No Longer a Damsel in Distress

Short Non-Fiction by Cassandra O'Sullivan Sachar

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Chiroptophobia, a lesser known fear than arachnophobia, has traumatizing effects just as severe. Trust me, I’ll take spiders over bats any day. You would, as well, if you lived in my house.

Before the last few years, I’ve never held strong opinions about the flying varmints. As a child with a pool, my family’s nocturnal swimming episodes often produced an extra visitor that skimmed the smooth, cool surface of the dark water, hunting for an insect snack. While I would freeze in place whenever this occurred, petrified to make even the most miniscule movement, the aviator never ventured close enough to me to evoke any true terror.