Last night a childhood fear struck with a vengeance, it's one I had totally forgotten about and the reason why I sleep surrounded by pillows. I don't know why I have this fear, I am not even sure there was a cause (other than freaky books). As a child I was afraid that snakes were curled up at the bottom of my bed and if I stretched my legs out they would eat me, unless there was a pillow between me and the snakes. I am not kidding. I am fairly sure I used to think that goblins would get me if I didn't have a pillow between me and the wall. Yeah... I can't remember what was going to get me if I didn't have a pillow on the other side of my bed, but I am almost positive it was nasty.
I also used to hate using the bathroom because I thought trolls lived in the sewer and they would pull me down when I wasn't looking. Specifically through the toilet, which is ridiculous, there is just no way I could have ever fit down a toilet pipe. Ironically this fear did not follow me to outhouses... which really doesn't make any sense. For years I would never take my eyes of the drain when taking a shower. I have had no relapses with this paranoia, apparently bathroom trolls only want kids.
The more I think about it, the more I realize how much used to freak me out as a kid. It's amazing I ever left my room.
A paranoia that I still have, and that is almost crippling at times, is the fear that someone is hiding under my bed. Or those creepy stairs that don't have a back, so someone could reach through and grab me. *shudder*
Not cool. I hate those stairs. I basically hate anyplace someone could hid and catch me unawares. I constantly have to suppress the urge to check my trunk for potential kidnappers. I hate walking on a sidewalk that is right next to the road, I actually hate being within ten feet of a car, specifically vans. And parking garages... those just scream "I am a potential Murderer/Raper/Kidnapper's wet dream!"
Hmmm... wow. I have issues.
The reason I had a relapse into childhood fears of snakes at the bottom of my bed is because I stayed up late reading. Not that the book had anything to do with it, but whenever I go without sleep for a while it sneaks up on me. I will try to stretch out so I can sleep only to be almost paralyzed with fear and unable to relax enough for sleeping. It sucks. The only way to fall asleep is to curl up into a tiny ball and hope I am can just pass out.
Also zombies. I am terrified of zombies. I know they don't actually exist, but I can't watch movies with zombies. The few times I did I couldn't sleep for days without having nightmares. Just talking about zombies gives me the heebie-jeebies, things freak me out. I would much rather be attacked by a serial killer than a zombie... Well... maybe not. They all freak me out.
Lol - oh Blogger.
ReplyDeleteOkay, re-typing my comment. (Which it told me I didn't have permissions for. again.)
I can relate to having a lot of childhood fears - but the one out of this grouping that I remember vividly is the monster under the bed. I grew up knowing that monsters (the fairytale kind) weren't real, so I'm not sure what I thought was under there. But every night, I'd flip off the bedroom light, then run at my bed and throw myself into it from 3-4 feet away. I was terrified that I wouldn't make it onto the bed completely, that a foot would slip over and I'd be a goner. But apparently the thing under the bed had pretty short arms, 'cause it never got me.
I suppose it isn't much comfort per se, but at least you know what triggers the snakes.
Zombies creep me out too. I avoid books and movies that are specifically about zombies . . .there are just all kinds of things that are unappealing about the concept.
Zombies do/can exist:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cracked.com/article_15643_5-scientific-reasons-zombie-apocalypse-could-actually-happen.html