Mirrored In The Dark

Chapter 6

Scarlett makes an appointment with a therapist. She's nervous, but she knows it's the right thing to do. As she waits in the therapist's office, she looks around at the bookshelves, filled with psychology textbooks. She picks up one of the books and starts flipping through it. Suddenly, she sees a familiar name - her therapist's name - listed as a contributor to the book.

Confused, she asks the receptionist about it. The receptionist tells her that her therapist is actually a well-known researcher in the field of sleep disorders and dreams. She's written several books and papers on the topic. Scarlett starts to feel a little better, knowing that she's in good hands. Then, the therapist calls her name, and she goes into the office. The therapist asks her to tell her about her experiences, and she tells her everything.

As she finishes telling her story, the therapist nods thoughtfully. "It sounds like you're experiencing a combination of sleep paralysis and hypnopompic hallucinations," she says. "I can explain what those are, if you'd like." Scarlett nods, and the therapist begins to explain. Sleep paralysis is a state where you're awake, but your body is paralyzed. Hypnopompic hallucinations are a type of hallucination that occurs as you're waking up from sleep.

Scarlett listens carefully as the therapist explains, and she starts to feel a sense of relief. She finally has an explanation for what's been happening to her. Then, the therapist suggests a treatment plan. She suggests that Scarlett make some changes to her sleep habits, like going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed, and creating a relaxing bedtime routine. She also recommends that Scarlett try a technique called "reality testing," where she checks whether she's dreaming or awake by performing a simple task like pinching herself.

Scarlett agrees to try the treatment plan, and over the next few weeks, she starts to see a difference. Her sleep starts to improve, and the strange events start to happen less often. She starts to feel like her life is getting back to normal. But then, one night, she wakes up and realizes that something is wrong. She feels a strange tingling sensation in her limbs, and she can't move. And then, she sees a shadowy figure standing in the corner of her room.

Scarlett tries to move, but she can't. She tries to speak, but no words come out. She starts to panic, and then, she hears a strange voice. "Don't be afraid," the voice says. "I'm here to help you." The voice is coming from the shadowy figure, but it doesn't sound threatening. In fact, it sounds comforting. Scarlett doesn't know what to do, but she decides to listen to the voice. "Just relax and listen to me," the voice says.

Scarlett tries to relax, and the voice continues to speak. "You're not really here," it says. "You're dreaming. This isn't real." As the voice speaks, Scarlett starts to feel calmer. The tingling sensation in her limbs starts to fade, and she feels like she's waking up. And then, she opens her eyes and realizes that she's in her bed, safe and sound. She feels a sense of relief, and she knows that the treatment is working.

In the weeks that follow, Scarlett continues to work on her sleep habits, and she starts to feel like herself again. The hypnopompic hallucinations and sleep paralysis become less and less frequent, and she starts to feel like she's regaining control of her life. But then, one night, she has a strange dream. She's in a dark room, and she sees a light shining in the distance. As she walks towards the light, she hears a voice calling her name. She recognizes the voice - it's the voice that spoke to her in her sleep paralysis.

The voice tells her to follow the light, and she does. As she walks, the light gets brighter and brighter, and she feels like she's being pulled towards it. Suddenly, she finds herself in a room that's filled with light. She sees a figure standing in front of her, but it's not a shadowy figure - it's a bright, radiant figure. The figure reaches out a hand to her, and as she takes the hand, she feels a warmth and a sense of peace that she's never felt before. And then, she wakes up.