Sleep Paralysis | Rainbow Quest Fanfic

Prologue

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When I was younger, I used to have a friend. The thing was, this 'friend' was not like most. They only ever accompanied me in the dark, when I was asleep. I'd wake up, unable to move.. and he'd be there. Sometimes in the frame of the doorway, or in the corner of my room. Sometimes, very rarely, he'd be right next to my side.

And he'd just stand there.

Sometimes, on my worst nights, he'd whisper things to me. They weren't bad things. When I was upset, he'd be there to comfort me. To shield me from all the things that hurt. Cover me in a warm, comforting blanket of love. When the world was mean to me, he'd be there.

Yet.. I still could not move or look back to him. I could only lay there.

When I began to realize that maybe.. maybe he wasn't as much of a friend as I thought he was... He stopped visiting me. I barely remember him much anymore, but I do remember that he had- These red eyes. Blood red. It was too dark for me to make anything else out much. I was too young as well. Now, I'm much older.

With the way that thing spoke to me, it sounded like straight up gaslighting and manipulation, now that I think back on it. It wasn't my friend. I thought it was. However, I realize now I was wrong.

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With the draw of a string, the arrow aimed at the animal. A sheep of grey colored wool, frail and starved. Yet a thick sheet of wool covered it, as it searched for a food source instead of the white snow plastered on the ground. It was oblivious. Oblivious as inhaled softly, holding my breath. Oblivious as I aligned the bow to hit the sheep's head. Oblivious as I pulled the arrow back as far as I could pull. Oblivious as I let go. It was only aware when it had become too late, a single arrow of a stone tip piercing its head. Falling over, the animal's body twitched. However, that was just nerves still acting up. The sheep was given a fast death.

As I walked approached it, I pulled the arrow out of its head. Fresh blood staining white snow. As I hunched over the poor creature, as I pulled out my stone axe- the only blade I had at the moment. I used it to cut through the wool, harvesting the material. That wasn't the only thing I harvested, though. I chopped up the sheep's body, grabbing only what I needed. Raw, fresh meat. I'm sure this would taste delicious when cooked.

Grabbing everything I needed, I pulled myself off the ground and away from the looted carcass. Whatever was left could go to the wolves, or.. whatever else inhabited this forest. Right now, that wasn't of my concern.

As I walked through the forest, I could hearing the snow crunching under my boots with every step. It was.. calming. Satisfying, even. Just me and nature. Though, I knew that wouldn't last long. As I looked up to the sky, I could see through the trees that it was growing dark. And the dark was when all the bad things happened.

Shadows danced around me, trees shaped strange figures in the corner of my vision, thinking i'm hearing footsteps besides my own only to stop and hear nothing, my paranoia was growing. As it was growing dark, soon, not even my own shadow would accompany in the blackness of the night. If there were stars, maybe- but no stars shined in the sky. Even the moon abandoned me on this night. I was alone in a forest I did not know all that well.

Soon though, I saw trees with deep cuts in them. Some trunks had colored dye marking them. I had found my path to safety. I always made sure to have marked a nain pathway as to not get lost. I wasn't the best with directions unless I was truly determined to find something.