Paralyzed - Chapter 1: Restless Nights - Part 1/3

Episode Date: June 9, 2015

Sleepless nights are catching up with recently unemployed David Summers, and the effects are beginning to become horrific. The inaugural episode of Paralyzed explores what the phenomenon know as Sleep Paralysis could have on the human psyche, and exactly how blurred the lines can become between reality and nightmarish hallucination. Is what David experiencing a dream, or is it his subconscience breaking through into his version of reality?WARNING This podcast is intended for adults only, due to graphic violence and language.We highly recommend listening with earbuds in and during the dead of night for the full experience of Paralyzed. There are horrific nuances within every episode that add to it's grisly allure. Thank you and please do not forget to rate Paralyzed on iTunes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Seven Lamb presents Paralyzed Chapter 1 Restless Nights Part 9 We're going to be. Oh, God, what the hell is wrong with me? How long are these nightmares going to continue? I haven't gotten a good night sleeping.

Geez, over two months. Technically, it wasn't really night, though. I had better luck taking naps during the day, and that's exactly what I was trying to do now. I rose from the couch and headed into the bathroom. Clock on the wall, 1.30 p.m. Seth would be over soon. I walked over to the sink, splash some water on my face, and sat on the lid of the toilet. My mother thinks it's stress over my new job. I don't really

I think that's it, though. Hell. I know that's not it. I can feel the bags under my eyes. It's become painful to even blink. Maybe I should skip this camping trip. Jeez. A small brown moth flew in front of my face.

I brushed it aside, spinning it into the ground. it into the ground, gathered itself and once again took flight, fluttering out of the bathroom. Hey, Seth. Jesus, man? Are you still sick? Yeah, kind of. Looks like you need sleep. Seth was a tall, wanky guy.

He started our friends with Ethan. Ethan introduced us and we ended up becoming friends. Yeah, maybe about seven years ago. We're better friends now than Ethan and Seth ever were. Ethan has admitted that being friends with Seth can be tiring, and I admit that he can be a bit much, but I'm able to handle his annoyances. What do you got to drink around this place? Christ. Yeah, I think there's some soda in the fridge or something.

Oh, I mean like, drink, drink? I thought we were meeting Ethan and his uncle at a bar. We are, done against, but bars are expensive. Come on, dude. Seth Remage through my freezer. We pulled out a large, mostly empty bottle of rum. I poured the remainder of it in a glass, and then added some flat coke. So, you want to talk about it?

What, the camping trip? No, the job. You've only been running the office for half a year, and heater up and fires you. Everybody's speculating, but nobody knows for sure. And you know heater won't say. I... Can we just not talk about it? Okay.

Is that why you're in this funk? Or do you have mono or something? I don't know what it is. I just can't sleep. Dude, it's insomnia. You should see a doctor. Seth, shouldn't we just go?

Right. Seth gulped on the rest of his drink and dropped the glass into the sink. Let's go. I'm driving. You know, you don't have to be ashamed. Michael didn't make it very long as a supervisor either. I mean, I know you really wanted that position, but I think that...

Seth, seriously, man. I ain't sorry. You're so sensitive sometimes, man. I used to work in an accounting agency. I had been there for a total of six years. For a total six months, though, I was a supervisor. Well, that is until closing duties saw me lose $3,600. $100. Jesus, the books were wrong, but word had spread too fast. I mean, while some money was missing, it wasn't nearly that much.

Anyway, general manager Andrew Heater, who never fucking liked me to begin with. Apparently, I dated his ex, but I didn't know. I didn't know was his ex at the time. Regardless, he felt it necessary to end my time at T&L Incorporated. I just know it. I just know it. My goal the whole time working at T&L was to become general manager. I had some hopes of maybe helping that company forward to. Six years down the drain, heater told me I was like he didn't even call the police. So, you excited about this camping trip or what?

After being fired, a long draught of sleep, the camping trip was the only thing I could look forward to to, although I was worried about one thing. Hey, is the whole group coming? That's not what you want to know. What are you talking about? You want to know if Jen's going to be there. Is she? Yeah. Why wouldn't she be? She's part of the group.

Great. Derek isn't coming, though. Wait, why not? I don't know. Katie says he was having trouble, requesting time off. Camping was a yearly tradition for our group of friends. Every year, seven of us would get together for one week at Ethan's uncle's campground. His uncle Ted would reserve us a cabin where we would party and hang out. It was the slow period between August and October, so I don't think you mind it.

The sad thing, though, was that this was in all likelihood to last year the seven of us would be getting together. Seth and Katie were getting married, which... Probably meant they were moving away. And not to mention Cooper was joining the army. Things aren't going to be awkward between you and Jen, right? Jen. Jen was an ex. My last real girlfriend.

We were to get married about a year ago, but it just didn't really work out. It was depressing. Of all the girls I dated, she was the one. She was the one I knew the longest We became friends in middle school And stayed that way until About her first camping trip in 2007

In 2011 I asked her out She took me long enough I always thought I would end up with her That's why I proposed Then I guess we just Slowly grew apart This past year I haven't really

talk to her though. No, I, it really wouldn't. Good, and I'm glad her boyfriend isn't coming. He's an asshole. I wouldn't know. Look, they're already here. There's Ted's car. Ethan was my best friend. We met during a Boy Scout fundraiser. Find out we both went to the same elementary school. Well, since then, no one has really been able to replace him. Man, yeah, sure we had her ups and downs, but he was like a brother to me. And being a single child, it was really nice having someone to call my brother. There they are. Ah, what's up, Ethan?

How's it hanging, Uncle Dad? Lower than usual, how are you, boys? Not too good by the looks of David. Dude, he look horrible. Still no sleep? Still no sleep. Why aren't she sleeping? Got me. Insomnia. Well, that are mono.

God, Seth, he doesn't have mono. Are you gonna see someone about it? It's really not a big deal. Uncle Ted, I thank you though. It's, it's going to pass. He just doesn't want to see a doctor. Ethan was right. I hated going to the doctors. sending up an appointment sitting in that waiting room next to all the sick people

why wouldn't you want to see a doctor don't you want to know if there's something that they can do I don't I really don't think so unless they have a pill that makes the nightmares go away nightmares and sleep paralysis tell us that how many times you experience sleep paralysis

wait what's sleep paralysis it's where you wake up but your body doesn't hold on hold on hold on It's loud, and I'm an old man who can't hear well anymore. Let's go some drinks and hit the patio. I'm not going to drink. Seth's not drinking. Never thought I'd see the day.

I'm living in poverty. I got to save the money for the camping trip. I got you, Seth. Oh, so Ted's bang? Well, then I'll take a cigar city. Ted bought a solid drink, and we carried the knot onto the back patio that connected the bar to a large parking garage. Ferns hung from the ceiling. evenly space between the revolving fans.

Okay, so sleep paralysis. I've experienced that once. It wasn't fun. When it first started with David, we looked it up, and apparently a lot of people will see dark figures with, like, long arms in their room. Sometimes they'll feel heavy pressure on their chest, too. Oh, well, I never experienced anything like that.

Wait, so you still dream while you're awake? Yeah, pretty much. You know you're awake, but... Since you are still technically dreaming, you can see things that aren't real. Sometimes I'll try to say something, but... All I can do is mumble. You see dark figures, don't you? Yeah, all the time.

Ah, creepy, stop! Well, I don't know much about sleep paralysis, but maybe you have too much going on in your life. Could be stress. Stress is more serious than people believe. Yeah, that's what my mom says. Talking about creepy things. Did you hear what happened in town outside of town? Tara Lake? Yeah, uh, Rutherford.

Maybe we shouldn't talk about this right now. I don't want to add to David's nightmares. Thanks for the thoughts, Uncle Ted, but nothing can be worse than what I've already experienced. Ted gave me a sincere look and then took a gulp from his glass. So what happened in Rutherford? Rutherford was the last time he hit before reaching Ted's campground known as Tara Lake. Ted had owned property there for ages. The lake at the campground was man-made.

and was used to train divers looking to gain their diving certificate. Diving classes were held over the summer. Ted lived in the small town of Rutherford for a few years, but said he couldn't take it anymore. The place was too small, and he missed city life. So now, he just opens up the campground for diving training and leaves the regular camping month's first partner, Barry Wright, who still lives in Rutherford.

If you haven't seen the news lately, there was a murder in Rutherford two weeks. weeks ago. How have you not heard about this? Some woman killed her entire family then started walking down the street with a shotgun. She killed three more people walking down the middle of the road, just blasting away. Holy shit. Man, that place always seems so quiet. It's still an eerie place. For such a small town that people don't mingle and the place is usually pretty quiet. That's why I moved down here. I missed the city life. That's not even the craziest part. Ethan, do we have to hear the whole story? Of course.

when the sheriff ended up gunning down the old woman they found marks all over her body and face what kind of marks it looked like she took a heated crucifix and burned it into her entire body the police later went to her house and that's where they found her family her two children hanging

from a ceiling fan and her husband gutted oh gutted she'd slice them right down to center with like I don't know a large knife I think the knife got stuck in him so she left and took The shotgun. There you go. Ted had dropped a single key onto the glass table.

It was the key to the cabin. Have fun camping. You know what? I don't know if I want to go camping now. Grow up, Seth. Fuck me. I don't want to get murdered by an actresses lady. Okay? That's all. This is like the first murder to happen in Rutherford in over a century. I think we'll be okay. We've been camping at Terre Lake for years now. Remember, guys. Turn off the load.

lights, lock the door, make sure you have all your stuff when you leave. Don't leave the faucet running, and if you break anything, just let me know. It was one time, and we fixed that chair. You call that fixing. This year has to be epic. It's the last time we'll all be together. I can't wait. Oh, and Ethan, don't tell Katie about the Exorcist lady.

She'll flip out. Oh, the story is going to be brought up again, but I'm waiting until we're camping, nighttime when it's about to storm. We all talked a bit more about camping and my sleeping problems, really. Ethan mentioned having a meeting at his place for some last-minute planning that involved the entire group. That would be held tomorrow at three. Thank you. You know, I'm going to be.

It felt weird not having a job. Money wasn't an issue. I had enough of that. I just needed to find something. Probably start job hunting when I get a job hunting when I get a back from this camping trip. I sat on my couch and turned on the TV. I was tired, but I didn't feel like trying to take a nap. I know. Instead, I watched two movies on TCM, packed one of my bags, and cooked dinner.

dinner. And strangely enough, he don't turn against you. No. He fell in love with you. I suppose so. Was it the media? Instant. You'll have that kind of effect.

What a nice thing to say. You're gonna know what they know. matter? Supposed to. May I help you, may I help you clean up? No, thank you. I'll leave it for all. You want you to go? Yes. Man to eat, you know how much good as a token dagger woman.

We've been yapping all night and what have you found out from me? Around nine, I caught the last half of In a Lonely Place. Another Bogart picture came on afterwards. I'm not sure what it was, though, but my eyes would just not stay open. I decided to get up and brush my teeth, head to bed. I sat at the edge of the bed as my eyelids fluttered. Once again, that moth appeared. I flew around my head once before landing on the headboard

I reached up and turned off the bedroom light Thank you. At 3.37, I awoke. The room was completely black, but my eyes adjusted. Someone's in the house. I went to rise out of bed. I couldn't. What the hell? Hello? There was no answer, but I could hear footsteps slowly approaching my room. Hello?

Hello? Hello? Why was no one coming to help me? Why couldn't I get up? And then I realized this wasn't real, or was it? Who's there? Hello?

I can't move. I can't move. The door slowly opened. I could hear heavy breathing right outside. Someone or something was right there. But it didn't enter. I tried getting up. I wanted to pull the white string,

make the darkest go away. Then that's when I realized this... This wasn't real. This was sleep paralysis. Oh, it would all go away soon. It wasn't real. A creek from the other side of the room. My eyes averted to the corner between the desk and the bureau.

There, right there in the darkness stood a tall, shadowy man. His long arm is almost reaching the ground. The man let out a low hiss, and then a guttural growl. Oh, God. The man came towards me. He did not walk, but was glit over the floor. He stopped when he was no more than two feet away. Wake up, David.

Wake up, David. Wake up, God damn it. Wake up. Wake up, God damn it. Wake up! The man stood over me, peering down. What the fuck? He had no eyes.

Go face. Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! My bedroom door closed. Oh. Sweat ran down my forehead. How much longer could I stand this for? My alarm clock read 337. I decided to get up. Oh, no more sleep for tonight. I went into the living room and turned down the TV.

It was another Bogart pick. I sat on the couch and let the black and white film soothe me. While the movie played, I thought about the tall shadowy figure. Every so often, I would glance about the room, just to make sure. Then the moth appeared. It fluttered about until four years. finally landing on the TV. My eyelids were getting heavy, but fuck that.

I wasn't about to fall asleep. Not tonight. Hairalized. Written by Robert M. Lamb. Edited by Jonathan Moss. Starring. Nathan Moss as David, Julia W.D. Harrison as Jen. Jose Carabayo as Ethan. Kyle Applyard as Seth. Hope Ennis as Katie. Mike Lennhart as Brian. John Lassiveth as Cooper. And Jennifer Loudermilk as Ashley. Co-starring, Ricky Lehner, Matt Deacon, Robert M. Lamb. Christopher Possible. Jack Austin, Nick Englehart, Ariel Zadok, and Ashley Cardassano.

Music and composition by Jonathan Moss. Additional music provided by BenSound.com, Incompetec.com, and demixmusic.com. Don't forget to rate and review Paralyzed on iTunes. This has been a seven-land production.