tencandles

Sleep Paralysis

Alex Ward

Nov 17, 2023 • 2 min read

The scientific term for those little demons that sit on your chest in the dead of night, holding you still, dripping ruin into your nostrils and stealing your breath is "sleep paralysis", apparently. A trick of the brain, they say. It's not really a hellspawn ready to torment you in the twilight between the dream world and our own. "Don't worry, it's all fine", they said. "It should only happen infrequently", they said. You tried to believe them; yet, every night, without fail, your demons would be there with you.

Ten Days ago, the sun disappeared from the sky - and as you looked to the starless heavens through fatigue-drained eyes, you wondered what it could mean. When you collapsed from exhaustion, it was as if a miracle had happened - you slept and there was no demon to await you. It was almost comical how you panicked at the loss, before relief started to set in. Finally you could rest.

Five days ago, they appeared. News reports came flooding in about creatures taking to the darkened streets, taking those that it found unprotected by the light. People took to staying in their homes, only braving the darkness outside with the strongest of flashlights or open flames.

Soon after, the news reported people becoming frozen in place - slowly at first, until they were unable to move - soon lights around them would fail, and when the darkness receded, they'd have turned to solid stone - as if they'd met the gaze of Medusa or one of her sisters. The chaos spread quickly after that, statues began to litter the streets, a frantic grocery run to buy more toilet paper leaves another soul trapped behind rock. You can see several of them from your window.

Earlier today, it became harder to move your toes - as if you'd been arthritic all your life. The panic you've felt most of your life returned. Were you about to meet the same fate as everyone outside? As you began to spiral into a blind terror you heard a small voice - it had the sound of crackling fire, and of smoke. You turned, and there to greet you was the demon that had tormented you for your whole life.

"Do you want to live through this?", the impish thing whispered. "If you do, you're going to listen to everything I have to say. There is a fissure deep underground. The entrance is in the subway, and I can keep you safe from them. There are others like you. Join them, and reach the fissure - we'll tell you what to do from there. GET MOVING".

Play Notes: Your Vice card now represents your demon's personality. Write it as normal, but it now acts as an "externalized" vice. When you burn your vice card give yourself an additional die on any roll. This acts like the "hope" die in that it can help you pass a roll you otherwise would not, but each time it comes up a 6 - the player to your left may add a narrative detail to the result (even if the GM wins narration) - which is the demon causing trouble, revealing hidden details, and the like.

Areas of Note: Shady Rose Apartments, Stone Filled Streets, Subway Station, The Tunnels, Deeper Depths, The Rift

Goal: Follow the Demon's advice and make it to the fissure, to salvation?