I had a lot of, perhaps irrational, fears as a kid that I would really stress myself out over. I was told that I just had an overactive imagination, but honestly these things are genuinely terrifying and still kind of freak me out to this day. Hopefully you'll relate to a few of these, and if not at least I hope you them amusing.

1. Basements

Especially unfinished basements. I pretty much associate basements with all things horrifying. Like stalkers, murderers, monsters, undesired creatures, ghosts - they all live in the basement. When I have to go in the basement I make sure that I get what I need as quickly as possible, and as soon as I shut off the lights I bolt up the steps (just in case any of the aforementioned decide to come out of the shadows and drag me to my death). I can hang in the basement now with relative ease, just for the love of God above don't leave me down there alone.

2. Tailgaters

I was always super uncomfortable with people tailgating my car. It still freaks me out a bit, especially at night and even more so if they've got their brights on. I generally assume that the person is on a mission to drive me into a rut. I don't have a huge explanation for this one, but I can tell you that it has always scared me, and I don't think I'll ever not be paranoid when it's happening.

3. Ghost Stories

This all started with that stupid but incredibly fascinating book in my elementary school library called Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark by Alvin Schwartz. Those stories were TWISTED, but I checked out the book nearly every week. They really got to me though because I would lay in bed for hours imagining all of those horrific characters just appearing in the darkness of my room out of nowhere. And of course, I imagined they would come up from the basement: the breeding ground for some of the things in those terrifying illustrations.

4. Museums

I just feel like there are tons of ghosts from history surrounding me and breathing over my shoulder when I'm in a museum. I read the little plaques about whoever and whatever, and I feel like they're there watching me. The air just feels full of dead people. Please God I never want to be in a museum alone.

5. Children's Media That Wasn't Supposed To Scare Me

I'm pretty sure Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs isn't supposed to be as haunting and psychologically damaging as it was for me, but there are so many things wrong with that film (and yet I still watched it on repeat). You've got the evil queen who wants to rip the heart out of an innocent child, you've got a man hunting down this child in the middle of the wilderness, you've got the evil queen turning herself into a witch in, you guessed it, a BASEMENT, you've got stranger danger, and you've got poison. The happy ending doesn't really make up for these things.

6. Deep Water

Don't get me wrong: I love swimming and I love water, but think about this. How do you know what lives tens, hundreds, thousands of feet below you? You're just this little fleshy thing floating helplessly above the unknown. How do you know something isn't going to grab your leg and pull you under? Do you think the water cares about you? Do you know how much of the ocean hasn't been discovered? And you want to tell me sea monsters don't exist...

7. Sleeping Without Covers

If I'm not covered fully by my blanket or comforter, how am I supposed to shield myself from the dark forces that will grab me and drag me into the night against my will? I have no rational explanation for this one, it's just an instinct. I still to this day cannot sleep uncovered.

8. Mirrors

One of my biggest fears is seeing a face in the mirror behind me without anyone actually being there. Granted, this one usually applies in the dark, as do a lot of fears, but this is why my eyes are constantly scanning my surroundings when there's a mirror in the room. I want to be as prepared as I possibly can for whatever is lurking and making itself known by sneaking up behind me in the mirror (OK, so I can't really prepare, but that's certainly not going to stop me from trying).

9. Amphibians

I hate frogs. I hate toads. I hate salamanders. I don't know what it is about them, but they're slimy and they jump unexpectedly. Sometimes they're little, and they can sneak up on you when you've got your guard down. That's why out in nature I don't usually let my guard down. Plus, I just have this horrible recurring nightmare of being caught in a swarm of these creatures. Never mind the psychological implications of that statement - amphibians creep me out.