Archive Tag:phobias

Drabble 23 – Tarantism

Tarantism
Spiderwebs are beautiful when they’re not covered in terrible spiders. Spiderweb by Erik Schepers.

It probably comes as no surprise that I’m afraid of spiders. Something like thirty percent of people are, but few of us are able to pinpoint exactly why. Too many eyes, maybe. Too many legs. That skittering thing they do, or the way they run, stop, run, stop, and somehow vanish completely from your sight.

I try not to be afraid of spiders. I like to garden; I should be living in harmony with the creatures that keep more harmful pests out of my backyard. Sometimes I watch a big golden cross spider spin her web in the morning and devour it at night. We have a tenuous sort of friendship–if I know where she is, I don’t feel afraid of her, and if I’m not afraid of her, she’s not in danger.

Still–think too long about them and you’re liable to feel them crawling all over you, eight legs tickling your skin. And it’s funny that we’re all so afraid of them, isn’t it? Like something deep inside is warning us to be frightened of creatures with eight eyes and legs, with quick movements, and with fearsome, man-eating women.

Anyway, here’s a drabble.

Drabble 21 – Mottephobia

Death's-Head Hawkmoth Mottephobia
A Death’s-Head Hawkmoth, or my worst nightmare. Image Source: Double-M via Flickr.

Confession: this drabble is about me.

I’m terrified of moths. If you tell a child that moths eat people and you act convincingly enough, they’ll believe it. When they grow out of an age that might believe moths eat people, if you’ve done a good job, the fear will still linger. It doesn’t matter if they know that moths are relatively harmless creatures; just the sight of one flapping up against the glass at night will turn them into a shuddering mess.

If a moth gets into my car, I scream. If a moth lands on me, I’ll have a meltdown. Did you know that the powdery stuff on their wings is actually tiny hairs? Did you know that me knowing that fact comforts me not at all?

They’re furry and powdery and flap their wings too much. It really doesn’t matter if they don’t eat people at this point.

Anyway, here’s a drabble.