There are some good ones here. And for the record I didn't consider any of my fears to be funny, strange, weird or irrational. They are all perfectly rational and serious.
Really I only had (2) that lingered for more than a day or two. Both, introduced to me, by my parents.......I may have to have a conversation with them.
First: Jaws! That movie scared the shit out me. I was 7 or 8 the first time I saw it. We lived in Utah, but I was sure that son-of-a-bitch was gonna come up through the drain and get me. I flat out refused to bathe for a week. When the parents decided that was long enough, I took my first shower (all baths before that). But only because they spent 2hrs convincing me he couldn't fit through the shower head and I was allowed to take my pocket knife with me. I don't know what good it would have done, but I wasn't going in unarmed. No way! I'm sure I set shower speed records for the next couple of months. Then Summer rolled around. The heat and our local pond conspired to overcome my fear. Although, to this day, if anything I can't see, touches me while I'm in the water. The jumbo can of
Whoop-Ass that pops open is a sight to see. Apparently my 'fight or flight' reflex melted together at some point. I can simultaneously run on water while throwing punches and kicks. I'm told it's truly a sight to behold. Maybe that's why I'm with a woman who can's swim.
Second: We had a cat that would pull on the screen behind the couch when it wanted in. My parents, being the
loving human beings that they are, found this to be a convenient way to have a little fun with me. So, we're up late one night, I'm about 9 or 10, watching Salem's Lot (I still hate that movie). Engrossed in the movie, I failed to notice my Stepdad had left the room. As I'm clinging to the edge of the couch during a particularly scary scene, I hear the cat on the screen behind me. I turn to see the cat and instead see a pale face with red eyes and fangs. After the laughter died down and they pealed me off of the ceiling, I walked around for months jumping every time I saw a reflection in a dark window. Prick. I'm still a little freaked out when I catch and image in a dark window out of the corner of my eye. Bastards.