monsters

When I was younger, I used to believe that there were monsters underneath my bed and they would eat me if I was on the floor to long, so I would take a running jump and leap into my bed so they couldn't get me. It wasn't until I put stuff under my bed that I realised there was nothing there!

Popcorn Hog

When I was young I saw an episode of some kids TV show where a granny's false teeth were stolen by a 'hand' (think 'Thing' from the Addamm's Family...). Somehow I got it into my head that a hand was going to come and take all my teeth out when I was asleep. I still remember trying to get to sleep that night, but keep my mouth tightly closed at the same time...

Hayz

I was always afraid of dracula so i would put tons of blankets over my neck

Lissa

We used to pretend that we were velociraptors (Lisa watched too much jurassic park) and run around the playground when we were about 8 or 9, picking out our "prey", chasing them down and snarling at them, tearing at their necks with our first two fingers... we truly, truly beleived we were raptors, but no wonder our peers think we're freaks to this day!

Lisa and Helen

I used to tell my little brother that if he didn't pull the covers right up to his chin at night, the head hunter would come and chop his head off. We were 4 and 5 at the time. Recently at a family gathering some 20 years later I told this story. He stared at me in disbelief and said "you know I can't sleep at night unless the covers are pulled right up to my chin!" Ahh, my work is done.

Sonja

When we were kids, my brother and I used to play outside after dark at evenings. My mom used to say that if we didn't come in, would "hands anf teeth" or "hender og tenner" in Norwegian come and take us away! for many years I thought that "hender og tenner" was something scary that was in the forest.. It was really scary...

Miriel

When I was a young police officer, children would often ask me about my adventures. I would take out a special clip of bullets that I painted silver and told them it was for werewolves. I had this story about how I had shot and injured a werewolf who was later captured and was kept under lock and key at a dog kennel. The story was so convincing. They hung on my every word. I am retired now, but I wonder how long that story was believed.

John Morgan

when i was little, i believed that there were there were all kinds of monsters. they could take any shape or form. it was usually whatever i was afraid of at the moment. The monsters had many different ways of killing me. for instance,i use to jump off my bed and run to my door because i was afraid of a clown with sharp teeth, or whatever frightening creature i could think of, would slash my ankles and drag me under, tickle me, then rip my stomache open and eat my intestines while i watch in horror. i used to think of the most gruesome ways for them to kill me so i could figure out how to avoid them. for some odd reason, i was afraid of being tickled too. i also used to keep my feet and stuff from going off the end of my bed so the monster wouldn't mess with them untill i woke up, then leap uppon me and rip my face off....or something like that. i also used to keep my closet open because i thought that if a monster was in it, it would actually have to open the door itself to get to me... then i started believing in a really tall guy with long hair that would come out from under your bed, or closet if i left it open at midnight, and stab me in the head with a broken broom. i guess i had a wierd imagination as a kid. i think i watched too many horror movies.

Anon

I used to think that when all the kids in the world had gone to bed, nasty versions of the BFG would walk around checking that everyone was asleep otherwise they would get eaten. So I used to lie as still as possible at night with my head under the covers making tiny little snoring noises to fool them... it always worked!!

scared of the dark-still!

My closet used to be connected to a set of stairs to the attic, and I was afraid that the attic monsters would come down and get me while I slept - so my mom got me a stuffed spider on a stick and christened it the "monster bopper". I never felt scared when I had it in the bed with me.

Rebecca

When I was about 10 I stayed up late one night to watch the TV premier of American Werewolf In London. By the time it got to the dream sequence of him chasing through the forest I was so terrified I turned off the TV and legged it to cower under the covers. To this day I am unable to walk through a wood on my own without getting the screaming heebies, even though it's 25 years later and it's one of my favourite films.

Angus

When I was five or six years old, I believed that 6 meter (20 feet) tall human giants really existed. I was scared that giants could walk upto me anytime and attack me. I probably got the thought from hearing the story of Jack and the Beanstalk where there was a giant that lived in a castle up in the clouds. I now know that giants are just imaginary creatures from Norse mythology that were also known as Jotuns.

Anon

When I was a kid, I would sleep with the covers pulled over my head to hide from the dinosaurs. I thought they hid during the day and came out at night to eat you. I don't know where something that big could hide during they day, but as a child things don't always have to make sense, obviously!

Lisa

When I was a child I used to believe in ''cuca'' (an ugly, green monster). Every night, at twelve o'clock. if the children were awake, she would get a bag and put the children inside!
I think i used to believe in that, because i read a book (telling this story) in the night very late.
I had a lot of imagination!

cutie teddy

One time me and my family went to Red Lobster, but I thought they were saying Red Monster. I asked if that's what it was and my dad said "Yes, and those are the monsters in the aquarium." He regretted saying that once I started freaking out

Jake

As a little girl I was always afraid of mosters and creepy crawlies, this was probably the result of my cousin allowing me to watch the horror channel.

A couple of my beliefs were dumb, yet totally acceptable in a child's perspective. One for instance, I thought that chuckie was outside my shower curtain waiting to attack me. I didn't take a shower with the curtain open for several months.

When I was nine I was scared there would be a hand reaching out to grab my feet if I didn't jump from the carpet to my bed. I still do this sometimes (out of habit.)

But the worst that I ever had to deal with were the eyes that always followed me. I'm laughing right now, but back then I swore there were people watching me, from behind my door, under the couch: everywhere. I was a mess for a good four years. Ouch!

Kathryn

You know that little foot with wings on it for good year tires? When I was younger, I thought it was a monster, or something other than a foot with wings, and I didn't figure it out until a friend told me it was a foot, not an evil monster. I was eight. Sometimes now I still see that weird monster thing.

Anon

When I was about 6 I was told that there was a man who lived in the small wood (a spinney) at the end of our road. We called him 'Mr Spinney' and as my sister and I often saw smoke coming from the wood we believed he cooked and ate small children. I had to walk past it to go to school and was totally terrified that one day 'Mr Spinney' would grab me and put me on his BBQ. The friend who told me this story denies all knowledge...

Annie May

I used to believe the mountains were dinosours and at night they would wake up and come to my window and eat me.

Anon

When I was 6 I started watching Tales from the Crypt, and chuckie; I started to get scared and from then on I slept with my head facing the wall and stuffed animals covering my head (and I mean a mountain of stuffies), w/ the night light on! Cuz if I didnt I swore Tales from the Crypt would come from under my bed and bite my nose off to look like his. And Chuckie would help take me down at the knees if I tried to run!! :O

Scared Stuffed