[ vier ]

I stood there frozen in my tracks, until she turned in my direction, as though sensing my presence in the empty chapel. She was completely expressionless as she looked at me, yet her stare managed to send a shiver down my spine. Her dark eyes were what snapped me out of my trance and I turned on my heel, running out the front doors of the church before she could say anything to me. But she had seen me, that was for sure, and in our small university there was also a chance that she had recognized me. 

My feet carried me in the direction of my bedroom when I stumbled out of Mary Chapel, and I didn't stop until I got there.

I got my keys out of my pocket to unlock the door that led into the building. 

McCulloch hall, where my room was located, was rumored to be haunted. Named after the first president of the university, Mother Superior Blaire McCulloch, students said they had seen strange things in McCulloch hall. Others had heard footsteps and noises in the hallways whenever they couldn't fall asleep at night. It was the reason why I wanted to move into another dorm building. Living in a haunted building didn't ease the fears I was already having.

With shaking hands I was able to get the heavy metal door open and I raced down the stairs that led down to the first floor. My room was closest to the stairwell and I got there in a matter of seconds.

The door was unlocked because I knew it would be a hassle to open the door after returning from my walk. Now I was more grateful that I had left the door unlocked. The light was on as well, and I got my things to get ready for bed, trying to calm myself down after what I had witnessed in the chapel.

My room was connected to my suite mate Mary's room through the bathroom, and I opened her door to check if she was awake. But she was fast asleep.

I returned to my own room still visibly shaken, and got under the covers, bringing them up to my face while I tried to forget what would surely bring terrible nightmares in its wake. I wouldn't dare turn off the lights in my fear and tried to hold off sleep as long as I could. But I was tired and it soon overcame me.

At some point during the night I was woken up by the sensation of a hand on my neck, putting pressure on me, cutting my oxygen supply. It was difficult to even take one breath, and my eyes were wide awake at that moment. This time it was an invisible force that held me down, putting pressure on my chest as well, as though attempting to squeeze all the air out of my lungs.

I tried to scream for help, I tried to move, but it was no use. I was slowly running out of time like a fish out of water. 

But I decided I would fight back. I would fight it until my last available breath.

My brain tried to will my body to move, but it wouldn't. Though I couldn't see him, I knew it was him when I heard his voice. That bone chilling voice that said into my ear, "You can fight it all you want, but you can't escape this."

I shut my eyes, muttering a prayer while I continued to try moving. 

The pressure on my neck and chest was suddenly released and I fell from my bed, onto the cold wooden floor from all my thrashing. It took a few seconds for my suite mate Mary to come rushing into my room, coming in through our connected bathroom with an aluminum baseball bat in hand.

When she saw me on the floor of my bedroom, trying to catch my breathing, she gasped, "Oh my gosh! What happened? Are you okay?"

I was all but okay. 

-

so the sleep paralysis dream i had the other day just felt like someone was putting pressure on my chest and neck, like trying to squeeze all my oxygen ot of my lungs. and i was trying so hard to move my arms, my legs, anything. and i almost did fall out of my bed. it was so scary because i didn't see anything, or hear anything, i just felt the pressure on me.

it was horrible. and i forced myself to stay awake after that because i was afraid i would have another sleep paralysis night mare.

anyway, i hope you enjoy the update and i hope you all have a blessed new year.

-clary xx