Night Terror

Also ... I had a night terror over the weekend. While in DC to do a reading of a friend's new musical, I was staying at some friends' gorgeous Victorian brownstone on 17th street in the DuPont Circle area. Timothy & David, who own the house, were at their beach house with their son. So, staying in the house with me that weekend was my friend Armando who's staying in the upstairs suite for a few weeks.

It was Saturday night, and I was there alone, tired, and battling a cold. After going over lines and drinking some tea, I headed to bed. I was sleeping in the master bedroom, which is a large room with a fireplace, bay window and tall ceiling. I left the door to the room open a crack, and the hall light on so when Armando got home at about 3am, he could easily walk up to his room.

My eyes closed, I woke up with this intense pressure on my throat -- like a hand pressing down on it. Opening my eyes, which were very heavy, I saw the outline of a face nose to nose with me. I couldn't really breathe. The shadow ... a demon ... was pressing on my throat and choking me ... all the while smiling at me. I tried to force it off me, but I couldn't lift my arms ... they were too heavy. I heard Armando come in downstairs, but I couldn't scream ... I tried ... but I couldn't force any air out of me. I was paralyzed. I heard Armando start to climb the stairs and I tried to do anything: push the demon off, scream, kick, knock something over ... but all I could do was lay there helpless. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Armando's shadow as he walked past the my door, through the hall, and to the stairs. The entire time, this presence was strangling me.

The next thing I recall is that Armando did come home. He came upstairs, the hall light went out as he went up to his room, and, pulling myself through layers of consciousness, I awoke. There was nothing in the room. I was in bed, alone. The whole ordeal was a terror ... not a dream, but a hallucination.

So yeah ... that was my Saturday night.