I was sixteen when it happened.
When I went to bed, it already felt like a dream - somehow surreal, unsettling.
Everything felt out of place.
Till today, I remembered the smell of elderberry blossoms
and the radiating warmth from the sandstone around me,
the chirping grills and the soft whistling of the wind.
When I woke up and was unable to move my body, the dream became a nightmare.
Till today, I am not sure if my mind was simply playing tricks on me,
or if I really could not move my limbs.
After all, it was just a small glimpse - less than the blink of an eye.
Still, I was terrified.
Could it be that I just imagined?
The heavy feeling on my chest,
My limp but stiff legs,
The panic in my breath?
Whatever it was, there is one thing I am sure about:
Losing control is indeed my worst nightmare.
Author's note:
According to etymology, the word "twilight" comes from Old English and is made up of the two words “half” and “light”. "Twilight", in the popular sense, also describes a state between day and night. "Sleep Paralysis" is a phenomenon in which the body is still asleep despite the owner being conscious, which is manifested, among other things, through the inability to move extremities. Hence, one can say that the person experiencing the "Sleep Paralysis" is also trapped in a realm between day (full consciousness) and night (deep sleep) - a “Twilight Sleep”.
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