Devendra lay on his mother's chest, exhausted. His small body trembled occasionally, as if the fear from last night still clung to him.
His mother gently stroked his hair. "It's okay… nothing will happen," she whispered.
She shifted him carefully, keeping him close, and slowly got up to the kitchen. The morning light filtered softly through the windows, and the faint sound of pots and pans reminded Devendra that the real world still existed.
After a little while, she returned, carrying a small plate of food. "Eat, Devendra. Slowly," she said. He obeyed, nibbling each bite, still tense. His small frame had been shaken by the trauma of his sleep paralysis, and the weight of it lingered even while awake.
Once he was fed, she took him to the hospital.
The doctor looked at him carefully. "Still… not completely resolved?"
"No," his mother said quietly. "It happened again last night."
Devendra's small eyes looked tired and wary. The doctor nodded slowly.
"Hmmm," the doctor said, frowning. "Sleep paralysis… yes, but there is something unusual here. Sometimes, there is a trigger—perhaps a memory… or a presence. Maybe someone he subconsciously knows… or a figure from his dreams."
His mother shook her head. "No… it's just normal. We all have nightmares as children. That's all it is."
The doctor hesitated, unsure, but said, "This case… is a little more complicated."
---
Back home, his mother began preparing him for school.
Devendra whispered, "I don't want to go today."
"Why?" she asked.
"I'm… tired. And the pain… it's still here."
He lifted his small T-shirt slightly to show the faint, dark marks on his ribs.
His mother froze for a moment, heart tightening. But she quickly masked her fear.
"It's okay. You'll be safe. Nothing will happen. Go to school," she said gently. "Tonight, I will stay with you."
Devendra didn't respond.
---
At school, he was already exhausted. His head drooped over the desk, and sleep threatened to pull him under.
Some friends came over. "Your… problem hasn't gone away, has it?" one asked.
Devendra shook his head. "No."
"Why don't you see a spirit medium?" another friend asked.
"My mother says it's normal," Devendra replied softly.
One of his friends, a girl, studied him carefully. "Normal? Look at yourself. If this keeps happening, it will only get worse one day."
Devendra stayed quiet.
---
By 5:00 PM, he returned home. The door closed behind him.
The house was quiet.
And the marks on his chest…
they were still there.
---