To ask what scares you /freaks you out that you would not consider common? Mine is a children’s book!

[elm26]

My 3 year old is obsessed with “We’re Going On A Bear Hunt” after having it read to her at preschool, she knows all of the words and we bought it as one of her gifts for her birthday.

We read a book every night at bed, whenever she reaches for this it gives me such bad goosebumps!

I don’t know if it’s the way it’s written, the pictures, I genuinely feel panic when they’re trying to get away from the bear and he’s in the background of the pictures and then at their front door and they’ve forgotten to lock it. I absolutely detest it 🥴 it gives me the right creeps!

This is baring in mind that all I read myself is psychological thrillers and I’ve watched so much true crime I could probably commit the perfect murder 😂 why do I have such a panicky/spooked response to a children’s book fgs!

Oh yes. How could I have forgotten these 😲 awful things! I absolutely hate them, looming over you as you wee. Got rid of the one in our house thankfully
Shudder
And they seem to be back in fashion

I don't like mirrors reflecting other mirrors in rooms. I find seeing reflections of other parts of the room being reflected in the mirrors own reflection creepy.
And the more mirrors the creepier it gets, because shadows and things start looking kind of strange.

I've never liked this.

I can’t swim in a swimming pool alone… because I watched Jaws aged 7 🤣. Having my limbs suspended in the water just argh 😅 🤮

Watership down for me too. Saw it aged 5 and if I even hear the music I’m crying again…

Donnie Darko. The grinning rabbit mask. I was really freaked out by the scene where he silently appears behind the boy and just is there.

I was so freaked out for years that I even hated coming across the dvd in shops or people's houses and had to turn away

I'm generally alright with eggs but I have to get eggshells out of the house quite quickly.

Very old beds/ chairs/ church pews or even doorways that seem implausibly small.
When I was a small kid, my parents dug out this old handmade toy crib. It was an odd shape. Started out very narrow at the base. I’ve only just realised that it looked a bit like a tiny coffin. It didn’t occur to me at the time. It just used to creep the hell out of me and I couldn’t say why.
I’m not a fan of antique furniture full stop now that I think about it.

I hate clowns - creepy fake smile gives me the heebie jeebies

You’ve unlocked a memory there. I remember crying to this in assembly in primary school. Why they’d have us sing it, I have no idea!

When I was at primary school they made us watch a Look & Read show called "Through the Dragon's Eye" - I remember being petrified of a couple of scenes in that towards the end that gave me nightmares for weeks.

Nowadays I'll happily watch horror films like the Saw movies, The Substance etc. but still can't bring myself to look at that show on YouTube!

Rabbits.

I am absolutely terrified and disgusted by them.

It's really hard having a very real phobia of something harmless (it was hard to type harmless) because people often don't take it seriously, will laugh at you, or think you're making it up or will say things like "but a rabbit can't hurt you!"

I'm not stupid. The logical part of my brain knows a rabbit can't hurt me. That doesn't change the fear one tiny little bit.

Even worse than rabbits is people dressed up as rabbits, or weird looking rabbits, badly drawn ones, etc. So Easter is a difficult time! And yes, Donny darko is my absolute worst nightmare, I feel sick thinking about it and hope I never see it again.

Yes, I’d forgotten clowns! Yikes!! Or anyone with their face obscured by face paints, stage makeup or (whispers it) Father Christmas’s beard😱 I don’t love things like Mr Blobby or people in costumes… makes me very nervous!

I know a man ( lives in Scotland) who creeps me out, precisely because he has a similar look/vibe to Bagpuss!

Yay!! I've never been able to find anyone else that remembers through the dragons eye. Not even the two people I still know from primary school!

Sorry, I know it's your fear but I'm so happy I don't imagine it

Oh the Ugly-Wuglies!!! They were terrifying. (Although the book is much scarier IMO)

I still cry at Puff the Magic Dragon, Do You Want to Build a Snowman, Slipping through your Fingers

and virtually nothing else!

I remember it too!

My 16 year old daughter has a phobia of stickers... only seems to have happened in the last year or two, she loved stickers when shev was younger, even collected them! She can't explain when or why it changed or what it is that freaks her out

Anyone else want to hear more about this?

I had a book called Marianne Dreams about a girl whose drawing becomes real in her dreams. Very eerie, creepy desolate vibe but the worst bit was the rocks with eyes - this picture scared me to bits!

Me too. The girl tracing the owl pattern on the plates over and over…. Is it owls or flowers? Shudder….

Monkey puzzle trees. Shudder. Very sinister and menacing. The bastards.

Me too, also anything boat related under the water, just seeing the underside of a boat bobbing anywhere near me makes me feel really panicky and unwell.

Earwigs.
I don't mind other bugs - spiders, woodlice, flies... etc. etc.
Earwigs have freaked me out for as long as I remember.

I get it, am scared of bears.