I heard a sound last night
Loud enough to rip open a drum
Beating and cracking
And I wondered what it was
Yet I had no idea

I tasted blood in my mouth
And felt my body go rigid
It chickened out on me, I think

I made my way through the thick, swampy
Pathway down the bridge
Into the estate
Damn the devil that led me that way!
I cursed.
I raged as I swam
And nearly almost drowned
But forged ahead in the swamp
Then I heard the rustle of leaves
And flashed my torch
To see the slimy gigantic creature
Probably a figment of my imagination
Then again, maybe not
I froze!
And I heard the sound again
Thumping not too far away
The creature seemed to advance
But I remained still
Prayers ebbed from my mouth
In a torrent
I was dead; at least at the moment
Then I was out of the swamp
And on my feet and hands
I ran; then I stopped.

I saw the long hose
From the tap
Leading to the swamp.
Fear!
It was all in my head:
The reason I was dead,
The taste of warm,
Overwhelming fear!
It was only because a picture of the unknown was well planted in me
and I, timid at heart, could only imagine
a worst case scenario, or maybe...
maybe I just wanted to fear,
you know I just felt safer being aware of the dangers
and I chose to give in.
Yet fear, I have come to know
is deeply rooted in the mind.