I Ignored the Signs. Then It Grabbed Me.

I told myself it was stress. The sleep paralysis, the shadow in the doorway—just my mind, I thought. The doctor agreed. But then it touched me. One night, something yanked my arm hard enough to pull me halfway off the bed. I felt fingers—cold, solid—digging into my wrist. No dream. No haze. Just terror. I stayed. Stupid, right? Lease was almost up. Then the scratches. Woke up paralyzed, something pressing into my spine. Hot breath on my neck. Then—pain. Three claw marks, raw and red, raked down my back. I left that night. Slept on couches until my enlistment ended. Sometimes I still check doorways before bed. Waiting for that melting shadow to step forward. (First post. Be gentle. It’s harder to write than I thought.) #NoSleep #MilitaryLife #ThingsIDontTellPeople