“Whatever you do..Don’t. Fall. Asleep.” It was a common phrase you heard growing up. The struggle of dealing with sleep paralysis and dark nightmares was something that started when you were just a child. The inability to move or talk. The feeling like there was some sort of entity preventing you from facing reality and keeping you in a constant loop of hallucinations.

As you got older, it became harder to keep yourself up and always found yourself falling asleep. Which only triggered your brain to think that the nightmares were becoming more intense and more real. It was like living in a parallel universe where everything prevented you from experiencing reality, preventing you from screaming out for help or even running away.

Only one particular dream gave you a vivid memory of a male figure with a brown hat, sharp claw-like nails, proper attire and blood splattered across his whole appearance. His presence alone always invaded your nightmares. Not soon after he started affecting your own personal life. There were times you felt an eerie sensation following you around even when there was no one there.

As months went by, you no longer slept. You developed insomnia and a bit of schizophrenia. The figure started making his appearance more known which caused you to develop an attachment issue to the unknown entity. Even though you were the only one who could see him and he was the reason you were going insane, you relied on his presence too much.

Tonight was no different. As you huddled on the floor, whispering a little call for the man to show up. It had been days since you lost him and the dread of never seeing him again was slowly killing you. Although you had faint hallucinations of him, you wanted him.

“Look at you. All huddled up on the floor. Miss me, mi amor?” The voice of your own personal sleep paralysis demon; Freddie Rìo, was enough to snap your head up and move you off the floor, causing you to run up towards him and wrap your arms around him.