Sleep Paralysis

(The Nightmare by John Henry Fuselli, 1781) You wake up in the middle of the night. The room is dark except for the faint glow of the moon through your window. But something’s wrong. A weight presses down on your limbs, digs deep into the flesh of your stomach, and squeezes the air from your lungs. You try to move, but you can’t – all you can do is tentatively open your eyes. A shadow of twisted, gangly limbs writhes above you. A looming head moves closer to your face. And just as your...