This is an anthology of stories about people discovering or experiencing their darkest fears, their Bête Noire. This features the most popular phobias that most of us have and the most unusual yet dreadful ones... An excerpt narrated in a poetic for...
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"Billy, what are you fussing about?! A spider? There's clearly nothing to worry about unless it's already crawling inside your mouth!" dad shouted. Is he for real? The many legs, the many eyes, how are you surprised that a kid like me is deeply traumatized? They're way much worse than mice. "Grab the broom and go clean your room," dad spoke along with a yawn, as he started to mow the lawn at the crack of dawn. I suddenly recalled about the spider that made me flee and go ask for company, yet he asks me to do it all independently. "Dad, I'm hungry!" I yelled, but the mower's noise obscured my voice. I went back to my room holding my broom like a weapon, imitating my uncle Winston that used to kill deers back in Houston. I glanced around, it's gone, which made me feel all astound, safe and sound. I threw the broom on the floor and slowly closed my creaky bedroom door.
"AHHH!"
The black long-legged spider was behind my door!
I slammed the door into the wall, wanting it to fall, it did, but it ran straight to the hall. That's it, I'm done, go wander around, little one - you ain't my problem anymore. I then laid in bed, killed the lights near my bed then covered my head with the pillow my grandma crocheted with large and soft thread.
I've been hours asleep, I jumped off of my bed that is quite steep, I walked out of my room and looked around, no one's around, couldn't even hear a single sound. I wore my slippers to go outside to look for someone, I looked at the clock, it's already one. The sun's already shining bright, I started to feel fright, no one has ever gotten into my sight. I went out into the garden, half-awoken, I rubbed my eyes that are swollen, and saw the gate to the backyard was left open. In the backyard, I went around. There, I heard a sound, it was the mower, left upside-down on the ground.
What happened when I wasn't around?
"Dad? Where are you? I'm getting sad!" I yelled because for one moment I thought he's just playing games with me so bad. I verged deeper in the backyard, something just caught me off-guard, there's a pit on the ground, with dried leaves all around. I approached closer to it, bit by bit, and heard something rumbling inside the pit. I was compelled to move closer, then a spider went out to make me hinder. It was the spider from earlier, what is it doing in there? I didn't mind it and looked down the pit, which caused me to suddenly fall to my feet. There's my dad, already dead, all squeezed up so bad by the swarm of spiders that are insanely mad. Countless feisty spiders feasted on him, they went in and out of his mouth. I'm frantically thinking about how to get him out, though it's obviously too late for him to make it out. He looks like he died by drought in Africa's very south. Why does he have to experience this? He's the only man I couldn't live without.
Dad... What am I going to do without you, and mom too?
"You disgusting little creatures! You are just as horrible as your natural features!" I said as I looked down the pit. "I solemnly swore to the very ends of the earth that every kind of you that I see will be burnt crispy!" I yelled in outrage. I looked back, and there's the one spider from this morning, staring at me while I'm mourning. I approached it, and stepped on it, even twisted my slippers as I crushed it.
"I'll come back for you all, I'm gonna make sure every one of you will pay for your toll!"
Dad... I'm sorry, dad...
Farewell, you're the best dad that I've ever had - in my life...
