Short Horror Stories

Sleep paralysis

After a long day of work I finally got home.

While rubbing my tired eyes I open the door to my apartment.

I reach for the light and turn it on.

My eyes scan the room that has appeared before me.

Thank God, it looks exactly the same as how I left it. I think to myself.

Quickly I glance behind me in the hallway.

No one is there.

Good.

I enter my home and close the door behind me.

One lock.

And the second lock.

You can never be too sure.

You can never be too safe.

I live alone, so leaving and coming home is always connected to some sort of fear of an intruder or a change.

Or perhaps it's just me, I've always been told that I'm quite anxious.

Well whatever, I'm home, I'm going to cook myself dinner.

As the food in the pan has finally come to the right heat, I turn of the stove and put my dinner on a plate.

I go over to my couch, turn on the tv and start eating.

I always do it like this, especially whenever I need to work the next day.

Usually I don't even pay attention to what's on, I just stare at the screen blankly.

I need the noise in order to feel safe.

In order to feel... well, not alone.

A while after I've finished my food, I decide that it's time to go to bed.

I keep the tv on and go to the bathroom to brush my teeth.

As I get out and back into a room, I suddenly hear the tv blaring some news I really didn't want to hear.

"The serial killer that has taken the lives of five has yet to be caught. The police have let us know that all of the murders have been done by the same person, evidence has shown-"

I quickly turn off the tv, I feel my body has turned cold by the voice of the newscaster.

It feels terrible.

"I really didn't want to hear that." I say speaking to myself, something I've been doing more and more since living alone.

Maybe I should check all the doors and windows again... just to be sure no one could enter.

I turn on some happy music in order for me to go through with my triple checking round.

As I check everything for the last time, I finally decide that I am in fact alone and that no one is inside my home.

I close the curtains and get into my messily made bed.

Then it's time to turn off the lights.