Facing Finding Nemo (and Other Assorted Tales)
The way my parents tell it, that Sunday evening they found me, obligatorily sitting on the floor with the other kids, facing away from the TV, huddled up in a ball, and crying quietly. Something about the film had petrified me.
Adulthood and Being Alone
I try to turn on the lights before I walk into a dark hallway or room. I check behind the shower curtain every single time I walk into a bathroom. And I get jittery when there’s not another human being in the house with me, especially overnight.
Don’t Poop, There Are Bugs
Where is that dirt coming from? I remember wondering. Then, Why is dirt falling from the ceiling? And then, That’s not dirt—it’s moving!!!
Top Five Most (and Least) Spooky Childhood Bogeymen From Around the World
Gurumapa loves to eat children, but is “easily reasoned with,” which I would call a glaring weakness.
It Takes a Lot of Courage to Pee on Planes
It didn’t take long for the panic to set in.
“I Got Left Behind!”
Is that plane outside flying really low? Oh God, it probably doesn’t have pilots because they’ve been raptured and the plane is gonna crash!
POV: You’re the Last One Eaten by a Spider in Your RV
Did you watch the movie in the afternoon or evening? It doesn’t matter. You have to go to bed eventually.
Staying on the Beaten Path
The police bushwhacked their way to us after triangulating my dad’s cell signal (it was 2008).
Maws
A small girl sits at the water’s edge, staring broodily into a sparkling blue sea. Around her is the bustle of a July beach day.
