The Day I Couldn’t Ignore My Fear, SOMETIMES FEAR ISN’T WHAT IT SEEMS, It was just a simple errand my mom had asked me to run—take some sugar to the neighbor. Nothing unusual, except that I felt uneasy before we even stepped into the house. My friend and I entered, and right away, the atmosphere felt off…. See more

It was just a simple errand my mom had asked me to run—take some sugar to the neighbor. Nothing unusual, except that I felt uneasy before we even stepped into the house. My friend and I entered, and right away, the atmosphere felt off. We handed over the sugar, and all I wanted to do was leave. But the woman stopped us, insisting we take a banana. We took them, exchanged a nervous glance, and bolted as soon as we were out of sight. We didn’t speak a word, but we both knew something was wrong. Once home, I scrubbed my hands like I had touched something unclean, feeling a dread I couldn’t shake.

Years later, I visited a religious site that people claimed could cure the possessed. Curiosity got the better of me, and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. The moment the prayers started, I watched closely, expecting some dramatic reactions. While a few people acted strangely, nothing seemed supernatural to me. In fact, it seemed like these people were dealing with mental health struggles rather than spirits. The whole experience left me more curious than convinced. I wondered how many of us project our fears onto the unknown instead of addressing what’s really going on.

Another time on a train, I found myself sitting across from a woman acting erratically. Her mother-in-law said she was possessed, but something didn’t sit right with that explanation. To me, she seemed more broken and deeply hurt. It wasn’t fear I felt then, just sympathy. Looking back, these moments taught me that sometimes, the scariest things aren’t the paranormal, but the things people carry inside themselves.