Haley Williams-Conner

Alphabet Phobia

Chapter One Ablutophobia – Fear of bathing, cleaning or washing When I was 5 years old my mother put me in the bathtub. Nothing unusual about it, just a bath. I was playing outside in our sandbox and got dirty. Cassie was my mother's name, and she was a lovely mother. Every night, she rocked me to sleep, sang me lullabies, and fed me rich, nourishing meals. She had no idea that leaving the bathroom for less than a minute would leave me scarred for the rest of my life. I've been in and out of foster homes since then. It was straight to the nuthouse after I turned 18. When I was nine years old, my mother died by suicide. I'm guessing the custody battles and jail time were too much for her.