There’s something heavy on my chest. I say heavy, but it’s not that heavy. It’s a lot heavier than air, whatever it is. I can’t even see it properly in the dark. It’s like some kind of formless black mass, just chilling on top of me.

It’s warm. 

I thought I was having a weird dream, or some kind of stress-induced sleep paralysis. Alas, no matter how long I stare at the tiny black void, I can’t make out what it is. It’s just a vague shape. I have never seen anything like it. Although I suppose I still can’t see it. I know it has mass, it produces heat, I can see an absence of ‘stuff’ or something, but that’s about it. I am sure I have been lying frozen like this for at least ten minutes.

There’s a ‘thing’ on me. I feel like I should be more concerned. Well, I am concerned. I’m too scared to even touch it. 

I kind of need to pee. As if waking up to a literal nightmare experience in the dead of night wasn’t enough stress as it is. I don’t think I am allowed to move, for some reason. I feel like I am under a spell: Can’t disturb the tiny eldritch entity neatly perched on top of me. 

I wish I could reach my phone. The flashlight would be so handy right now. It’s on my nightstand, but I can’t quite get there without moving my whole body. Whatever this thing is, I don’t want to make it angry.

Do voids get angry?

Oh-oh. I just moved my leg by accident…

Woah woah woah woah! It’s vibrating! It’s vibrating! 

Do voids vibrate? 

What is this thing? What do I do? Should I push it off? Should I scream? I live alone. Would anyone even hear me? Is this how I die? Someone help me, please. I don’t know what to do!

What is it— Those are eyes! This thing has eyes!

I guess I should be glad I haven’t been staring at its butt.

Do voids have butts?

Look at those teeth! They’re like giant needles! This is how I die, for sure! I am about to be eaten by some cosmic enigma from the depths of Hell itself!

Get off, get off, get off! Please don’t bite me! Ew, I touched it! 

It’s… soft. Very soft. 

Actually… I think it’s just yawning. I might have overreacted a little. 

Do voids yawn?

It’s vibrating again. It’s so loud, I can feel it all the way through my ribcage. I wonder if this is what they mean when they say they can feel something deep in their soul. It’s kind of calming. Immediate crisis averted, I guess. 

It’s nuzzling against my hand. It’s kind of cute. I can feel its whiskers… those are ears, eyes, a nose… that’s a body… and a tail flicking my arm. 

…Is this a cat? 

I don’t have a cat.

Do cats vibrate?