The Hag: Part Two
Terrifying visions haunt a man as he lies paralyzed in his bed, causing him to question everything he knows about the world, his own sanity, and even his wife. A multi-part horror novella.
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IT WAS THE BUZZING that woke him, that crackling, electric sense of being enveloped in static. He lay curled on his side, and something sharp dug painfully into his back, like the point of a knife, or... a claw. Yes, an enormous claw. Somehow, he knew it without question.
Terror washed over him, speeding his heart. He tried to still his breathing, tried not to panic.
And then he opened his eyes.
All around him, objects in the room defied gravity. Pillows, blankets, chotchkes from the dresser—only he remained pinned to the mattress.
Something else floated just at the edge of his peripheral vision. Something pale. He couldn’t make it out at first, but as it came into focus, he could see that it was an arm—a pair of pale, white arms, hanging limply, as though from a corpse.
Oh, God. Kathy...
The instant he thought her name, the light appeared. His eyes shifted toward it, and there she was. Not a floating corpse hanging above him, but vibrant and sensuous in her nightgown. He couldn’t make out her face, but the silhouette was unmistakably Kathy. She stood there, as unmoving as he, and he stared, mesmerized, wondering what she would do.
At last, she started toward him. The buzzing grew more intense, and the claw dug deeper into his flesh, threatening to pierce it, as though to push him toward her. She held out her arms to him as she came closer. Michael felt his flesh grow clammy, his chest gripped with dread. He drew in a breath and fought to scream, fought with everything he had.
The buzzing stopped. The claw went away, and everything that had been floating a second before returned to its proper position, except for the corpse arms, which disappeared entirely.
Kathy remained in the doorway. She flipped on the overhead light and looked at him sleepily. “Are you okay?”
Michael sat up. “What are you doing?”
“I went to the bathroom. You made that whimpering noise again just now.” No longer did she look sensuous and menacing, but rumpled and only half-awake. She was simply Kathy. His Kathy, looking at him with concern despite her obvious sleepiness. “Did you have another bad dream?”
“They’re not dreams. I’m awake when they happen. I can see everything. I could see you.” He hadn’t meant to infuse the last word with accusation, but that was how it came out.
Either she ignored it, playing innocent, or she was too tired to notice as she plodded back to her side of the bed. “Thank God spring break is next week. Maybe you can finally get some rest.”
Spring break. He’d forgotten all about that.
“Promise me something, Mike.” She yawned as she crawled back into bed. “Don’t bring any work to the cabin. Don’t spend the week grading papers or planning lectures. Just rest. You need a break.”
The cabin belonged to her parents, set atop a ridge in the Ozarks, overlooking a pristine lake. It had no internet or cell reception and was a forty-five-minute drive from the nearest town large enough to support a Walmart. It was his favorite place in the world, and he always looked forward to their time there. Except now. Suddenly, the thought of being so cut off from civilization made him shudder.
“I don’t know. I’ve got a lot of work to do. Maybe we should skip the cabin this year.”
“Damn it, Michael, no!” Her anger surprised him. Kathy rarely got angry. “You will not stay here and work. You’re going to get some rest if I have to drag you there kicking and screaming.”
He eyed her suspiciously. “Why are you so eager to get me to the cabin?”
“Because I’m afraid for you. I’m afraid you’re going to end up working yourself into a heart attack or a stroke. And you’ve got to get some sleep. You haven’t been yourself since these episodes started, and damn it, I want my husband back!”
She reached for him, but he flinched away, threw back the covers and got out of bed.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m done sleeping. I’m going downstairs.”
Kathy slumped in defeat. “Fine. Get the light on your way out.” She turned her back to him and lay down, pulling the covers over her head, clearly telegraphing her hurt.
Michael sighed. “Look, I’ll think about it, okay?”
She made a non-committal noise that he recognized as Kathy-ese for, “That’s not good enough, but I don’t want to fight.” He watched her for a moment, trying to reconcile the woman in the bed with the terrifying seductress he’d witnessed when the lights were off.
Succubus, his mind screamed. Demon.
But no. Not his Kathy. It couldn’t be.
You saw her.
He didn’t know what he saw. Not really. But the thought of being alone with her in the middle of nowhere made his skin crawl.
Man, I’m losing it. He reached for the switch and snapped off the light, then headed downstairs to his study, where he sat at the desk and opened his laptop. The Sleep Paralysis Wiki he’d been studying was still pulled up. He scrolled through the topics and clicked on one that leaped out at him. The page it led to was topped by another horrifying picture that struck too close to home, this one of a womanly creature with an attractive body and a demonic face straddling a man while he slept. Michael scrolled past the picture and read.
Succubus (n): a female demon supposed to engage in intercourse with male victims while they sleep; a female vampire who feeds off the sexual energy of her partners. See also: Lilith (demon, Mesopotamia)
A sick feeling crept over Michael. He rubbed his face and kept reading.
Often associated with the Old Hag legend, the succubus (or the incubus, its male counterpart) has been blamed in many cultures, especially in Eastern Europe, for the sleep paralysis phenomenon. Some legends, as well as personal testimonies of alleged victims, attribute shape-shifting abilities to this entity—allowing her to appear as an attractive seductress or even as someone who is known to the victim.
He stopped reading. He couldn’t take any more. It all described what was happening to a tee. And as unbelievable as it seemed, it all made a strange kind of sense. The question was, had Kathy been taken over? Replaced? Or had she always been one of these things, and only waited until now to reveal herself? Whichever it was, it all made him want to throw up.
Michael had to protect himself. He had to expose her for what she was. If there was a way to save her—to save the true Kathy—he would do his best to find it. But now that he knew what he was up against, it was time to put an end to his torment, once and for all.
***
KATHY STOOD ON THE cabin’s back deck and breathed in the fresh mountain air, scanning the treeline and hoping to glimpse some wildlife that was more exciting than a squirrel. She couldn’t wait to lace up her hiking boots and venture down into those woods. She hoped to give Michael time to himself for a good, long nap.
But first she had to put away the supplies they’d brought. She went back inside to deal with the groceries they’d left sitting on the counter and frowned at the brown satchel lying on the kitchen table. She hadn’t been able to get Michael to leave his work behind, after all.
She sighed. At least he’d agreed to come, and half a victory was better than no victory. Busying herself by putting away cans and stocking the fridge, she considered hiding the satchel until after he had a few good nights of sleep under his belt. But that would likely only lead to an argument, and that wouldn’t help either of them relax.
His mood already seemed to perk up, which gave Kathy more hope than she’d felt in weeks. This chronic sleep condition was changing him. He was drinking more, becoming surly and withdrawn. And he simply didn’t look well. If this vacation didn’t improve things, Kathy would insist once they got home that he see a doctor and check into a sleep clinic. Maybe even see a therapist. She was at a point where she thought marriage counseling couldn’t hurt.
At least, she hoped it was only his sleep troubles that were making him behave more coldly toward her. The memory of his assistant, the way she’d looked at him, the way she’d touched his arm at that party, still haunted her. She didn’t believe Michael had it in him to cheat. But what wife ever did until it happened?
With the food put away, she went into the bedroom to unpack their clothes and make up the bed. Michael had wanted to take a walk down to the lake after they unloaded the car, and Kathy didn’t argue. She hoped the exercise would tire him out and make it easier to sleep. She did her part by leaving his side of the bed turned down, the easier for him to crawl into if the desire hit him.
With the bedroom squared away, she returned to the main room to see what else she could clean. Her gaze fell again on Michael’s satchel. She went to pick it up and move it to the desk in the living area. It surprised her how heavy the bag felt. Just how many papers did he plan to grade? She was about to open the bag and look inside when she heard the screen door squeak open.
“What are you doing?” Michael asked as he let the door swing shut behind him.
“I was just moving your bag to the desk. What’s in here? Did you bring all your textbooks?”
“It’s just work stuff.” He came over and took the bag from her, slinging the strap over his shoulder. “Nothing for you to worry about.”
Kathy held up her hands in surrender. “Fine. Just promise me you’ll at least take the weekend off before you start in on all of that.”
He didn’t promise. He didn’t say anything as he slid the satchel under the desk.
Kathy sighed. “I was thinking of going for a hike. The bed’s made up in case you feel like taking a nap.”
“Why are you so eager for me to sleep?”
She blinked at the anger and accusation in his tone. “What kind of question is that?”
“The kind I want an answer to. Why are you always pushing me to sleep?”
She folded her arms and stared at him, struggling to understand where this was coming from. “Because I see how exhausted you are, and I’m worried about you. And also because you’re acting like a cranky four-year-old who really needs a nap.”
He looked slightly chagrined at her last comment and turned away. But he didn’t offer an apology.
Kathy threw up her hands in surrender. “Do whatever you want.” She started for the bedroom to get her gear. “I’m going for that hike.”
She was already past him when she heard him sigh. “Kathy.”
She turned around, her demeanor softening, ready to accept his apology.
“How long will you be gone?”
Her shoulders stiffened again. She shrugged. “A couple hours. I’ll stick to the trails, maybe spend some time at the lake.”
He nodded and went into the kitchen. No apology. No reminder to take her bear spray and watch out for herself. No see you when you get back.
No I love you. She hadn’t heard that one in a while.
She fought back tears as she laced up her boots. Two hours in the woods was just what she needed. It would help her calm down.
Hopefully, it would give them both time to cool down.
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