A childhood belief about under my bed

When I was very young I thought there was a skeleton lying under my bed and if I put my hand over the side, it would grab me. So I used to force myself to put my hand out, to prove to myself that I was being stupid.

Later this was mostly replaced by the fear that a black monk-like figure with a glowing green skull face would look back at me if I looked out of an uncurtained window at night.

It's sad to admit, but if I'm alone in the house, even now, these irrational fears come back to plague me - I still can't stand to have the curtains open at night, as my own reflection in the windows looks so creepy..!