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Being a kid was not easy. The world was full of threats, and you could take nothing for granted. If you swallowed a seed, the plant would grow in your body. A psycho would hide behind the shower curtain every time you entered the bathroom. And for dessert, you could never skip a square when walking down the sidewalk, ‘cause you'd either get someone close to you in trouble, or (pick one) the plague would start.

Luckily, we are all past this point and as grown adults, most of these irrational fears are far behind us. But that doesn't mean we don’t remember them, since so many people on Twitter feel like it was yesterday. After one woman who goes by the Twitter handle @torY asked “did anyone else go through a phase as a kid where u were genuinely concerned ab the bermuda triangle?” it soon became evident that not only was she not the only one, but that there are many more threats we had to endure as kids.

So let’s see what things used to send chills down our spine right down below, and please remember, even if those fears may look unreasonable today, it doesn’t mean they weren’t real and distressing then.

#1

Things-Terrified-As-Kid

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Johnny
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember going to the elementary school library to research how to survive quicksand - I was convinced that I was bound to get stuck in a patch of quicksand on my way to school. Somehow I managed to avoid that hazard all my life despite its prevalence in cartoons and TV.

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#3

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Lauren Caswell
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was scared of quicksand, piranhas and accidental body swaps or time travel XD overactive imagination and anxiety, me? Never XD

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To find out more about fears among children, Bored Panda reached out to Dr. Kristin Pleines, a clinical social therapist at Manhattan Play Therapy who specializes in doing trauma work to help young families and children. Kristin explained that irrational fears happen to kids of all ages, and there are very common fears that children in different age groups may experience.

Kristin suggests that parents validate their child’s feelings first. “We want the child to feel validated, supported, and safe.” She gave an example of a seven-year-old afraid of being snuck up on by a snake—a child who has never even encountered a snake.

“You might say something like, ‘I'm sorry you feel scared. We all get scared sometimes, and I know it's not fun. But there aren't any snakes in our house, and we aren't going to keep looking for them, because you're safe here. I think your brain is playing a little trick on you, so let's find a way to distract it!’”

#4

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Remi Flynne
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s something which lots of people think is a fact but there’s no law against driving with your interior lights on. But at night it can be distracting or interfere with your vision by reflecting off of the inside of the windscreen. If you’re pulled over and it’s decided that your light was a probable cause in any bad driving, you can expect to get a careless driving charge though.

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#5

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Daria B
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's a very common myth, so don't worry. ^_- Also the one with watermelon growing in your stomach if you swallow the seeds.

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Another way is to get creative. “For example, you might pretend to be snakes and wiggle around, or start to research different kinds of unique snakes together. This is actually a type of exposure, which helps desensitize the child to his or her fear,” Kristin said.

Usually, irrational fears tend to go away on their own as children develop. Only if the fear persists for more than a few months, or if it begins to interfere with the child's daily functioning, Kristin recommends that parents consult a therapist.

“For example, if a child begins avoiding situations that he or she previously enjoyed in an effort to avoid reminders of their fear, this is a sign that the fear might be better addressed with the help of a professional.”

The therapist also explained that irrational fears can be caused by trauma, OCD, and anxiety, and “there is a particular nuance to addressing fears based on their underlying cause.”

#7

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Monday
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used to have this weird fear that if I were swimming I'd kick a dead body at the bottom of the pool...I have no idea why

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#9

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David Martin
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still have this one; Shower doors/curtains need to be open, in my own home and ESPECIALLY in hotels, because I refuse to be the guy on the news who was stabbed by a murderer while peeing

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Flash Henry
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I ALWAYS check behind the shower curtain. And once, there was actually someone behind the curtain.

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Oof Me
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

if it was me, I'd go AHHHHHHHHHH and faint if I saw someone actually there

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deanna woods
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am still paranoid about the shower curtain and I am a 35 year old woman who lives alone.

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Sabrina Fisher
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Everytime I pull that curtain back and no one is there it just makes me wonder what happens if there is someone? Just close it and walk out? Surprise them more than they surprised me?

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Torchicachu
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

our shower curtain always stays open so this wasn't an issue

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Erica Cochrane
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

as a kid, if i went to the bathroom at night, i was convinced the grim reaper lived in the storage at the end of our bath. so i would try and run from the bathroom to my room, into my bed & under my covers as fast as possible so he didn't get me. i was also terrified of dolls (still am) and was convinced that somehow a doll would appear in the house and come to try and kill me. so i would never have anything near my bed that could be used to climb onto the bed. i used to turn the light on regularly to check for dolls creeping across my floor. sometimes i didn't turn the light on because i was more scared that i would see them and thought it would be better if they just killed me.

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Leslie Burleson
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is why I will always upgrade to glass shower doors .... mofos can't hide behind those

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K Miller
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I actually had a nightmare about this as a kid. In my dream I went into the bathroom and there was a moving shadow on the ceiling behind the curtain. I pulled the curtain back and there was a monster there, it jumped out and started biting me on my back... i still remember the feeling *shudders*

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SupernaturalPanda
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

After i saw Psycho I refused to take showers for the longest time...then felt safe...then came Friday the 13th and I was like daymmmmm

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Just.a.ravenclaw.witch
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I DO THIS. once I yanked too hard and the curtain fell down and my mom asked wth was I doing and I didn't no what to say so I said "I-I was er, I brushed up against it while I was.. washing M-my hands??"

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Emmi Cortez
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

lol i still do that, my stepdad got me one time hiding behind the shower curtain so I'm all paranoid now.. STILL

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The Einstein
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Me too. Me: *afraid something is behind the curtains* *Looks behind them* thinking: Wait, nothings there.

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Magical dolphin so like yea 😎
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i read about it once i i was always scared of bloody mary so i never went anywere when it was dark and had a mirror

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Serenasun321
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For that exact reason I buy clear shower curtains!! And I’m 61!!

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Maddz
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had to literally check EVERYWHERE someone, or something could possibly be hiding before doing anything in the bathroom.

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Justine Nicole
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My favorite movie was Puppet Master.. which had a scene where someone is going to the bathroom and a puppet is inside the toilet and kills them. I would always stare in between my legs as I went to the bathroom, ready to jump and run at any moment. I would wipe as fast as I could, flush, and run out of the bathroom just in case it jumped out to chase me at the last minute. I still have the fear come back if I'm going in the dark, even though I know it's irrational.

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JozeeMom
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is why my shower curtain is sheer and clear liner.

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Izzy_
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still do that. Especially when I'm alone in the house

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Anna Engler
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm 40 & to this day, the only time a shower curtain is closed in my house, is when somebody is actually taking a shower😂 🚿

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Maria Briggs
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just think I have 4 kids 3 are young adults now who love to scare the life out of mom. They like it best when they make me literally piss my pants.

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Maria Briggs
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My shower curtain must always remain open unless someone is in the shower and always so when I walk in I can see fully into the shower

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WILLIAM FAULK
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

now, when the pwer went off in the bathroom, i freaking screamed like a banshee, i still freak out tho.

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PeachPossum
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We do that because Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho bathroom scene scared the pea-wadden out of us. TRIVIA: Because Psycho was shot in black and white, chocolate syrup was the "blood" going down the drain. Janet Leigh acted only the face shots in the shower. A body double was used for the remainder. Leigh saw the scene in its entirety for the at the premier. She was reportedly so frightened, that whenever she showered, she kept the curtain open. I don't blame her.

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Karin
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OMG. I have bathroom control now so. I get to say the shower curtain stays OPEN!

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Beth Arriaga
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And closet door have to be closed before bedtime of the closet monsters get you while you sleep.

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Bama Belle
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I once read that Steven King was afraid of a closed shower curtain and that he'd open his when he had to leave his house.

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Alex T
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i still do that, especially when i get up to go to the bathroom at midnight

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CatWoman312
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Too many movies have instilled the same fear in me. I always check

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KAYTEE THURMOND
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always check behind the curtain I don’t want a serial killer killing me in the bathroom

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Fred and George Weasley
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i used to be scared that if i had the bathroom door closed there would be a murderer outside the door so i kept the door open at all times (except to go to the toilet obviously)

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#11

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Hubertus Touché
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

With the farts my dad produced spontaneous combustion really didn't seem to be that far off to me...

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#12

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GirlFriday
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

SO MUCH YES!!! I didn't have a car seat as a child, I rode in the back of pick up trucks, I walked the bank of the Mississippi river alone, but GOD FORBID I should swim right after eating.

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#13

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Lucas
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I enjoyed watching it but as kids we knew it was just an illusion. My parents must have been quite upfront and honest about most things.

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#14

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Shelp
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's why you always answer your children's questions

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#15

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WilvanderHeijden
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It isn't poisonous but you can choke on it. https://www.healthline.com/health/digestive-health/what-happens-if-you-eat-silica-gel

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#16

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GirlFriday
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My very first home had a basement and I was so terrified of this that the first thing I did in fixing it up was have a light switch installed at the top of the stairs. That was literally #1 on the fixer-upper list. My father (who was helping with the fixing up) was like, first thing should be get rid of the carpet, and I was like NO, BASEMENT LIGHTS CONTROLLED AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS.

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#17

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Celeste Grant
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a phase as a child where I thought eating spicy food might cause me to combust in my sleep so would have a long shower before bed... as water would stop any fire that had started inside me... sounds crazy but I guess there is some kid logic in there somewhere.

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#19

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Remi Flynne
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That isn't emphasising a danger, that is exaggerating and unreasonably scaring that poor child. Teaching care is one thing, giving people lifelong phobias isn't good parenting.

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#21

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Octavia Hansen
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the days of VHS tape, one of my friends pulled the FBI copyright warnings out of all his tapes and spliced them together in an empty cassette. 2 hours of FBI warnings! Very Andy Warhol-ish . . .

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#22

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Queen Mab
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My concern was volcanos. I read a book when I was in grade school about a farmer in Mexico who saw a volcano erupt from his corn field. Mind you, I lived in Florida (before it became awful ) which is comprised mainly of sandstone with no tectonic plate with hundreds of miles. I was suspicious of every hole in the ground. Worried about it for years.

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#23

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troufaki13
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was scared that if I sat on the toilet too long, then a snake-like monster would emerge from the water and bite my ass

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#24

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Bardhi's Dad
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't know if every swimming pool have shark, but some of them certainly do. I'm sure!

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#27

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Perfumista Perfumista
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Our dog got skunked so yes. I was terrified. I am allergic to tomatoes, so bathing in tomato juice would not have been an option for me.

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#29

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WilvanderHeijden
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If people keep destroying the habitat of animals, they must not be surprised when the animals move into the peoples habitat.

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#30

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Lauren Caswell
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was 18 when this was released and tbh she creeped me out! I remember thinking that's a bit too much for kids. When her glasses and wig came off was one awful, but her talking to them and her creepy "cat" has to be the worst bit of that scene

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