The Strangler

One evening, I came home late from work. I decided not to wake my wife and young son, so I went to bed in my mother's room. She had just left for her sister's for a few days. I fell asleep very quickly. I don't remember what I dreamed, and I apparently didn't sleep for long. I was awakened by a touch. The first thing I felt upon waking was someone gently caressing me, stroking my neck. It was unexpected, but at the same time, I didn't feel anxious, much less scared: the touch was familiar, even dear. I opened my eyes and saw the silhouette of a woman with loose hair, wearing a white dress. Half asleep, I thought it was my wife, but upon closer inspection, I couldn't make out her features.

A feeling of mild shock and surprise washed over me; I couldn't even utter a word. With my left hand, I touched the woman's hand and realized it wasn't my wife. Suddenly, all tenderness vanished—she grabbed my throat with her hands, her thumbs pressing on my carotid artery. I was lucky: she didn't manage to completely clamp her hands around my neck. I managed to slip my left thumb between her fingers, squeezing my throat like a vice. She was incredibly strong and stubborn. I'm far from a weak guy, but I felt I couldn't resist for long. The only thing I managed, after a fierce struggle, was to squeeze my right thumb through this chokehold. I realized that if I pressed on any further, she would simply break my neck. A sickeningly sweet despair washed over me, but I still decided not to give in.

Suddenly, her grip loosened, she stepped away from me, and disappeared into the darkness. Then, I apparently blacked out, but not for long. When I woke up, I jumped up in bed, feeling a pain in my neck and a sense of utter fear. Even though I'm a grown man, I couldn't stay in the room where I'd almost been killed. I went into the room where my wife and son were sleeping. Opening the door, I saw them sleeping peacefully and lay down next to them.

For a week afterward, my neck ached in the exact spot where that witch had pressed her fingers, but to this day I can't figure out what it was or what I encountered that night.