Day 15 Sleep Paralysis Demon
The cold grip of fear often gripped you when you just were about to travel within the realm of dreams and nightmares.
A vice coldness that gripped your entire body like ghost hands seizing every nerve in your flesh, jabbing ice into them to the point you'd become paralyzed from your feet to your head. Your vision going black around the edges as you could do nothing but lay there and wait out the effects until they went away allowing air to gasp into your lungs like a drowning man starved for air.
The condition from which you suffered from was commonly known by one name. Sleep paralysis.
You've been suffering from it as long as you could remember including when you were a young child. Unfortunately you had become used to this by now. It didn't seem as if any treatments were working to yours and your family's dismay, so you just learnt to wait it out until it passed by which thankfully was never long and it never happened too often. Perhaps only twice a month or so, so while it was a condition you didn't want it was manageable. You found comfort in knowing that you weren't the only one who suffered from the condition. That there was others out there like you.
And like with many people who suffered from your condition you too had what was known as a sleep paralysis demon. A hallucination that haunted the person who suffered the paralysis episodes.
You had one alright. When you were a child you remembered first seeing him. A young boy your age and height standing just at the edge of the bed. You could make out what looked like a shadowy-ish figure, with long hair and six eyes staring at you. His face looked surprised at first seeing you staring at him froze before he toddled up to stand next to you having trouble looking over your unicorn printed bed sheets.
"Can you see me?," a small boy's voice asked as child you could only sit there. "I can tell you can! I haven't had anyone being able to see me! You don't know how long it's been since anyone else saw me! ...Answer me! Can't you say anything?!"
You couldn't move. Couldn't speak. Paralyzed by fear and your condition. It must've lasted for eternity until you were able to breath again and the vision of the little boy vanished with your condition. Blinking your eyes before running straight to your parents who only shushed you and explained it was just your mind playing tricks with your condition.
"He isn't real," your mother assured child you patting your back. "It's just a hallucination caused by your mind. Lots of people suffer from them and when you wake up they always go away. Don't be scared. It's all in your head."
You were still not used to having your own sleep paralysis demon. The name sent chills down your spine. But your mother was right. Your hallucinations never really lasted too long and he'd always disappear with them but it always came back with the next one. You weren't sure how you got the name but you started calling it 'Michikatsu' from a child. According to your mom that's what he said he was called but you didn't remember that. Perhaps because it was too far back to remember?
Either way 'Michikatsu' kept visiting you. Didn't matter where you had your sleep paralysis, he would visit you when an episode came. He was always there. At a summer camp, sleepover at a friend's house, camping, your bedroom, when you randomly fell asleep on the car ride to your grandparents house- He was always there. Asking you questions and talking to you. The hallucination learnt quickly (or your brain realized really-) that you couldn't respond to him in your state so after a while he stopped trying to get you to respond and instead your brain just made him say something about the surroundings you found yourself in.
"Why do you procrastinate on your work? My father would've beaten me senseless if he found me slacking off like you were. Do your homework when you wake!"
"Your mother's apple pie is missing the sugar. You can smell it in the fragrance."
"Are we there yet? This car ride is taking forever!"
He was always there commenting on the thoughts your brain must've been subconsciously thinking until you were able to move again and he disappeared again with them. Honestly you grew to like your 'demon' as time went on. Despite him not being real, he made the experience less scary as silly as that sounded. The boy you hallucinated grew with you as time went on. From a small boy to a teenager to a grown man that towered over you... You'd be lying if you said your brain hadn't conjured up a rather ruggedly beautiful man for some reason you had no idea..but you weren't complaining. His personality changed overtime as well. From a child who chattered a lot to a wise man who varied from just silently sat with you keeping you company to telling you stories about his 'life' that happened outside of your hallucinations. That confused you as you never hallucinated giving him a family but you guessed hallucinations and your brain worked in mysterious ways.
Although sometimes strange things would be noticed after the episodes.
Sometimes you woke up to a glass of water on your nightstand or you found your blankets pulled over your body. You didn't really think anything of it for so long assuming your parents just wanted to make sure you were comfortable after episodes. However when it started happening AFTER you moved out you then assumed it was one of your roommates who were nice girls but ..maybe there was something a little bit more supernatural was at play. Especially when he commented on things you yourself couldn't even know even subconsciously.
"That student in the back is cheating. I see the way he looks at the notes he writes on his palms. Absolutely shameful behavior. He has no honor. That is why I like you. You work hard to earn what you have and you don't allow your shortcomings to get you down."
You were shocked to find out your classmate had flunked out of college after being caught cheating by writing notes on his hands and arms and then secretly looking at them for tests instead of studying like the rest of you.
Maybe this hallucination was a little bit more than just a figment of your imagination.
Your suspicions were confirmed when you next had an episode. Paralyzed and forced to stare at the ceiling your heart racing. Amongst the fear a feeling of softness washing over you as fuzzy warm blankets was pulled up to your neck and the familiar face of six eyed company looked down upon you.
"There now. Rest. Be assured that I will be by your side until this passes always."