I never heard of sleep paralysis until I experienced it one night. I thought I was crazy and that it was a horrid dream, until I read up on what had happened to me and found out that it happens commonly to a lot of people. And after that experience it has happened a lot more frequently then I would like.
Having sleep paralysis frightens me more then the things that go bump in the night. I am tough; I have seen lots of things that would make your hair stand on end. But one night after an episode of this and I won't sleep for the rest of the night. I hate the feeling.
I was working at a home for mentally retarded individuals at the time the first incident happened. The company was losing many employees and I was working a double shift. I had put the ladies to bed and went to start my night shift, cleaning the kitchen and doing nightly routine duties. Becoming tired from working all day I laid down on the couch in the living room and set my alarm for an hour (I needed to check the ladies every hour). I turned off the T.V. So I could hear if they needed me while I took a cat nap. I was a light sleeper and knew I would wake up if I heard them talking. I fell asleep almost instantly on my back.
Soon I heard the sound of footsteps. Trying to open my eyes while hearing them come closer I began to panic, I couldn't move, what if the girls needed me. Why couldn't I wake up, I kept telling myself. The footsteps stopped behind the couch. I tried again to open my eyes or even talk. I couldn't. I felt my throat ache from the attempt to scream. I stopped trying to wake up when I felt the top of the couch cushion sink in slowly like someone had their hands on it and was leaning over me. It crunched as weight was added to it, the couch was leather and you know the sound a leather couch makes when you move on it. Again I fought to 'wake' up. Obviously one of the girls needed me. I stopped struggling again when I felt the hot breath against my face. Whatever it was growled low when it exhaled. And the smell was like nothing I have ever smelt before.
I was scared now, this was not one of the girls, and I was not dreaming. The breath that blew over my face moved my bangs slightly, I remember exactly how it felt. And then just like that it was gone, the hot breath ceased and the couch fluffed back up making the soft crinkle sound. No footsteps though. My eyes flung open and I sat up on the couch, looking around the room. Nothing was out of place and no one was there. I ran to every bedroom, all the girls were asleep just as I had left them. When I checked the time on my phone only ten minutes had passed. I stayed up the rest of the night with all the lights on and my back to the wall. I hate sleep paralysis.
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