Hello, Touko-san. |
Hello, Lain. |
Okay, from today we’re going to really tackle what’s bothering you, Lain-chan. |
I’m sorry. |
I mean Lain. |
We’re going to try to figure things out so you don’t see nightmares anymore. |
I haven't seen nightmares much lately. Sometimes I hear things, though. |
Hear things? Like what? |
I don’t know. |
It sounds like someone talking. |
I don’t like hearing it, so I try my best to ignore it. |
Hmm. Do you know whose voice you hear? |
I don’t know. It can be a man’s voice or a woman’s voice. |
Where do the voices seem to come from? |
From the sky. |
The sky? From what part of the sky? |
From the electric lines. Somehow... |
The electric lines... Do you know what’s inside of electric lines? |
Wiring that carries electricity. |
Right. They carry electricity that comes from power plants. Do feel like you sense electricity? |
I don't really know. Sometimes it seems to come from the sky; not the electric lines. |
Are you bothered by it right now? |
No. I’m not scared now. But... |
When you told your mother, did she tell you not to tell anyone else about these things? |
Uh-huh. |
People who don’t hear these things would think strange things about you if you told them, huh? |
You don’t have to worry about telling me anything you want to. |
You don’t have to worry, okay? |
I’m not going to think strange things about you. |
Because I’m sick? |
No, Lain. Let’s see. You know about "sleep paralysis"? |
Is it when a demon comes out and you can’t move your body? |
Right. Have you ever had that happen to you? |
Many times. |
It was frightening, wasn’t it? |
Uh, huh. |
Do you know why sleep paralysis happens? |
Why? |
The human body is very mysterious. |
When you’re sleeping, there are times when your mind is awake, and times when your body is awake. |
Do you understand? |
Sort of... |
Well, that’s good enough for now. What parts of you are awake right now? |
Both? |
Hmm. |
Suppose I said something really scary right now, and you felt scared enough to run out of this room. |
What would you do? |
Run out of the room. |
Okay. |
Suppose that you feel so scared that you want to run out of this room, but your body is asleep and you can’t move. |
That's what sleep paralysis is. |
So if you’re having a nightmare but your body is asleep and you can’t move, you are having sleep paralysis. |
You see? |
If you know what’s involved, it’s not so scary, is it? |
No. It isn’t. |