You stand frozen. Mouth dry. Goosebumps prickling across your arms. Hardly daring to breathe. How did you get into this situation? What can you do to survive?
The only way out is down.
You close your eyes and inhale the woods.
Your friends wait for you below.
The only thing to do is jump.
Close your eyes. Hold your breath. And take a leap of faith.
Cheers erupt from the other campers as you fly through the air. Your belayer stops your fall, letting you float slowly to the ground.
Max was slumped the way he always slumped, but this time, he was buried under a blanket, head tilted in a way that should've been painful, but the whole time Maggie walked towards him, he hadn’t moved. Approaching, she caught an odor wrong for any body to emit, let alone exist and yet it palmed her face with a strength that made her swallow unintentionally and stop. Max breathed purposefully as if trying to remember how, and she wanted to ask if everything was ok, but reason resurfaced and she dropped the bag of oranges at his feet and ran.
It gripped him like a shadow, this fear. Wrapped around his throat, forced its way into his belly, and squeezed his heart and lungs so tightly that he couldn't breathe. Resisting the urge to run, he made himself as small as possible, hoping the thing would pass him by.
Seconds felt like minutes as he waited. He closed his eyes in some vain hope that if he couldn't see, he wouldn't be seen. Deep in his consciousness, he knew he was being ridiculous, but terror knows no logic. He covered his head with his hands and waited, agonized and scared.
She smiled at the front desk staff. It was quiet in the lobby, as she walked straight to the elevator.
She pressed the button for her floor and wiped her sweaty palms. The small elevator was lined with mirrors on both sides, but she looked down to her shoes.
She finally got into her room, greeted by the familiar sights of her clutter. She dropped her bag, kicked off her shoes and collapsed onto the bed.
Who would have guessed? She made it, the first day of her first solo travel, after getting lost in town with a dead phone.
“I don’t want glasses,” maintained Ivy, who was providing a withering glare at her mother.
“Ivy,” began her mother. “We cannot afford contacts. You love to read. You need to be able to see to do that. Your headaches will soon disappear.”
“I don’t care,” replied Ivy.
The door opened and in walked a young girl who was wearing glasses. Ivy looked at her and recognized something in the girl's appearance. The girl's full and lovely face made Ivy smile. The choice of glasses seemed to make it more spectacular.
Ivy said, “I’ll get glasses,” a decision she took seriously.
“That’s right, listen good now, I want you to understand this. The Lord has not given us a spirit of fear, brothers and sisters, but he has given us a spirit of love and joy and peace, and above all – a spirit of generosity. Can I get an amen?
“Fear says, oh no, I can’t pay my tithe, I can’t give an offering, I don’t even have enough money to buy food or pay my rent. But what does God say?
“God says, ‘forget fear – step out in faith.’ Step out in faith and give. Give, brothers and sisters, Give!”
Ronald was never good at confrontation. He was overwhelmed easily. A burly looking young man approached. Against his better judgement, Ronald ducked into a janitorial closet. He stood in the darkness, sweating as his claustrophobic fear set in. Trying to remain calm he felt a wisp on his neck that he perceived as a spider! Arghh triggering his arachnophobia! With the sound of dripping water in the slop sink, he totally lost it to hydrophobia. Clawing until the door flung open... “There you are, Professor.” “You’re due to speak at the seminar on Overcoming One’s Fears, follow me.”
A blade held a few feet above a woman’s head. Her skin was pale; her eyes and stance flickered. The wielder of the crescent blade, flicking between real and osyu, said, “Are you certain?”
The lady said, “Yes.” She turned to her daughter. “Goodbye dear, Dalia.” She nodded to the man wielding the weapon.
He pulled the blade. The lady fell. A lantern rose in line with the blade. With a single motion, the man hooked his blade, a handle alone, and turned to the girl.
She cried in fear and in mourning. He sang in line with those emotions.
Fear curls in my belly like a huge snake and squeezes my heart in its coils. Each day I wake, wondering what unthinkable event will occur before I've even had that first cup of coffee.
Who has been snatched off the street and deported to the hellscape of a foreign prison for absolutely no reason except having an innocent tattoo or being brown skinned? When will martial law be declared and people disappeared because they speak their mind or have a D next to their name on a voter registration?
Fear
You stand frozen. Mouth dry. Goosebumps prickling across your arms. Hardly daring to breathe. How did you get into this situation? What can you do to survive?
The only way out is down.
You close your eyes and inhale the woods.
Your friends wait for you below.
The only thing to do is jump.
Close your eyes. Hold your breath. And take a leap of faith.
Cheers erupt from the other campers as you fly through the air. Your belayer stops your fall, letting you float slowly to the ground.
Your legs shake after landing.
You really dislike teambuilding exercises.
Fear can do two things.
It can make us vulnerable, quacking in our boots.
Or…
It can prompt us to find answers and learn.
I choose the latter.
I choose to share, support and be an ally.
Why fear and hate what we do not understand?
Haven’t we all been misunderstood at one time?
Fear can bring about change and caring.
That’s what I want to do with my writing.
If I can overcome the fear of success, I believe I can do this!
I am making progress daily, by moving forward,
instead of staying in my fear laden world.
100 Mg of Fear
Max was slumped the way he always slumped, but this time, he was buried under a blanket, head tilted in a way that should've been painful, but the whole time Maggie walked towards him, he hadn’t moved. Approaching, she caught an odor wrong for any body to emit, let alone exist and yet it palmed her face with a strength that made her swallow unintentionally and stop. Max breathed purposefully as if trying to remember how, and she wanted to ask if everything was ok, but reason resurfaced and she dropped the bag of oranges at his feet and ran.
I miss my Great Nana, loved this.
Thanks Tiffany!
April 16 Fear 100 words
It gripped him like a shadow, this fear. Wrapped around his throat, forced its way into his belly, and squeezed his heart and lungs so tightly that he couldn't breathe. Resisting the urge to run, he made himself as small as possible, hoping the thing would pass him by.
Seconds felt like minutes as he waited. He closed his eyes in some vain hope that if he couldn't see, he wouldn't be seen. Deep in his consciousness, he knew he was being ridiculous, but terror knows no logic. He covered his head with his hands and waited, agonized and scared.
Microfiction - 100mg of Fear
===
She smiled at the front desk staff. It was quiet in the lobby, as she walked straight to the elevator.
She pressed the button for her floor and wiped her sweaty palms. The small elevator was lined with mirrors on both sides, but she looked down to her shoes.
She finally got into her room, greeted by the familiar sights of her clutter. She dropped her bag, kicked off her shoes and collapsed onto the bed.
Who would have guessed? She made it, the first day of her first solo travel, after getting lost in town with a dead phone.
Been there haha. The moment your first day on a trip wraps up and you're like...wow I made it here and I didn't die lol.
Exactly! Wow, I didn't lose the ID, didn't touch the anti-diarrhea tablet, and got back in one piece.
PROMPT: FEAR
THE SKYSCRAPER
Working at the top of the skyscraper made him nervous.
It was so high.
He’d go rigid with fear, whenever he looked down.
But he desperately needed the money.
He also needed to listen more.
Because when they’d said he’d be installing windows, he thought they were talking about computers... 🏢😎🏢
LOL, love this, and yeah, I would be terrified to be on top of a skyscraper too
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it... 😎👍
😂😂
Loved it~
Thanks! That is much appreciated... 😎👍
lol
😎👍
“I don’t want glasses,” maintained Ivy, who was providing a withering glare at her mother.
“Ivy,” began her mother. “We cannot afford contacts. You love to read. You need to be able to see to do that. Your headaches will soon disappear.”
“I don’t care,” replied Ivy.
The door opened and in walked a young girl who was wearing glasses. Ivy looked at her and recognized something in the girl's appearance. The girl's full and lovely face made Ivy smile. The choice of glasses seemed to make it more spectacular.
Ivy said, “I’ll get glasses,” a decision she took seriously.
America went wrong before I was born
When the president was sworn
In to run the country again
And he said friends,and countrymen
We have nothing to fear but fear itself. Ooh, God wasn't sitting on a shelf
He took offense and closed the books
And America has been paying by hook and crook
We are awaiting Jesus Christ to
Claim His kingdom real soon
For earthquakes are everywhere
And signs in the sky tend ro scare
While the earth is moaning under
All that weight and thunder
With a fire here and a flood there
He is trying to put a big scare
Into those who don't know Him
And think it is ok to sin
But rescue waits in Jesus Christ
Better to not roll the dice
And think you can escape
When the world changes its landscape
For fear of God is a new beginning
And time to quit all that sinning !
Thank you, Miguel!
Thank you ,Jeannine!
Thank you ,Mike !
Thank you , Ken !
Thank you , Scott!
“That’s right, listen good now, I want you to understand this. The Lord has not given us a spirit of fear, brothers and sisters, but he has given us a spirit of love and joy and peace, and above all – a spirit of generosity. Can I get an amen?
“Fear says, oh no, I can’t pay my tithe, I can’t give an offering, I don’t even have enough money to buy food or pay my rent. But what does God say?
“God says, ‘forget fear – step out in faith.’ Step out in faith and give. Give, brothers and sisters, Give!”
100 MG of FEAR
Ronald was never good at confrontation. He was overwhelmed easily. A burly looking young man approached. Against his better judgement, Ronald ducked into a janitorial closet. He stood in the darkness, sweating as his claustrophobic fear set in. Trying to remain calm he felt a wisp on his neck that he perceived as a spider! Arghh triggering his arachnophobia! With the sound of dripping water in the slop sink, he totally lost it to hydrophobia. Clawing until the door flung open... “There you are, Professor.” “You’re due to speak at the seminar on Overcoming One’s Fears, follow me.”
😂 I appreciate the irony!
Thanks Tiffany S. 😊
Goosebumps
Jeremy just wanted to check his mail.
But Karen, the Canadian goose nesting outside his apartment door, had other plans.
He tiptoed past.
HISSSSS-HONK!
She lunged like an angry feathered linebacker.
He retreated, tripping over a recycling bin and landing in shame.
Now he orders everything online. Mail? Forwarded.
Groceries? Delivered. He’ll leave an extra tip.
Karen rules the sidewalk like it’s a monarchy.
His landlord said, “She’ll leave after the eggs hatch.”
That was four weeks ago.
Today, Karen got a boyfriend. They hissed in unison.
Jeremy googled: “Can you break the lease because of geese?”
Spoiler: It’s complicated.
100 words
Haha that’s a good one 😂
100 words of FEAR
Rain poured as Lilith ran, fear filling every thought.
He was there watching her at the club as she danced with her friends.
Her ex-boyfriend, Bret, had promised she couldn’t escape him—and now, she felt his presence closing in.
She ducked into an alley, pressed herself against cold brick, and held her breath.
Minutes passed.
Silence.
Then a whisper: “Found you.”
Her scream was swallowed by thunder.
Days later, police found her phone in the alley, screen cracked, messages unsent.
Lilith was never seen again.
Some say her spirit still lingers there—trapped by the last thing she ever felt.
Fear.
Uuu creepy 🫣
A blade held a few feet above a woman’s head. Her skin was pale; her eyes and stance flickered. The wielder of the crescent blade, flicking between real and osyu, said, “Are you certain?”
The lady said, “Yes.” She turned to her daughter. “Goodbye dear, Dalia.” She nodded to the man wielding the weapon.
He pulled the blade. The lady fell. A lantern rose in line with the blade. With a single motion, the man hooked his blade, a handle alone, and turned to the girl.
She cried in fear and in mourning. He sang in line with those emotions.
Charlie shouted, "Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?"
All the kids screamed and hid underneath the bed, all except for Jessie. Charlie growled, "Aren't YOU afraid of the big, bad wolf?"
Jessie giggled, poking Charlie in the belly, hard enough that his growl became a yelp, "Hey, cut that out!"
"You can't fool me, Dad. You're not big enough or bad enough, plus you still smell like the apple pie we had for supper!"
The kids, no longer frightened, tumbled out from under the bed and begged Jessie's father to hurry up and take them out trick or treating.
Smart kid
Fear curls in my belly like a huge snake and squeezes my heart in its coils. Each day I wake, wondering what unthinkable event will occur before I've even had that first cup of coffee.
Who has been snatched off the street and deported to the hellscape of a foreign prison for absolutely no reason except having an innocent tattoo or being brown skinned? When will martial law be declared and people disappeared because they speak their mind or have a D next to their name on a voter registration?
Who and when will someone stop the madness?
So sad this is not fiction anymore 🥲
I know. I was describing my own day to day state of mind…
except it largely is. Fiction. It makes the headlines because it's not normal: man bites dog.