Ever had Sleep Paralysis? Short story, but a true one

I have, at least I thought I did. Before I continue I don't know what this was, but I have spoken to a few people who have all said it was sleep paralysis, although it is entirely possible it was something else, regardless it was very weird and very unsettling.

The night was like any other, there was nothing abnormal, I had not eaten or drunk anything I would have normally not. Nothing was particularly different. Believe it or not, I have a girlfriend, I was fast asleep next to her. I'm telling you this because it's part of the story later.

So being asleep I slept soundly and snuggly, snoring and sighing away until I woke. When I woke up I realized something was off, although my room looked normal there was a strange light to it, a light that shouldn't have been present at whatever time this happened to be, past midnight but before sunrise. I tried to get up and when I did I felt resistance, it felt as though I was under heavy water, or in a slow-motion sequence. As I tried to rise my body upwards it moved slowly, painfully slowly, my vision blurred. In this time I can remember myself calling for my girlfriend's name, 'Aoki?'*, I called softly. No sound came from my lips... 'Aoki?' I said again more frantically. Nothing... I called this time feverishly, 'AOKI?', I almost screamed, but no words came out my mouth.
What the fuck is happening?I thought to myself. At this point I was still in the process of rising upwards, not in a supernatural way mind you, merely sitting up in bed, however as stated before I was moving slowly, unnaturally slowly.
Something clearly was not right.

I think at this point I realized I was asleep, however, I couldn't wake up, I tried but in doing so I only sat up slower and slower, nothing was helping. It was then that the weirdest part of the event occurred. There was a flash of light, but,it did not stop, like lightning, it lit up my room, but then it stayed lit. I could make out a wooden color, and bodies. Now I think this to either be bodies being crucified or people hanging, regardless it was unsettling. I started freaking out and screaming, but once again nothing came from my mouth. Now at this point I knew I had to get out, and as this is a true story the way how is rather embarrassing. Now as an anime fan I have watched and been a fan of Naruto, and it was to my knowledge that the way you release yourself from a Genjutsu is by making a hand position and doing some weird shit, so in my mind that is what I thought about doing, and for some fucking reason it actually worked.

I sat up immediately, out of breath. I was now awake, actually awake.
What the fuck was that?I thought, and this time I said.
'Aoki... Aoki', i said, relieved to hear my own voice.
'What?', she mumbled.
'I just had the weirdest fucking dream', I stated, as I explained to her the events that had just occurred.
'weird', she muttered, 'I heard you speaking, but it was just gibberish... What did you want by the way?'
'what?', I was confused,
'Well you said you kept calling my name, what was it that you wanted?'
'uh... help?' I said hesitantly
'aw', she sighed, as she held my hand and turned over.

Back to sleep we went.

I woke up again that night, to sounds of her crying, I thought I was dreaming but she explained the next morning that she woke sobbing. I don't know why, and neither does she.

What was this? Why did it happen? I'm not one who believs dreams have meanings, but this was not a dream I had ever experienced before, it felt real, I felt an actual struggle, I felt terrified and I was concious I was dreaming but not in control of what, far from it in fact.

If you have had a similar experience I would love to hear it




* This is not my girlfriends name for privacy reasons.