I let out a loud and dramatic groan as I got up to pick up my phone which I dropped between my bed and the wall of my room. My hand was not thin enough to fit and I was not strong enough to move my bed away from the wall of my room. So, of course I chose the best option I could think of, pick my bed up and crawl under it.
I was on the search for my phone feeling like a miner searching for diamonds in a dark cave. I was playing Minecraft in real life. I was finally able to get my phone, and I called my sister in hopes to get out from beneath my bed that was quite literally flattening my lungs every second that went by. As I called my sister, I realized she wasn’t responding and I started to panic.
This 15-pound bed on top of my 12-year-old body was not a cute combination. I started hyperventilating and kicking my feet in desperation to catch someone, anyone’s attention. I felt stuck and helpless. I couldn’t breathe, my heart kept beating faster and faster, and I started to get so upset I could feel tears streaming down my face.
I guess the adrenaline kicked in and made me strong because I was able to lift my bed myself. I got out as quickly as I could and sat in front of my bed, face red, sweating, crying, and breathing so hard it felt like Ihad just ran a marathon. That first inhale of fresh air was like reliving my birth all over again.
This I found out the hard way, is a phobia called claustrophobia, the fear of being in tight places. I’ve been in multiple predicaments where I have started screaming and crying for my life because of this phobia. It’s not a pretty scene.
Another time this phobia made me want to curl up in a ball and die was actually my junior year, while in school.
In anticipation to scare Mr. Castle, my fellow Clarion classmates and I decided to hide in his room to jump out and scare him. Another classmate and I hid in his cabinet, confident we found the best spot. While hiding, I didn’t have an issue being stuck in there however, it was when I realized that I was there for a long period of time that I started panicking.
I didn’t want to mess up the surprise, so I kept quiet but I was screaming internally. I even started cramping so bad I was punching the inside of the cabinet.
These are just one of the new instances where I’ve had to endure the pressure of being in a small space. My heart starts beating so fast I can’t breathe, and when I can’t breathe, I panic, and when I panic, I sweat and when I sweat, I feel like crying.
In conclusion, don’t put me under your bed or inside a cabinet. I will start to freak out and make a scene. I dont play when it comes to claustrophobia!
