I live alone in a large house. I sleep on the second floor just over the garage, with windows facing the street. I have been in bed for I don’t know how long.

I feel (or can I see?) something is coming in the window. My worst nightmare is about to happen. I’m going to be robbed, raped, maybe killed.

I’m paralyzed. I can’t move. I’m wide awake; I’m asleep; I’m dreaming. Something dark is coming in the window. It’s on the bed. A tabby cat is swirling on top of the covers. It’s huge, big and not entirely tame. I touched it and it disappeared from under my hand.

My heart is beating so loud, I can hear it. I feel cold. I want to move but I want to lie as still as I can. I pray this is not really happening.

Then I feel something larger get into bed, under the covers. I can’t move, I can’t scream, I’m terrified. It’s long, bony legs and feet touch mine. It’s naked. I try with all of my strength to talk. I keep trying to say, “Who are you?” But all that comes out is a croaking sound. I am slightly on my side, turned away, so I can’t see it. I try with all my might to turn over. I try with all my strength to talk but still, only raspy, throat grating sounds come out.

I don’t want it to touch me but it’s feet and legs are trying to rub against mine. I make one last effort to roll over and succeed, but too well. I find myself lying on top of a dark figure. The teeth are brilliant white and he/she is so dark that I can’t make out whether it is a man or a woman. I know it is human and real. It is in my bed and I’m staring into a face that I cannot see. But my body, I cannot roll off.

I finally am able to say, “Who are you?” It responded, somehow because the voice was not coming from the mouth, but it clearly said, “The Reminder”.

The next thing I knew, I was lying on my back. I was again, paralyzed. I felt the cat again on the bed, swirling on the bedsheets. I reached out and it was, again, a giant cat but this time it is orange and in an instant, it disappeared as before. I fell immediately to sleep as though dead not waking until late morning.

When I awoke “The Reminder” was so strongly embedded in my mind, I cannot shake it to this day. I have never been so afraid, even though I don’t believe it was evil nor did it come with mal-intent.

I think about this visitation every day and wonder what it means. What am I to be reminded of?