It was the middle of the night, and I was making a trip to the bathroom. My bedroom was next door, but I had to leave my room, enter the hall, then immediately turn into the bathroom around the corner.
Just as I stepped into the hall, I heard the sound of someone gasping. Like they were choking or couldn't breathe.
I stopped and looked around, but no one was there. The entire house was silent.
Afraid to think about what the sound might mean, I put it out of my thoughts.
The next day, I was at work, and the phone rang. Not unusual. But I was suddenly afraid to answer it. I finally did. But the fear of answering the phone lasted all that day, then the next and next. The uncertain fear lasted at least two weeks (again).
Then one day, I hesitantly answered the phone, and it was my youngest daughter. She was upset and breathing hard. She told me she had been brushing her teeth when water and toothpaste went down the wrong pipe. She hadn't been able to breathe and had hurried into the hallway to find help. No one was home. She had nearly choked to death before she was finally able to catch her breath.
Hearing the fear in her shaky voice, I now understood why I'd been afraid.
Just as I stepped into the hall, I heard the sound of someone gasping. Like they were choking or couldn't breathe.
I stopped and looked around, but no one was there. The entire house was silent.
Afraid to think about what the sound might mean, I put it out of my thoughts.
The next day, I was at work, and the phone rang. Not unusual. But I was suddenly afraid to answer it. I finally did. But the fear of answering the phone lasted all that day, then the next and next. The uncertain fear lasted at least two weeks (again).
Then one day, I hesitantly answered the phone, and it was my youngest daughter. She was upset and breathing hard. She told me she had been brushing her teeth when water and toothpaste went down the wrong pipe. She hadn't been able to breathe and had hurried into the hallway to find help. No one was home. She had nearly choked to death before she was finally able to catch her breath.
Hearing the fear in her shaky voice, I now understood why I'd been afraid.