가위 (Gawi)

Gawi is the Korean word for torment by demons. It has very specific circumstances:

So, you're sleeping. Then you wake up. It's still the night. You realize that you can't move your body. Your entire body is paralyzed, all of it save for your eyes. You can still blink and move them around. You hear a piercing sound to your right. You slowly roll your eyes to the right and look. Beings you never could have imagined are malevolently advancing on you. They're taunting you because they know that you cannot move or pull away. These are demons.

Koreans are warned that the only way to stop the demonic activity of Gawi once it happens is to pray.

My friend was telling me about Gawi last night as we walked alongside the cemetery. It wasn't my first time being exposed to the concept. It was, however, the first time that I had an uneasy night because of it.

I was going to bed and couldn't fall asleep because I heard a lot of strange sounds. I know the familiar sounds that usually fill my room at night due to my leaving the windows open, but last night's noises were exceptionally disturbing. I wasn't sure if I wanted to open my eyes to find the source of the strange sounds or if I wanted to keep them closed. While I was still deciding, a new clamor arose that far surpassed any of the previous sounds in volume and clarity. This new one pierced the air and may have woken me up had I been able to fall asleep earlier. It was a shriek.

The familiar shriek that Carly makes when her personal space is violated. Oh, the antics of her wonderful room mate, Jennifer :)

And I slept well, knowing that all in life was normal.