The Dead of Night

I had a night terror It's not unusual but of course it's not something you can ready yourself for They are always 30 minutes after falling asleep This one was that I was tricked and, well I don't want to describe the reason for my death All the air left my lungs The trouble is, that's exactly what happened I sat up unable to take a breath as the dream became the reality That blurring is terrifying The physical reaction of heart and lungs real Your mind still holds the narrative and image of why you will die any second Then slowly a detail creeps in that doesn't fit Typically it's dark, so you don't know how your eyes are playing tricks and which reality exists It takes a second to stop physically trying to save yourself It must be seconds... Then reality spins into view And I managed to drag in just enough air to sustain until I could once again breathe But it's not over, you're left feeling unsafe to close your eyes You remember what it feels like to be powerless to stop your imminent death I have a sore throat today so I know the closing of my airway was very real I've lived those seconds before death many times over It doesn't get easier