I couldn't breathe. Someone...please...help me.
I tried to cry out for help, but no sound came. It was as though I were trapped inside a vacuum, my mouth sealed shut, my lungs completely empty of air. I was suffocating, drowning in an incomprehensibly deep darkness. Every passing second made my body feel smaller, weaker, and utterly insignificant as I continued to plunge into the abyss.
I struggled to resist, but my body wouldn't move. It was as if invisible chains bound my shoulders, and an immense weight pressed down on my chest. I had never experienced anything like this before. Is this what sleep paralysis feels like? I thought desperately.
Suddenly, I felt a strong grip tighten around my throat. It was as if a pair of physical hands had wrapped themselves around my neck, clenching with terrifying force, threatening to strangle me. If this continued, I knew I would die.
I thrashed with everything I had; shaking, kicking, trying anything that might grant me even the slightest motion. Then, at the peak of my struggle, I felt the grip slowly loosen. I forced my hands upward, pushing through the invisible barrier, and in an instant the crushing weight on my chest vanished.
My eyes shot open. I gasped for breath.
In the distance, through the lingering darkness of the room, a pair of glowing crimson eyes stared directly at me. My heart froze. Panic surged through me as I stretched my trembling hand toward the light switch beside my bed. My fingers brushed against it, and I flipped it on and yet nothing happened. The light didn't turn on.
Still, those crimson eyes remained fixed on me motionless and unblinking as though belonging to what looked like a humanoid figure standing in the shadows. Its gaze was intense, deliberate, and malicious all at once.
Frantically, I kept flicking the switch on and off, but there was no response. The lights refused to come alive. Realizing it was useless, I scrambled backward, sliding off the bed while keeping my eyes locked on the figure whose gaze followed every one of my movements.
With trembling hands, I yanked open a nearby drawer and searched desperately inside. My fingers finally brushed against what I was looking for...the flashlight. I pulled it out and pointed it directly at the creature.
"Ah...my eyes!" the figure shouted, immediately crouching to the ground and covering his face with his arms. The sudden outburst caught me completely off guard. I blinked, squinting at the person illuminated by the flashlight beam.
Blonde hair. Average height. A small bronze cross necklace glimmering against his chest.
"Xiaomin? Is that you?" I asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, it's me, bro!" he groaned, still shielding his face.
"Really?" I said hesitantly, lowering the flashlight just a little.
"Yeah, bro, come on! Could you quit pointing that thing at my eyes? You're gonna blind me. And if you do, how are we supposed to check out all those beautiful girls, huh?" he said dramatically, still wincing.
Hearing his voice, and that ridiculous remark...finally made me exhale in relief. My pulse began to slow.
I frowned and said, "What are you doing in my room at this hour? Just standing there all creepy in the dark, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"My bad, bro," he said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Didn't mean to startle you."
"It's fine," I replied, waving a tired hand. "So, did you need something from me?"
"Well…" Xiaomin smiled awkwardly, rubbing his neck.
"What happened this time?" I asked, already suspicious.
"You know how our electricity bill was due yesterday?" he began hesitantly.
It took me a few seconds to recall. "Yeah, I remember. I gave you the money for it. Don't tell me there's a problem."
"Well… a little bit," he admitted.
"Don't tell me you spent it," I said, narrowing my eyes.
"Spent it? Come on, bro! I'd never do that. You know I'm not that irresponsible."
"Then what happened to it?" I pressed, raising a brow.
He sighed, lowering his head. "I might've… borrowed a tiny bit out of it."
I let out a long, exhausted sigh.
"I promise I'll repay it once I have the money," he said pleadingly.
I shook my head. "And the rest of it?"
He gave me that same nervous look again before confessing, "I might've borrowed some of that too."
I rubbed my temples. "What am I going to do with you, Xiaomin?"
Xiaomin was my dorm roommate. We shared this small apartment, and although he was a year younger than me, he still insisted on calling me Brother Zheng.
"Alright, fine," I said at last. "I'll pay it. Just give me a second."
As I turned back toward my bed, he stopped me.
"Brother Zheng," he said softly. I turned around, already weary. "What is it now?"
"Well, you see, today's Thursday," he explained carefully. "And you remember that show I always watch? The one that airs around 1 a.m. on PCGTN? Yeah, I don't want to miss tonight's episode. If we wait till morning to pay, who knows when the third-party sites will upload the pirated version?"
I sighed deeply. "This kid…"
Grabbing my phone, I opened the payment app and transferred the bill amount directly to the electric company. Within a few moments, the payment went through.
"All done," I said. "Anything else you need?"
"Nope! Thanks, bro," Xiaomin replied, giving me a thumbs-up.
"Good. Now let me get some sleep. We've got classes tomorrow, and you've already had enough rest, haven't you?" I said, making it clear I didn't want another interruption tonight.
"You can count on me, Brother Zheng!" Xiaomin said, thumping his chest like a soldier.
I waved him off, signaling him to leave, then sank back into my bed, eager to make the most of the few hours left before morning.
Thinking back on what had just happened, I realized the earlier terror must've been a lingering nightmare. Maybe that's why I was so startled and quick to assume the worst. It turned out to be nothing more than Xiaomin and his usual late-night antics. Perhaps I was just being overly paranoid.
Still, I thought to myself, Tomorrow, I really need to put a proper lock on that door...before that kid gives me another heart attack.
The thought made me smile faintly. My eyelids grew heavy again, and before I knew it, I drifted back into sleep.