I cannot tell you when it all began. I have always been plagued by sleep paralysis. I have somewhat learned to deal with it, to recognise it for what it is and wait it out. It always begins with the need to yawn or speak, but my mouth is shut tight. I then try to sit bolt upright, but my arms and body are clamped down to the bed. Sometimes my eyes are open. Sometimes I see things. Seeing things is always frightening. Tall, inhuman shadows that glare at me, grinning, slender clawed hands stretching until I fully wake up. Then there are the times when I awake underneath my bed sheets. I feel the weight of the things, as…