– It started on a seemingly ordinary night. I was a teenager, living in a quiet suburban neighborhood, unaware of the horrors that awaited me in the realm of sleep. It began innocently enough, with a text conversation between my mom and me.
Me (11:11 PM): Hey, Mom. I can’t shake off this weird feeling in my room… It’s like there’s something watching me? I’m kinda freaked out. Can you and dad get home sooner, please?
Mom (11:18 PM): Oh, Vincent, don’t worry. It’s probably just your mind playing tricks on you. You’re safe in your room. Nobody’s going to hurt you.
Me (11:18 PM): But, what if there’s a robber or someone stalking me? What do I do then?
Mom (11:20 PM): Then call the police. You should know what to do, Vince. You’re a grown boy now. I’m sure you’ll be fine on your own for one day. Get some sleep now, your father and I will be home tomorrow. -
Despite my mother’s reassurance, a sense of unease lingered in the pit of my stomach. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, hoping sleep would whisk me away from my apprehension…
As the night deepened, I drifted into an uneasy slumber. That’s when it happened–the paralysis struck with an intensity I had never EVER experienced before.
My eyes fluttered open, but I couldn’t move a muscle. I couldn’t even speak out. Sheer panic surged through me as I realized I was trapped within my own body. Darkness enveloped the room, but a chilling presence hung in the air.
From the corner of my eye, I glimpsed a shadowy figure standing at the foot of my bed. It appeared human-like, but distorted and twisted, as if it had emerged from a nightmare. - It’s face broken and torn, deeply staring at me with it’s ruptured, distorted eyes.
Fear welled up inside me, and I desperately tried to scream, to call out for help, but my voice was silenced. The figure inched closer, its presence growing heavier with each passing moment.
Frantically, I attempted to move, to break free from the paralysis that held me captive, but it was futile. My heart pounded in my chest as the figure loomed over me, its features twisted into a grotesque smile.
I cried out, “Mom! Mom?! Anyone! PLEASE, HELP ME!”
But my silent pleas remained unheard as the shadowy entity leaned closer, its cold breath grazing my cheek. I felt a wave of suffocating dread wash over me, its intensity threatening to consume my very soul.
Finally, with an otherworldly whisper, the entity spoke to me:
“Vincent… Vincent, I’ve been waiting for you for a long, long time.” It said, it’s distorted jaw hanging low.
My blood ran cold at the sound of my name spoken by that ethereal voice. Dread and confusion overwhelmed me as I strained to understand the entity’s intentions,
“Who are you? What do you want from me?” I asked as my voice trembled.
The entity chuckled, its voice echoing in the darkened room. Its laughter sent shivers down my spine, a dissonant melody that filled the air.
“Wake up Vincent.” The entity screeched.
“Wake… Up?” I asked, slowly realizing what the entity meant. “Wake up?” I repeated, my voice barely a whisper. The realization began to dawn on me, like a fog lifting from my mind. “Am I… am I dreaming?”
I snapped awake - my mom right beside me, screaming at me to wake up.
I jolted upright, drenched in sweat, as my mother’s panicked voice pierced through the remnants of the nightmare. My heart raced, my breath came in short gasps, and it took a moment for me to comprehend my surroundings.
“M-Mom?” I stammered, still grappling with the remnants of the dream. “What… what happened?”
Tears streamed down my mother’s face as she gathered me into a tight embrace, relief evident in her trembling voice. “Oh, Vincent, thank goodness you’re awake! You were thrashing around, screaming in your sleep. I’ve been trying to wake you for what felt like an eternity.” Or as she said, though it was only an hour or so.
Confusion swirled within me as I struggled to piece together the fragmented memories of the nightmare. The presence of the shadowy entity, its haunting voice, and the chilling paralysis—they all felt so vivid, so real. Yet, here I was, back in the safety of my bedroom, with my mother’s arms wrapped around me.
“It was just a dream?” I whispered, more to myself than to anyone else.
My mother nodded, her eyes filled with concern. “Yes, Vince. Just a bad dream. You’re safe now.”
Tremors of fear still coursed through my body, but the touch of my mother’s warm embrace helped ground me in reality. I gradually calmed myself, the vividness of the nightmare gradually fading into the recesses of my mind. –