Unmoving Experience

I was about 15 when I had my first sleep paralysis episode.  It happened while  I was babysitting for my sister and brother-in-law one night.  They had three young children at that time who were all tucked in their beds, fast asleep.  It was after 11 p.m. and I was getting drowsy.  I laid down on the sectional sofa in the living room and after a short while I dozed off.

I don’t know how long I had been sleeping when I awoke with a start.  I was laying on my side, facing the back of the sofa.  I could sense someone behind me.  I could even hear their breathing.  I thought to myself that one of the children had come downstairs and was standing there.  I went to turn around and realized with alarm that I couldn’t move.  I couldn’t move any part of me except for my eyes.  I can remember staring at the woven fabric of the sofa with a sense of alarm.  What was wrong with me?

As I kept trying to move, I realized that the breathing behind me was closer now.  It was right behind me.  And it was not normal breathing, it was loud and labored.  I still thought that this must have been one of the children and something was wrong.  What kind of babysitter was I? 

As the breathing got louder and louder, I was in a panic and unable to understand what was happening to me.  Did I have a stroke?  Why was I paralyzed?  I kept trying and trying to move.  Then with one mighty effort, I flung myself around only to face nothing.  No one was there.  The breathing had stopped as soon as I moved.  This really freaked me out. 

I checked all the outside doors, which were still locked.  I turned on the outside lights and saw nothing unusual.  I know I hadn’t imagined it.  What had happened?   I didn’t say anything to my sister when she and my brother-in-law returned home.  I thought they would think I was crazy.  No point in even going there.

Over the decades since, I have had other similar episodes.  I’ve sinced wondered if the breathing behind me was emanating from an extraterrestrial who slid back through a portal into his dimension when I moved.  What else could it be?

After all, I did see a UFO when I was younger…maybe they’re monitoring me?