As a child the uncanny can be frightening. Too many creaks and rattles keep the night light on which better illuminates grandma’s dolls that watch you from their perch high above on the mantle. Looking back at our younger selves is reminder that childhood isn’t always carefree. We are impressionable when young. Imaginations flutter with every new curiosity, except when we are alone in the dark, the room is quiet and a shadow plays at the wall. You can not wait for the sun to come up to go run and play under the bright sun where things aren’t so scary.
The question is: Do you have a lurking childhood fear? Why not tell us a story about the thing that sent a chill down your spine.
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Responses
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.
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Your dog is fully charged when eyes turn green.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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