Sturniolo Triplets One Shots

Chris - Sleep Paralysis

Chris Sturniolo jolted awake, his eyes wide but unseeing. The room was bathed in an eerie glow from the streetlight outside, casting long shadows across his bedroom. The air felt heavy, and an inexplicable fear gripped his chest. It took a moment for him to realize that his body was unresponsive, trapped in an unsettling stillness.

Sleep paralysis had descended upon him like an unwelcome visitor. Panic surged through Chris as he tried to move, but his limbs remained stubbornly immobile. He attempted to call out for help, but his voice was trapped within him. The weight of the situation pressed down on him, and a cold sweat broke out across his forehead.

His older triplet brothers, Nick and Matt, shared the room with him. Sensing their brother's distress, they sprang into action. Nick, always the pragmatic one, rushed to turn on the bedside lamp, casting the room in a warm, familiar light. Matt, the more empathetic of the two, sat on the edge of Chris's bed, attempting to calm him with gentle reassurances.

"Chris, it's just sleep paralysis. Focus on your breathing," Matt soothingly advised, his voice a steady anchor in the storm of Chris's panic.

But Chris couldn't shake the feeling of being trapped in his own body. Panic set in, and his mind raced with irrational fears. Each second felt like an eternity, and the weight on his chest intensified. In the midst of his struggle, a disembodied voice seemed to echo in his mind – a manifestation of his own inner turmoil.

"Chris, you've faced worse fears than this. Remember the time you conquered your fear of heights?" the voice, a projection of his own inner strength, urged him to find courage within.

As the internal struggle waged on, Nick chimed in, his logical demeanor trying to combat the emotional storm. "Chris, focus on moving just one finger. You'll break free from this paralysis. It's all in your head."

Chris, however, couldn't escape the feeling that something otherworldly had a grip on him. The room seemed to distort, and shadows took on sinister shapes. A surreal conversation unfolded between his rational mind and the irrational forces that seemed to surround him.

Eventually, a breakthrough. Chris felt a surge of energy as he willed his finger to twitch. Slowly, the paralysis began to release its grip, and his movements returned. With a gasp, he sat up, beads of sweat trickling down his face. Nick and Matt exchanged relieved glances, their concern palpable.

Yet, the ordeal was far from over. Chris, now able to move, was caught in the aftermath of his own panic. The brothers navigated the fallout of his heightened emotions, trying to make sense of the surreal experience. Arguments erupted, emotions ran high, and the room echoed with the intensity of their collective fears.

Through the chaos, Speech, the embodiment of Chris's inner voice, guided him through the tumultuous sea of emotions. Language became a powerful tool for self-reflection and understanding. As the brothers hashed out their fears and frustrations, the bonds that held them together only strengthened.

In the aftermath of that fateful night, Chris learned to navigate the intricacies of his mind. Sleep paralysis became a hurdle he could overcome with resilience and support. The Sturniolo triplets emerged from the experience closer than ever, a testament to the strength of familial bonds and the power of confronting one's inner demons.