Childhood Trauma!!!

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SCARED OF RANDOM INANIMATE OBJECTS AS A CHILD? AND NOBODY ELSE THOUGHT IT WAS SCARY? ONLY YOU?

This is for those people:

By the way, the three objects in panels #8-10  are an antelope head with various jewelry, the clawed talons of a stuffed macaw, and a straw chest full of funeral blankets--things that were also scary in that room.

The story about the antelope head is the belief that you shouldn't keep animal parts in your home, or else they would come alive (via spirit projection) and make everything go to crap. So, basically, bad voodoo for you for shooting Bambi's mom. Anywhoo, my aunt had one of these, and it was adorned with jewelry and whatnot, which gave it an eerie human-like aura. So, to no surprise that I stayed away from it, believing that it's dead black eyes were following every step I took.

The stuffed macaw is fairly new, but it stood on top of the bookcase like some vengeful eagle out to eat me once I fell into slumber. Plus it's claws looked very painful...

Now, I'm not sure that the blankets were exactly used for funeral services, but my aunt got mad at me. Me and my sisters used to play in her big ol' house, which was perfect for hid n' seek because

1. There was places you couldn't go into and you would not be found for a very long time, perfect for getting out of chores and eating the food.

2. Outside was boring and too hot for doing anything else, and drought-like conditions kept the children from spraying each other with the hose.

3. The only (barely) bearable movies were Sister Act 2 and some Nicholas Cage movie.

4. This was the only game we could play in the house.

So, that's what we were forced to do. Everyone ran off to go hide somewhere, and I already knew where to hide. In the straw "treasure chest". Inside were some Pendleton-looking blankets, and being an extremely small child, I could hide inside.

I was there for a long time, until other kids were being found, and finally..."WHERE THE HELL IS KAYLA?! KAYLA! COME OUT! WE GIVE UP! KAAAAAAAYLAAAAAA!!!"

Of course I didn't come out. We, as children, take wicked delight in being able to trick others. So, if it meant hiding in a dusty straw chest full of dustier blankets with several wolf spiders as my only companions to being the greatest "Hider n' Seeker" of all time, then, yes, I would do so.

It was short-lived when my Aunt started screaming and yelling threats that I finally came out.

She yelled at me and told me to never go in there again, and I think the whole funeral blankets was something I found out on my own.

I don't think I ever went back there again....