Lucy’s fear

At night, the woods are an entirely different world. Whilst during the day, there’s a breeze of magic with fairytale feeling at times, the dark hours awaken mystery, and sometimes … fear.

Fear.

This is something that Lucy has learned to fight; a battle she conquered a long time ago. Why was it, then, that she felt her old enemy was back? She felt as if fear was coming back to haunt her like a professional ghost that never quite leaves.

Or, that was, at least, what the guide tour at that haunted castle Lucy visited in Scotland once said.

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©Susan Fourtané, 2025 - All rights reserved

This Drabble is part of Lucy Donovan’s Adventures - A Drabble Collection

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Author’s note: On fear

Fear is a fundamental human emotion defined by psychologists as a primal, protective emotion that arises in response to a perceived threat, whether physical or emotional. Fear is an emotion present in both humans and animals alike. Whilst the psychological aspects of fear are universal, individual experiences and expressions of fear can vary significantly from individual to individual.

Understanding the psychology of fear is essential to learn how to manage fear-related conditions. When fear becomes excessive it may develop into a phobia, a panic attack, or an anxiety disorder. Phobias are intense fears of specific objects or situations, such as spiders, or open/closed environments, which are disproportionate to the actual threat posed.

Fear can be acquired through experience. This is a process known as ‘fear conditioning’ and involves associating a neutral stimulus with an aversive event, leading to a fear response to the previous neutral stimulus.

It’s important to distinguish between fear and anxiety. Fear is a reaction to a specific, immediate threat, whilst anxiety is a more diffuse, anticipatory response to a potential future threat. Although they differ in duration and focus, both emotions activate similar psychological responses.

Although there are effective medical treatments for fear-related conditions, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Exposure Therapy (a form of CBT), and medication, innovative treatments are emerging such as the approach that combines therapy with the administration of a beta-blocker that aims to weaken fear memories. This treatment is promising in treating strong forms of phobias effectively.

However, observing, learning, and understanding our own individual fear and what triggers it may help to fight it, regaining confidence in our senses.