Mottephobia
OCTOBER 14, 2006 Listen to this Story

- Butterfly House
- View the Slideshow
Web Resources
Yesterday was Friday the 13th, which is enough to send shivers up the spines of people with paraskevidekatriaphobia. Weekend America's Hillary Frank has spent a lot of time researching phobias like paraskevidekatriaphobia. Her upcoming novel follows seven teenagers, each with a different phobia, one modeled on her own fear. Hillary has her own fear, she's terrified of things with wings that flap around, like moths, butterflies, and bats.
An Excerpt from Hillary Frank's Book, "Hedonophobia and Other Shades of Fear"
The bulb in the garage was on, but she could hardly see it through the curtain of moths that danced frantically around it, filling the entire room. You have to, she told herself, looking toward the door behind the moths. It's the only way in.
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and crossed her arms over the top of her head, pressing her biceps against her ears. Run, she thought, imagining she was about to dive under an approaching wave. Now! She went forward a few steps, stopped, then backed up quickly and let out her breath.
This time you'll really do it, she told herself, and sprinted through.
Moths were everywhere. Swooping, swarming. Beating their wings against her arms, her hands, her face. One even brushed against her lips. She batted them away as if she were a fluttering moth herself, and found that she was making a guttural noisea€"something like ungh, ungh, ungh. The insides of her ears felt all cottony.
And then it was over. She was at the door to the house.






Comments
Comment | Refresh
08/17/2008
OMG!
I have it!
I kill every moth i see!
i scream a yell and i can't control myself when they are locked in the car with me!
Post a Comment: Please be civil, brief and relevant.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. All comments are moderated. Weekend America reserves the right to edit any comments on this site and to read them on the air if they are extra-interesting. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting.
You must be 13 or over to submit information to American Public Media. The information entered into this form will not be used to send unsolicited email and will not be sold to a third party. For more information see Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.