Chapter 1: Nightmare

A sharp stab in my abdomen violently knocked me out of my stupor.

It's happening again.

A dull, aching pain slowly spread across my body from the initial spot. My muscles automatically flexing in a futile attempt to protect itself. It was as if I am being sawed in half slowly. My body, frozen, unable to move even a finger on my own accord.

My sharp, jagged breathing and the loud stomping of my heart muted everything else. Was that a click? Did a door just open? What are the low murmurs I'm hearing? Trying to get a sense of my surroundings, I questioned the things I barely heard.

A whiff of blood wafted upwards, getting caught in my nose. The metallic stench thick and sickening as it flowed into my lungs. I'm drowning in the stench. Every breath I take, it coats my nose, mouth and lungs with the disgusting scent but the pain forces me to breathe harder. I'm gasping for more air, but all I get is more blood coated oxygen. My own blood.

Shadows danced over me, blocking the bright light piercing through my eyelids over and over again, taunting me. Like the lantern festival celebrations, the shadows of the lanterns swaying in the wind.

If I can just relax and go back to sleep it'll be over when I wake up.

Deep breaths, calm down. It'll be over soon.

Don't look, don't listen, don't feel. It'll be over soon.

Tears dripped down the corners of my eyes, mixing with the sweat from my temples and pooling in my ears. Something warm and wet wiped away my sweat and tears as I heard a stirring behind my head. Fresh air came over me and washed away the scent of blood.

My breathing slowly settled. The aching pain became a dull throb. Something cold and hard touched my sides, caressing it, like it's savoring my suffering. Soon, my body will be tugged this way and that, the monsters trying to decide which pieces of me will be divided amongst them.

It was always like this when they came, the monsters.

Monsters I couldn't fight.

The first time, I tried to fight. My fists clenched, my spine curled, and my heart raced in preparation for a fight. I couldn't feel any pain past the initial stab. I wanted to protect myself, but something stopped me. It wasn't only the pain I couldn't feel. I did clench my fists right? Where did they go? I tried to wiggle my feet, but they weren't there either. My body was like a head and torso floating in space. Confused and drugged up in adrenaline, I endured my first time in fear.

The doctors said it was a nightmare and that I had experienced sleep paralysis. My inability to move, hallucinations of the pain and monsters were consistent with the symptoms. They said that since it had happened at night and there were no signs of wounds on my body, it couldn't have actually happened. They said they'd give me something to help me sleep and gave some instructions on how to sleep better. I was taught relaxation techniques to help me get over it when it happened again.

A wave of drowsiness settled over me as I breathed deeper and my brain wandered. Relax. It'll be over soon. This is just a nightmare.

Something tugged at my throbbing abdomen, the pain had almost fully subsided. Again and again, my skin was tugged rhythmically.

I was tugged upwards into the fog of sleep. My body ascending, the surroundings disappearing one by one.