Sleep Demon

Yesterday was a very tiring day. Between work, college and all your many responsibilities you were more than beat when you got to bed. So much that you didn’t even care to change your clothes. You just got under the blankets and fell asleep.

Now, you open your eyes, there’s still no light coming through the window, it must be night still. You try to turn around but can’t move, did you leave the curtains open?

“I have been waiting to see your eyes” a low hoarse voice whispers in your ear, so close to you, you can hear it perfectly, but you feel no one beside you. The bed is just next to the wall, there’s no way someone can be there. Still, your mind is everything but sharp right now so you try to turn and see.

Still can’t move. You scream.

You could swear you heard your shout on your mind, but also, did your mouth even opened? Shouldn’t your throat react when you try to scream?

You fell a faint movement on the mattress. Just like if some weight was removed, and, at the same time you feel a gentle breeze on your cheek.

“Ha ha ha” the voice sounds again, this time, farther but still clear.

At that moment you suddenly jump and turn around. There’s nothing there, you breath deep. It was all a nightmare. Relaxing, you laid on your back again, and then, you realize. You don’t feel any different than before. Were you really asleep?

Turning your head around you see the curtains open and now you remember actually closing them before jumping into bed.

Maybe you’re sleep now, maybe this is a dream. You try to pinch yourself and realize you can’t move again.

Everything goes dark, darker than before. Your eyes are closed. You can’t open them.

After some seconds that feel like minutes you start to relax. You try to convince yourself you’re just dreaming. But when does a nightmare had felt so real before?

Suddenly, there’s some weight on your legs, as if something is resting on them. Is not very heavy but you try to scream again when it starts crawling up your body again. It feels heavy now, you can barely breath. As the creature crawls up your body you can feel it shaking with excitement. You can feel it’s warm.

Now is up to your face, your eyes still closed.

You can feel its warm breath against your neck and you go cold when a wet and soft object presses against your cheek.

Is it licking you?

“Ha ha ha” you hear it laugh again. It still sounds close to you but also as if coming from deep into your own head.

You fell your insanity starting to move away from you. You try to hold to it. What is going on? Is there someone really there? Are you awake?

“Of course, you are awake” the voice whispers in your ear. So close to you it makes your whole-body tremble. You try to move away but is as if your mind is trapped into a dead body, still you need to breath. The creature’s weight making it hard to do, all its weight against your chest.

“Go back to sleep darling, I’ll take care of you”.

You wake up. For real this time. You can sense the world is the one you are used to. You stand up and turn on the lights, the curtains are closed.

After getting up and getting some water you go back to bed. Breathing is easy and your mind already forgot most of your nightmare. You get under the blankets and close your eyes. There are still some hours before you have to get up.

And then, it all comes back at once, and you scream.

“I’ll be waiting in your dreams”