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Thirteen of us, trapped in a lift, twenty floors up.

When the lift jerked to a stop, the counsellor’s box fell over, spilling its contents: a wig, a rubber snake, a toy aeroplane, needles, puppets, to name but a few. Props she’d use to help us face our crippling phobias.

The screaming began. Someone threw up. The guy with claustrophobia started banging on the walls.

“We’ll take the stairs next time,” the counsellor said when we finally emerged from the faulty lift.

That was my only session. Don’t laugh. Most people fear something. My something just happens to be stairs.

6 comments add one below

  • avatar

    D.M. about 9 years ago

    'Love the contents of that box!!! and the last line is so perfect.
    'Enjoyed this one very much.

  • avatar

    Julie about 9 years ago

    Thanks, D.M.
    A fear of puppets is called Automatonophobia and a fear of wigs Maliaphobia. A fear of stairs is called the unlikely name of Bathmophobia (wonder what a fear of baths is called? LOL!)

  • avatar

    Julie about 9 years ago

    PS. Fear of baths is called Ablutophobia. So now you know.

  • avatar

    D.M. about 9 years ago

    I did not know that. I had a friend who was deathly afraid of birds. Sitting anywhere
    outside with her was ridiculous.

  • avatar

    Julie about 9 years ago

    Your poor friend, D.M. - it's hard not to be far from birds out of doors.
    It's amazing how many phobias there are. There's even a fear of everything called Panphobia.
    Hope I don't get Graphophobia - fear of writing!

  • avatar

    Julie about 9 years ago

    Yeah, Drew, a set of stairs would have been a bit tricky! though I suppose she could have had a model, like the toy aeroplane for the person afraid of flying. (Now I'm imagining that when the toy aeroplane fell out the box its wings broke off. No wonder there was mass panic in the lift!).

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