Underestimated Affinities by Matthew Scarcella

Author:Matthew Scarcella [Scarcella, Matthew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781093671223
Published: 2019-06-14T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XII

A BRIEF RESPITE

It was a rough night. The anxiety of all my unanswered questions really got to me, and influenced my dreamscape, resulting in nightmares. One in particular stuck out to me, the image of which was left intact even after waking.

I laid flat on the ground in one of our guard towers, unable to move, my body motionless on the floor. My wings were stationary, as if they were painted on. My entire body was heavy. It was as if the effect of gravity was multiplied and my body was unable to acclimate; an unseen force pushing me into the ground. Breathing was the only thing I was capable of.

The severe darkness of the space was intensified by one sliver of moonlight streaming in through a crack in the wall. The room was desolate, devoid of furniture and objects. All I could see were bleak walls, no outlines of anything else.

Yet, there was an indiscernible presence hovering in the vicinity. Was someone there? I could hear someone else breathing, I was certain of it. Time ticked by and nothing happened. Still, the breathing remained. The moonlight trickling in shifted as the hours went by, and eventually, a shadow was illuminated on the wall before me. Someone else was definitely in the room with me. Sitting there, watching me.

Fear coursed through my body like poison. I tried to move, but the struggling only made the effect worse. I tried to

tap into my affinities and bring in a gust of wind through the crack in the wall, but to no avail. I called for help, but no sound emanated from my mouth.

I was quite literally hopeless.

I moved my mouth to form the words ‘what do you want from me,’ hoping that maybe the shadow would show some form of interaction. This quiet façade was more than I could bear. If it had any nefarious plans, why wouldn’t it just carry them out already?

‘Hello?’ I mouthed, trying again. I heard the rustling of feathers against brick, and the shadow stood tall, its back firmly against the wall. The moonlight faded into nothingness, and footsteps crept toward me. I closed my eyes and receded into blackness.

When I awoke, I was dripping in perspiration. I scanned my bedroom for the shadow in my dream, but of course, no one was there.

This isn’t the first case of sleep paralysis that I’ve had. In fact, I have a history of being subjected to the torturous limbo that resides in between states of consciousness. If you have never experienced this phenomenon, it is not something that can be explained lightly.

In its simplest form, you fall into limbo just before your brain can process your body falling asleep or waking. In this state, you are completely aware of your surroundings but unable to move. There is generally an eerie sense of unease and terror, as you feel as if someone is watching you. Since you are unable to do anything, you just stay still, trying to coerce your body into moving, struggling even though you know it is futile.

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