Darkness

Ever since I was little I have been scared of the dark.

While going to the toilet at night I turned on every light on the way there and ran from the dark dining room in our old house to my room.

I would then have to leap onto my bed.

I was always certain there was something under the bed waiting to grab me.

Later years I worked out it was fear of the unknown not the dark.

You never know what’s hidden in the dark lurking in the shadows just waiting for when your back is turned.

That’s what I told myself anyway.

The old house was also haunted which didn’t help.

At night doors use to open by themselves and I always heard voices. 

To beat my fear of the dark I use to play a game, while your eyes were open no one could get you cause you could see them coming.

So when I was very scared in the dark I would play dead.

I would lay there frozen not moving til I fell asleep often singing in my head “99 bottles of pop on the wall”, I never made it to 80.

I’m a lot better now although I still get a big fright at night if the caravan suddenly rocks from either the wind or the cat. 

Because there is no emptiness under my bed I don’t jump or take a big step quickly into bed.