coming closer to her face and the buzzing intensifies and she can see now it has a mouth but no
eyes and the mouth splits wide open in a grin - butinstead of teeth it’s needles - and she can feel
its hot breath on her face - it’s going to eat her,kill her, -
She wakes.
She is in her bed, no pressure on her chest, no demonin the corner. The apartment is
blissfully quiet.
Before she goes to work the next day she calls hermom to talk about it. Her mother is the
kind of mother that believes her child when unexplainablethings happen.
“I’ve had sleep paralysis too. I told you about thenight I saw something sitting on top of
Mike,” and indeed Eileen’s mother has told her abouta sleep paralysis demon’s quasi-attack on
her stepfather, numerous times. Their household wasa rather superstitious one, which Elieen
usually didn’t mind as long as whatever her mothermessed with didn’t mess with her. “They say
it’s genetic.”
“Oh, great,” Eileen rubs her hand over her face, ananxious tic. When she does it once she
has to do it a few more times just because it feelsright, and right now she wants to wipe her
entire face off of her head.
“I got a text saying your meds are ready at the pharmacy.When are you going to transfer
them?” Eileen still hasn’t gotten around to callingwhoever so that she could pick up her meds in
Asheville instead of back home, pretty much on purpose.It means she and her mom have to meet
in between their respective cities so her mom candeliver her meds. It’s an excuse to see her, one
last thread of dependency. Eileen isn’t sure whatwill happen when she’s truly the only person
responsible for keeping herself alive.
persephelia
(persephelia)
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