My late husband was in my life when I was a little girl. He was my babysitter when I was 8. He would tell me that there was a monster in my closet that would GET ME if I didn’t go to sleep. He would tell me that the monster would come out during the night and wiggle my bed to test and see if I was really asleep. We live in California where it is not unusual to have a tremor of an earthquake now and then. An earthquake would have me jumping out of bed in terror. I had a fear of something being under my bed, or in my bed and moving my covers.
Now that I am an adult, I know those are silly fears and I am much too grown up for such silly fears.
One night, just 5 years ago, my bed jiggled in the night and woke me up! I laid in the dark wondering if I had just imagined it. It jiggled again!!! I got a flashlight and leaned over the side of my bed to shine the flashlight beam under my bed…. two eyes glowed greenish yellow!!! I screamed because I knew my cats were outside. I bolted out of bed to check outside and make sure my cats were really outside. They were asleep in my tea room. I shined the light under my bed and the eyes were still glowing in the flashlight!!! Then I realized that when my son left my house a few days before, he left his cat behind —- it was my son’s abandoned cat.
Then, 4 years ago, I was sleeping at my boyfriend’s house, and the bed jiggled. I woke up! I felt something crawling up my covers!!! For a moment, I was a little girl in fear. Then his cat got comfortable between us and settled down to go to sleep. He has 6 cats and it is now a common thing that a cat sleeps in bed with us. Then there was the night I awoke to realize there was something in the closet —– yep, another cat! I got up and let the cat out of the closet. After all, I am grown up and much too old for silly fears.
When I was a little girl, around 5 or 6, I lived on a farm. There were 3 other houses near by but still a 10minute walk or so away. So you could say we were pretty secluded. My older sister was a brat and picked on me from time to time. She used to tell me stories of a faceless man who would appear at the front door if you opened it past dark. I was always terrified to go near the front door of our house at night. As I got older that fear of opening closed doors grew with me. I am now 21 and still to this day I get scared a wee bit when I have to open closed doors, especially if they lead outside and it is night.
Okay here I go…
It is not exactly a “fear of things that go bump in the night”… I don’t want to name Them right now… in fact this is why it has taken me so long to respond to this prompt.
But, I do have quite a few lurking childhood things… Most of which I do my best to disallow. But this one is amusing… I can remember a while when I was a kid, maybe about 11 years old? when I slept on my back, because I thought that the walls would take offense if I slept with my back to one? Maybe I was sneaking too many ghost stories under my blankets? I don’t know where the thought came from or where it went. But once in a while I will get a weird feeling now, like if I sleep on one of my sides, a sort of mistrust feeling, you know? Dont even get me started on sleeping with bedroom doors open! and I will roll onto my back and all will feel well. Am I a nutter? ! Maybe, whatever I sleep better lol
6 responses to “Lurking Childhood Fears”
My late husband was in my life when I was a little girl. He was my babysitter when I was 8. He would tell me that there was a monster in my closet that would GET ME if I didn’t go to sleep. He would tell me that the monster would come out during the night and wiggle my bed to test and see if I was really asleep. We live in California where it is not unusual to have a tremor of an earthquake now and then. An earthquake would have me jumping out of bed in terror. I had a fear of something being under my bed, or in my bed and moving my covers.
Now that I am an adult, I know those are silly fears and I am much too grown up for such silly fears.
One night, just 5 years ago, my bed jiggled in the night and woke me up! I laid in the dark wondering if I had just imagined it. It jiggled again!!! I got a flashlight and leaned over the side of my bed to shine the flashlight beam under my bed…. two eyes glowed greenish yellow!!! I screamed because I knew my cats were outside. I bolted out of bed to check outside and make sure my cats were really outside. They were asleep in my tea room. I shined the light under my bed and the eyes were still glowing in the flashlight!!! Then I realized that when my son left my house a few days before, he left his cat behind —- it was my son’s abandoned cat.
Then, 4 years ago, I was sleeping at my boyfriend’s house, and the bed jiggled. I woke up! I felt something crawling up my covers!!! For a moment, I was a little girl in fear. Then his cat got comfortable between us and settled down to go to sleep. He has 6 cats and it is now a common thing that a cat sleeps in bed with us. Then there was the night I awoke to realize there was something in the closet —– yep, another cat! I got up and let the cat out of the closet. After all, I am grown up and much too old for silly fears.
Your dog is fully charged when eyes turn green.
When I was a little girl, around 5 or 6, I lived on a farm. There were 3 other houses near by but still a 10minute walk or so away. So you could say we were pretty secluded. My older sister was a brat and picked on me from time to time. She used to tell me stories of a faceless man who would appear at the front door if you opened it past dark. I was always terrified to go near the front door of our house at night. As I got older that fear of opening closed doors grew with me. I am now 21 and still to this day I get scared a wee bit when I have to open closed doors, especially if they lead outside and it is night.
At night, I answer the door with a can of pepper spray either in my hand, or near the door. I have that same fear.
Older siblings can be a real pain in the ass when you are still a young child. They just know more and can better manipulate your emotions.
I try to avoid opening doors too quickly anywhere, just to take a second and check my surroundings. A faceless man sounds terrifying.
Okay here I go…
It is not exactly a “fear of things that go bump in the night”… I don’t want to name Them right now… in fact this is why it has taken me so long to respond to this prompt.
But, I do have quite a few lurking childhood things… Most of which I do my best to disallow. But this one is amusing… I can remember a while when I was a kid, maybe about 11 years old? when I slept on my back, because I thought that the walls would take offense if I slept with my back to one? Maybe I was sneaking too many ghost stories under my blankets? I don’t know where the thought came from or where it went. But once in a while I will get a weird feeling now, like if I sleep on one of my sides, a sort of mistrust feeling, you know? Dont even get me started on sleeping with bedroom doors open! and I will roll onto my back and all will feel well. Am I a nutter? ! Maybe, whatever I sleep better lol