Confessions of a Herpetophobic

“We’ll be right back after the break!” announced the host. The scene flashed and changed into a lady beside an enormous canopy bed, draped with a sheer white veil, she was advertising furniture. I felt an uncomfortable feeling of dryness in my mouth and a pasty feeling at the back of my throat. I had been too engrossed in the show that I did not notice I was thirsty. That was so typical of me I thought to myself. Getting up from the sofa I went to the kitchen. My eye strained in the darkness as my fingers searched across the cool wall for the switch. Finally I decided not to turn on the light.

“Click, click, click.” The sound coming from the house lizard made me unnerved. House lizard. Just two simple words but to me, they paint a picture of fear. I have fear of reptiles or creepy, crawly things. I tried to ignore it as I went closer to the dinning table where my favourite blue and green striped porcelain cup with an adorable smiling fairy sat on. I reached for the cup and just as I was about to place it to my mouth, I felt a bizarre swishy, cool and soft weight brushing against my right foot. It was moving, making me look down. I saw not one, but two house lizards under my foot! One of them was piled on top of the other in a strange position. Perhaps they were mating but whatever the case, they were under my foot! My heart almost stopped beating, without a second thought I jumped back and the two lizards scurried off, one to the left and disappeared under the oven, the other dashed to the right and vanished under the cupboard.

I screamed my head off disgusted by swishy feeling I still felt although the lizards were gone. I could not forget the feeling and it hunted me although I know they cannot hurt me but the sight of them makes my flinch. As the saying goes “look before you jump” I make sure next time I before I step into the kitchen I turn on the light.

(362 words)

Labels: Confessions of a Herpetophobic