disasters

It only happened one time, but when I was 5 years old, there was an earthquake in California in the morning(it was in 1987). I remember waking up and being really scared not knowing what was happening, cause that was the first earthquake I had experienced and I thought that King Kong was on the loose and shaking the apartment building me and my mom were living in.

Monica

I used to believe that every time there was an earthquake, the ground would split open and form huge cracks. And, if a person was unlucky enough to fall into one of these "cracks" he or she would fall forever and ever...never hitting bottom. Although I remember being fascinated with the notion of "forever" I lived in constant fear of earthquakes (and we lived in Kansas!)

kelly from kansas

When I was very young I had an irrational fear that the world was about to run out of air. Selflessly I'd hold my breathe as oftern and as long as I could so that there'd be enough for everybody.

toon

At school they taught us about earthquakes in Geography. I then imagined people falling in to these holes opening up in the ground and then the ground closing again on top of them. I constantly worried about this happening and was nervous every time a lorry or train rumbled by, thinking this is it. Unfortunately they forgot to tell us that this was extremely unlikely in the North West of England.

Jean

When I first saw film footage of an earthquake, I believed that the earth split apart right around the world and people and cars fell in to the centre of the earth before it closed again.
I used to imagine falling into the crack and not being able to climb back out before it closed on me.

Simon

I live in Las Vegas, where the only natural 'disaster' that happens is ocassional flooding. About two years ago (I was 15) after-shock tremors of an earthquake in California shook our home, and I woke up and my bed was moving. I was absolutely convinced it was Gremlins trying to carry my bed away. I called absolutely terrified to my dad who was in the hallway, and he opened the door and I jumped from the end of my bed into the hallway.

About a month later a house on our block blew up (literally) I never even woke up. And apparently it was a whole lot worse than the aftershock that scared me half to death.

Pandy

Earthquakes were when a huge cavernous crack opened in the earth. It swallowed everyone and everything near it, and then closed up again.

Cyn

To me, an 'earthquake' was a giant round stone, like a millstone or the big round stone in front of a Biblical grave. The 'earthquake' rolled on things and destroyed them.

joy

I used to think the Earth was going to explode eventually. I was certain because if I put my ear to the floor, I heard a deep low rumbling. It was a serious sound to my inexperienced ears.

a former child

i had a terrible fear of earthquakes when i was a kid.....just one 30 second report on the news about some tremor in CA, which was like on the other coast from where i was, would send me into a crying fearful panic...just the thought of having the solid earth break apart under me would have me freaking out

raequel

I used to think that the people who went around saying the world would end soon actually knew what they were talking about. They had the world ending before I had a chance to grow up and it scared me. I would pray and ask God not to end the world until I had a chance to become an adult.

Lee

I used to believe that earthquakes regularly opened up big cracks in the ground, people fell in, and they snapped shut again. Like a big clam made of earth and rocks. So I thought there should be a memorial for all the people who died suddenly in earthquakes. Some of them were probably the only casualties of little aftershocks, too.

blnkfrnk

I used to live in a trailer and was terrified that in the case of a tornado or hurricane that my house (with me in it) would just blow away altogether. Finally my neighbors gave me the key to thier basement so I could go there when it was windy! Wow-Concrete!

Patty, NY

I used to believe the side railings in public (handicapped) restroom stalls were there just in case of an earthquake. Wanting to be careful, if I wasn't allowed to use that particular stall, I would 'go' really, really fast - in fear that a quake would hit while I was indesposed. (Point to note: I grew up in East Tennessee - and have never felt an earthquake.)

Maria S.