Sleepless

It was that time again, the one I dreaded the most
When the moon shone and the stars glimmered
When Nyx played the host
Tiredness won over hesitation
And I took a step quite bold
I went to bed knowing I would regret it
Suffer, when Satan took hold
And sure enough, hours later
Suddenly I was jerked out of sleep
My body paralyzed as I fought to regain control
Feeling my heart leap
And then I felt it happen
The pressure on my chest grew
A chill breached the room
Seeped into the very air my lungs drew
My eyes flitted about, narrowing at the shriek
Tears running down my face, as I heard the floorboards
creak
And there it was, that paranormal presence
Standing in a corner
The shriek emitting from her unnaturally wide mouth
Who was this eldritch mourner?
And then I started whimpering
Feeling my body rise
Fighting valiantly, trying to move about
Paralysis smothering my cries
Then, as suddenly as it had started
It all came to an end
I jerked upright on my bed
The hallucinations starting to blend
This is why I dread the night
Hate everything it may represent
loathe the inevitability of its coming
Every minute of it I resent

Note: Sleep paralysis is a state, during waking up or falling asleep, in which a person is aware but unable to move or speak. During an episode, one may hallucinate (hear, feel, or see things that are not there), which often results in fear. Episodes generally last less than a couple of minutes. The main symptom of sleep paralysis is being unable to move or speak during awakening. Imagined sounds such as humming, hissing, static, zipping and buzzing noises are reported during sleep paralysis. Other sounds such as voices, whispers and roars and sometimes fear of human faces (believed to be superstitious like presence of a witch) are also experienced. It has also been known that one may feel pressure on their chest during an episode. These symptoms are usually accompanied by intense emotions such as fear and panic. People also have sensations of being dragged out of bed or of flying, numbness, and feelings of electric or running through their body. Sleep paralysis may include hallucinations, such as a suffocating or terrifying the individual, accompanied by a feeling of pressure on one’s chest and difficulty breathing. Another example of a hallucination involves a menacing shadowy figure one’s room or lurking outside one’s window, while the subject is paralyzed.