Odd things?

Cancer

Sea/lake monsters. I cannot swim where I can't see the bottom clearly and I'm very uncomfortable kayaking or canoeing over it as well. I can handle deep water in larger boats.

I just can't get past the feeling that there is something down there... waiting.

Silence.

I can't really explain it but I hate when it is quiet. It's almost like I am afraid of what I may end up hearing in the silence, so I use other things to drown it out.

Jake.Ashworth said:

Are there any off the wall things that scare you? My wife cannot sleep without a monitor on in my childrens rooms, both rooms, so two monitors. They are 8 and 4, but she will not close her eyes if she cant hear them.

I am absolutely terrified of the dark. I have my reasons discussed in a separate thread, but I will not sleep unless there are enough lights on in the house for me to get around without me having to strain my eyes.

What crazy off the wall things are you scared of, and why?

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Your wife is gonna have to get over that one pretty soon.

"I can't sleep unless I can hear everything my 12-year-old is up to, alone, in his own room," said no one ever.

Motley said:

I just can't get past the feeling that there is something down there... waiting.

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I'm not so sure that's odd. There often is something down there waiting, even if it's just a three hundred pound snapping turtle with jaws capable of removing large body parts, which is a good reason not to skinny-dip in a lake.

Specifically? Turning my back on a dark room. I then have to rush to my destination (or light source) before whatever is behind me comes up and kills me.

Being in deep water with no land to be seen. Being in a cave where you have to crawl through tight spaces. Camping deep in the woods and hearing loud noises that makes you think a bear is near.

Interesting discussion! I'm not saying. Don't want the whole Chinese Army to know about it...

Am I just being paranoid or what?

Bees and wasps. They seem drawn to me and it's eminently unfair that they can fly AND sting. I was once alone at a park when I noticed a swarm of bees about 15 feet away. As I retreated I felt one land on my back. I immediately froze and stood there, motionless and terrified, for nearly an hour before someone happened by and could check my back to confirm it had gone. (I know. I'm a wuss).

Bees are at least redeemed by their pollinating and honey-making awesomeness, but wasps just suck.

My kids being hit by a car. I don't know if it's typical parent paranoid, but I think mine runs deeper. Within five years I've seen two dogs and two teenagers hit to varying degrees. Thankfully all four did survive. (Incidentally, people really do fly out of their shoes.)

My ex.

Black and gold garden spiders. I am utterly terrified by them, to the point that I cannot even look at a photograph of them.

Ruth2, now that's true icky bug!

True, Feidb, and somehow they seem to find me. *shudders*

I hate drinking from public drinking fountains because somebody might bump into me, cause my mouth to hit the metal guard or fountain part and knock out my teeth. Totally irrational, but I'm always cautious drinking from a fountain.

I'm super paranoid by those metal grated rain ditches in parking lots (what's the technical term?). I won't park over one or near one. God forbid I should have to walk over it. I'm afraid that it's going to collapse or at least somehow manage to wrestle my keys from my hand and fall down to oblivion.

I'm also terrified of the garbage disposal. Thanks RL Stine (99 fear street) a handful of other people for making me believe that it will magically turn on and shred my fingers into stumps.

Closets. They must be closed. Especially at night.

So of course I left a dead woman inside one in one of my manus...

Underdawg47 said:

Being in deep water with no land to be seen. Being in a cave where you have to crawl through tight spaces. Camping deep in the woods and hearing loud noises that makes you think a bear is near.

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People really are different. You just named three of my favorite things. I love being in deep water far, far from land, I love spelunking, and do it every chance I get, and I've sat in the deep woods alone many times, and had something that seemed a lot worse than a bear circle my camp all night. I didn't stay a wake all night, but it was still doing it when I woke up about an hour before dawn.

gypsyscarlett said:

Closets. They must be closed. Especially at night.

So of course I left a dead woman inside one in one of my manus...

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All doors must be closed for me. Anytime I sleep with an open door or in a door with a doorway and no door, I feel like the ghosts are watching.

I'm not afraid of much, but water. When it's portrayed in a terrifying way, of course. Water has so many aspects to it (a nice summer rain, a beautiful waterfall, a lovely lake, a deep dark pool with things that will grab you and pull you under while you suffocate, thrashing madly as the light dims from your vision.)

It comes from real events. When I was five I was swimming in a pool in a family friend's backyard. We were having a huge church BBQ at a private person's house. One of my church friends, a seven year old drowned while we were all swimming with him. None of the kids even realized what happened. He drowned so so quietly.

Water is beautiful. It's also silently terrifying.