and it's understandable that you felt scared. Being pursued in a dream often reflects feelings of anxiety or stress in your waking life. The fact that you escaped but witnessed harm coming to another woman may suggest feelings of guilt or helplessness in situations where you feel you've survived or succeeded at the cost of someone else. Your instinct to save the woman's son and seek help indicates a strong desire to protect others and to find safety or resolution to a troubling situation.
The setting of a pub, a place typically associated with community and socializing, contrasts the isolation and fear you experienced while being chased. Telling the people in the pub about your ordeal shows a need for support and understanding from those around you. The dream's intensity and its classification as a nightmare, with a high emotional level, reflect a significant amount of distress in your life, which might be linked to recent moods where you've felt depressed and worried.
Looking at your previous dreams, there's a pattern of anxiety and seeking help or trying to rectify situations, like the dream of adopting your sister's children or the supernatural elements when your boyfriend disappeared. These dreams, along with your recent feelings of sadness, point to a period of emotional turmoil where you're dealing with complex feelings of responsibility, loss, and the need for support.
While these dreams appear to be vivid reflections of your inner emotional state, they also show your resilience. You often find ways to escape danger or seek help within these dreams, indicating an underlying strength and determination to overcome the challenges you're facing. It's important to acknowledge these qualities in yourself during waking life, as they are a testament to your ability to navigate through difficult times.