There it was,

That shadowy silhouette

With its glowing yellow eyes,

And tall stature,

Always watching,

Always waiting,

Waiting for the perfect time to strike.

 

It seemed to follow me everywhere,

In a crowd when I presented a speech,

At the corner of my room as I memorized the lines of a play,

Gawking at me with hungry eyes as I waited for my turn on the roller coaster.

 

Its very presence irked me,

Making my heart race,

My hands sweating,

My chest hyperventilating,

As I watched it slip from the shadows,

Racing towards me

Arms outstretched,

Claws unsheathed,

Its fanged mouth gaping,

Ready to consume me,

Just like it always had.

 

One day, I thought I had enough.

I told my mom about the creature,

How it frightened me,

How it terrorized me.

 

She told me that if I closed my eyes,

Took a deep breath,

And counted to ten,

The thing would disappear,

Never to be seen again.

 

I followed her advice,

And as my breathing returned to normal,

My heartbeat slowing,

My hands no longer perspiring,

The creature gasped and reeled away in terror,

Screeching as its body began to crumble,

 

Its eyes dimming,

Morphing into a dark pile of dust,

Whisked away into the air.

 

I had finally conquered that creature,

And now I can perform on stage with a smile,

Deliver a speech without stuttering,

And ride a roller coaster without shaking.

 

To this day,

Nothing else had caused me so much drear,

Than the fanged-toothed demon known as Fear.