You wake up in the dead of night and hear your (girl/boy)friend whispering softly in their sleep. You listen in, and it's not sexy talk, it's quite the opposite. What are they saying?

I was awoken by a gentle voice, whispering sweet nothings. “Make it stop, make it stop, please make it stop.”<br><br>I sat bolt upright, rubbing my eyes. It was Rachel, my girlfriend of six months. She’d been nothing but lovely and caring, and her voice was like honey - always so smooth and gentle.<br><br>What was she dreaming about? I shifted slightly in bed, trying not to wake her. Usually, I couldn’t stand listening to people talk in their sleep, but this was different. She needed help.<br><br>“Make it stop, make it stop, please make it stop.”<br><br>I peered into the darkness, trying to make out her features. Her eyes were screwed shut, and her face was twisted in a grimace. I wanted to wake her, to ask if she was okay, but something held me back.<br><br>“Make it stop, make it stop, please make it stop.”<br><br>Her voice was growing louder, more urgent. I could feel her body trembling beneath the covers. What was happening?<br><br>“Make it stop, make it stop, please make it stop.”<br><br>Suddenly, she sat up, throwing off the covers. I froze, unsure what to do. Her eyes snapped open, and for a moment, we stared at each other. Then, her gaze dropped to my chest.<br><br>“Why are you screaming?” she asked, her voice shaking.<br><br>I stared back, confused. “I’m not screaming.”<br><br>She looked around the room wildly, before fixing me with a terrified stare. “Oh, thank God. I thought it had found me.”<br><br>“Rachel, what’s wrong? What were you dreaming about?”<br><br>I reached out to take her hand, but she yanked it away.<br><br>“Don’t touch me.”<br><br>Her face twisted in a snarl, and for a moment, I didn’t recognise her. Then, it was gone, replaced by a haunted expression.<br><br>“I’m sorry. I was just dreaming.”<br><br>I threw off the covers, getting out of bed. “Let’s go downstairs. We’ll talk about it.”<br><br>She hesitated, so I took her hand, pulling her gently from bed. In the kitchen, I put on the kettle and waited for her to explain. She looked around the room, her eyes darting wildly.<br><br>“Rachel, what happened?”<br><br>She shook her head. “I don’t know.”<br><br>I sighed and turned back to the kettle. “Fine. Don’t tell me.”<br><br>We sat at the table, sipping tea in silence. It was awkward, the tension between us palpable. I was angry that she didn’t trust me enough to tell me what was wrong.<br><br>“Rachel, if we’re going to be together, we need to trust each other. Why won’t you tell me what happened?”<br><br>She put down her mug and looked at me. For a moment, I thought I saw something in her eyes, something dark and sinister. Then, it was gone.<br><br>“I’m sorry. I’ll tell you.”<br><br>I nodded, feeling a wave of relief. “Thank you.”<br><br>She took a deep breath. “I was being held captive. There was this presence around me, suffocating me. I couldn’t breathe.”<br><br>I reached out, taking her hand. “I’m sorry. That sounds awful.”<br><br>“Did you hear me?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “I was begging it to stop, but you said I wasn’t screaming.”<br><br>I frowned. “What do you mean? I was listening to you.”<br><br>She stared at me, a mixture of confusion and fear on her face. “I wasn’t talking to you?”<br><br>“No, you were talking to... something.”<br><br>We stared at each other, unsure what to say. Finally, she spoke up.<br><br>“I think I’m going to go back to bed.”<br><br>I nodded, feeling helpless. “Okay.”<br>*<br>The next morning, Rachel was her lovely self again. It was as though nothing had happened. She didn’t mention the dream, and neither did I.<br><br>But that night, I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about what she’d been saying. Who was she talking to? Why was she begging it to stop?<br><br>I shifted uncomfortably, trying to push the thoughts away. But they lingered.<br><br>And when Rachel finally fell asleep, I listened intently.<br><br>“Make it stop, make it stop, please make it stop.”<br><br>I sat up, throwing off the covers. That was it, I couldn’t just lie there. I threw my legs over the side of the bed, my feet dangling in the air.<br><br>“Rachel, wake up.”<br><br>She didn’t stir so I shook her gently. Her eyes snapped open.<br><br>“What the-”<br><br>“Why are you screaming?”<br><br>Her gaze dropped to my chest, and for a moment, she stared. Then, her eyes snapped back to mine.<br><br>“Why are you screaming?”<br><br>I froze. “I’m not screaming.”<br><br>“Oh, thank God. I thought it had found me.”<br><br>I stared back, confused. “Rachel, we had this conversation before. I’m not screaming.”<br><br>She stared at me, her expression unreadable. Then, understanding dawned on her face.<br><br>“You remember?”<br><br>I nodded. “Yes. Why didn’t you?”<br><br>She sat up, running a hand through her tangled hair. “I don’t know. Let’s go downstairs.”<br><br>I threw off the covers, getting up. “Okay.”<br><br>In the kitchen, we sat at the table. I waited for her to talk. Finally, she spoke up.<br><br>“I think you should go.”<br><br>I stared at her. “What?”<br><br>“I think you should leave.”<br><br>“Rachel, no. We need to talk about this.”<br><br>“I said go.”<br><br>I sighed. “Fine.”<br><br>I grabbed my bag, then turned back to her. “I’m not going to abandon you, okay? I’ll be back.”<br><br>She nodded, before turning away.<br><br>I walked home, unsure what was going on. I’d never heard of a dream like that before. Was she possessed or something?<br><br>The next night, I decided to test it. I waited until she fell asleep, then shook her awake.<br><br>“Rachel, wake up.”<br><br>She looked at me groggily. “What?”<br><br>“Why are you screaming?”<br><br>She stared at me. “I’m not screaming.”<br><br>“Are you sure?”<br><br>“Yes.”<br><br>I sighed. “Then why are you saying ‘make it stop’?”<br><br>Her gaze dropped. “I wasn’t.”<br><br>I stared at her. “Okay.”<br><br>I got up and went home. The next night, I came back. And the next. Each time, I used a different method to wake her. But it didn’t matter, she always had the same reaction. She’d say she wasn’t screaming, then I’d ask her why she was saying it, and she’d deny it.<br><br>It was as if she’d erase the memory each time. Why was she screaming? What was happening?<br><br>I couldn’t take it anymore. One night, I decided to take drastic measures. I shook her awake, but instead of having the same conversation, I asked her a different question.<br><br>“Do you hate me?”<br><br>She stared at me, and I could see the fear in her eyes. “What?”<br><br>“Do you hate me?”<br><br>She looked around wildly, then back at me. “Oh, thank God. I thought it had found me.”<br><br>“Rachel, what’s happening?”<br><br>But she didn’t reply. She just ran out of the room.<br><br>I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. What was happening? Why was she saying those things?<br><br>The next night, I asked a different question again. “Rachel, is it here?”<br><br>She looked at me wildly. “What?”<br><br>“Is it here?”<br><br>But she just ran again.<br><br>I kept asking her different questions, trying to figure out what was happening. But she’d never answer.<br><br>It wasn’t until I asked her one final question that things changed.<br><br>“Rachel, am I the demon?”<br><br>This time, she didn’t run. She looked at me, then nodded once. I stared back, unsure what to say.<br><br>Finally, I found my voice. “I thought you liked me.”<br><br>She looked at me, tears in her eyes. “I do. I just can’t say anything when you’re around.”<br><br>I stared at her, confused. “What do you mean?”<br><br>“When you talk to me, it makes it worse. It knows where I am.”<br><br>“But you always talk to me.”<br><br>“I don’t have a choice. But if I say anything, it gets worse.”<br><br>I stared at her. “What do you mean?”<br><br>But she just shook her head. “I can’t.”<br><br>I sighed. “Fine.”<br>*<br>I didn’t go home that night. Instead, I stayed in bed, listening to Rachel. Occasionally, she’d mutter in her sleep, but I couldn’t quite make out the words.<br><br>I had to know what was happening. But how?<br><br>I glanced at her, my heart heavy with emotion. I would do anything to help her.<br><br>And as I listened to her soft snores, I knew exactly what I had to do.<br><br>I waited until she fell into a deep sleep, her breathing slow and steady. Then, I reached out, gently shaking her.<br><br>She stirred, looking at me groggily. I stared back, trying not to show any emotion.<br><br>“Make it stop.”<br><br>I stared at her, unsure what to say. But then, something inside me clicked.<br><br>“Rachel, listen to me. If you can hear me, squeeze my hand.”<br><br>Her hand was lying on top of the covers. It squeezed my hand.<br><br>“Good girl. If you can’t talk, just squeeze my hand.”<br><br>She squeezed my hand again.<br><br>“Rachel, you’re safe. I’m here, and I’ll always protect you.