I am afraid of crying in public

I am afraid of thunderstorms

And that I am a bad teacher

I am afraid of my own voice when I yell

I am afraid of the dark

Because in it I can see all my flaws

I am afraid of being stuck

In some suffocating space

Like the crevice of a rock

Or with an unfaithful lover

I am afraid of the way hospitals smell

I am afraid of my own heart

Because it is glass

I am a...

I used to be afraid of the dark

Thought monsters had fangs and claws

Hidden under my bed, ready to attack

Devouring me with wide open jaws.

I used to believe as a child

In witches, werewolves and vampires

That hunted people at night

Rejoicing in their blood desires.

But now that I’ve grown up I see

Wars, murders, gore and deadly weapons

And I realise with an aching heart

That the real monsters a...

Shaking jelly spines,

And gasping pinpricked lace lungs,

Body slick with wet,

And heart a racing whirlpool,

Is this what real fear feels like?...

I used to be afraid of things I didn’t understand. As I got older that separated me from being a boy and a man. No man puts fear in my heart but God. And he’s not here to hurt me so why should I be scared of y’all ? A spider ? I don’t give a damn ! I always wanted to be Spider-Man. A Ghost ? Yea okay , I’ll boo back at you! I refuse to walk in fear. I’ll never be afraid again. I keep my armor on a...

It was as if he had left his body. He could see himself shrinking in front of his eyes, a tunnel of darkness closing in around the fringes. All focus drawn to a single point. The computer screen.

With a throaty gasp he scrunched his eyes tight, forcing his attention back inside himself. He could feel his mind screaming, racing to escape and spill in every direction. He was dizzy and nauseous. Th...

“The midnight train always takes you where you need to go, which isn’t always where you want to go.” That’s what was written on the ticket dad sent me.

The ride home lasts an hour. At this time of night there’s nobody here but me and the conductor. He stands behind a tinted window, where I slide my ticket for him to punch. I plop my bags in the back seat so that the conductor can’t find an excuse...

Annie felt a little dizzy as she stepped out of the back entrance of the club, into a narrow and dark lit alley. This place really wasn’t her jam, but she had promised her best friend since kindergarten that she would attend her bachelorette party. Jilly was having a blast, dancing with all of her college friends and new coworkers. Annie tried her best not to be a downer, but as Jilly got more and...