There is someone behind the mirror

Beware the Baphomet!

There is someone behind the mirror in the Bathroom, I told her. She groaned irritably, believing that I was mumbling in my sleep once again. It had been a regular affair. Over the past 1 week or so, I would talk incoherently in my sleep, she would wake up, ask me to shut up and then go back to sleep. But every other day, I could feel that I was dreaming, although, I couldn't make sense of what I was dreaming. Funny, these dreams were. Sometimes, I would see myself driving blindfolded, taking sharp turns, realizing that there were near-accident situations, at other times, I would feel like I was running down a flight of stairs. My legs would bend and twitch as if I was really running down the stairs. But I could never understand what I was driving/running away from. But all that was until tonight.

I had been telling her that I was having silly dreams. We had even laughed at how the quality of my dreams was so mediocre. I had tried to go to bed with a light dinner, having read somewhere that heavy dinner before bedtime makes the sleep pattern irregular. For the last 3 days, I had been secretely reciting shlokas and mantras to help me sleep- remember how parents used to tell you to say your prayers before going to bed. But nothing had helped. I had continued to drive and run in my sleep. Every morning, I would feel exhausted- attributable obviously to the poor sleep quality. I had even started taking power naps at work, but my boss had caught me yesterday. I had told him that I was meditating.

Strangely though, I had fallen asleep as soon as I had hit the bed tonight. It was a sound sleep, just like the days of yore. And then, suddenly, the dreams began. I dreamt that I was dreaming that I was walking about the house. And the house was empty. It was pitch dark. I tried turning the lights on, but the switch did not work. Damned power cuts, I remarked. I realized that it was night and that I could hear her snoring gently in the bedroom. I thought that I had woken up and walked around in my sleep and started walking back towards the bedroom. The door of the bathroom adjacent to the bedroom was open. A strange yellow light seemed to be coming from the mirror above the wash basin. I reminded myself, Aashay, you are sleep walking and that is bad enough. You should not be dreaming while you are sleep walking. Even before I could decide what I wanted to do, I realized that I was in the bathroom. I could hear voices now. Mumbling that was too faint to comprehend. And then suddenly, it appeared, behind the miror. It was a man, a strange man at that. Seemed more like a goat standing on two feet. It looked at me and then it disappeared.... sooner than it had appeared.

And I blurted out. 'There is someone behind the mirror in the bathroom'. And she groaned. I realized I was still sleeping. I tried to turn over to her side. I couldn't move. I tried to sit up. I couldn't. I opened my eyes, and there it was. The strange Goat-man that I had just seen behind the mirror. He was standing right in front of me. His bloodshot eyes, tapered teeth, vulpine nose, furry face, pointed horns and a strange long dangling tail.  I could see him clearly. He came closer and closer to me. I could feel his breath over my face. He seemed to be radiating wrath. He was still mumbling faintly. But this time, I could make sense of what he was saying. 'Do not tread on paths where you do not belong'.

And suddenly, I felt that I was moving, writhing actually. And I could see her, trying to shake me into wakefulness. I was sweaty, my chest was heaving and my heartbeat was racing like I had actually run a mile. It was morning. And here she was, telling me, 'Wake up, Did you dream again?'

I did not dream. Not tonight. I was sure of it. It was real. The goat man was what I was running and driving away from. Without even knowing he existed, I was running away from him.It was as if my mind had wandered into another dimension and having perceived the menace wanted my body to run away.

Once night falls and darkness takes over, Once sleep takes you in its arms, strange creatures from another realm come to life. It is not meant for a man to see them or hear them. They brook no interference with their life and their realm.

So when you sleep tonight and dreams take over. Be very careful. Not all dreams are bereft of reality. And be wary of where these dreams take you.... There might just be someone behind the mirror in the bathroom.