I am going to tell you a tale about something weird although not uncommon. Althought it is never discussed or talked about and even more uncommonly defeated. And it is not a monster nor is it a demon. No this is something much worse. Something that can haunt you for your whole life. This thing is fear. And not just fear but a phobia.
The Tale begins when a little colt named Steam Tinker was about four years old.
"I can't believe that i got a colt tinker kit! i love it so much!!!" I scream out as i open my birthday present. "This is the best thing ever!" i get up from the floor and start to run torwards my room with my colts tinker kit in my hooves. Once i get to my room i open the kit and start playing around with all the bits and pieces that are in the kit. After playing with it for about an hour i decide to get something to drink. I walk out from my room and on the other side of the hallway i see a colourful red balloon that has falled of the wall it had been stuck to. I walk over to pick it up and put it somwhere else. As i reach out my hooves to pick it up it rolls away and i go after it to pick it up again. As i try to pick it up i hear a very loud bang as the balloon pops in my face. I sit there and stare at my hooves for about a second and then i start crying loudly.
This is how little Steam Tinker developed a Globophobia. A phobia of balloons. A phobia so serious that it causes him to avoid all public gatherings that involve balloons. The tale continues as Steam Tinker who is now 8 years old returns home from school and is about to receive some very bad new.
" I am home now" I shout as i walk into my home
"Hello sweetie could you come into the kitchen please" I hear my mom say and i slowly walk into the kitchen.
"You got a party invitation from one of your class mates" my mom hands me a envelope with a birthday invitation inside.
" Aww mom do i have to go?" i moan sounding very sad.
" Why wouldn't you want to go sweetie?"
" You know there is going to be balloons there and you know im afraid of balloons"
" nonsense you are going to go to the party and you are going to enjoy it"
I sigh and start walking to my room not wanting to argue with my mom. Hours pass and i sit in my room trying to mentally prepare myself for the party. At 8 o'clock my mom tells me it's time to leave for the party and we start walking. During the walk i say nothing all i think about is how to get out of this mess. As i snapp back to reality we reach the house. Ofcourse there are a cluster of balloons on the door. I try to not think about it as my mom knocks on the door. After my mom talks for a bit with Spark's mom im let in and my mom leaves me in this nightmare place. As im shown into the living room i casually ask who arranged the party decorations trying to keep my mind occupied.
"Well we asked pinkie pie to do it and she happily did it.
Ofcourse i should have known Pinkie Pie was the one that did the decorations. And just like her she had decorated well. And as expected the house was overflowing with balloons. They are everywhere. On the floor,on the walls and hanging from the roof. I feel a small panic attack building up. Im the first one to arrive and the Spark is stil in his room getting ready. I turn to spark's mom and i take a deep breath to get ready to speak.
"Umm can i ask you a favor?" i ask sounding a bit scared
"What is it?"
"um if it's okay. When the rest of the guests arrive could you ask them to not pop balloons since i have a phobia of balloons. and if you could try to not tell them it's me that am afraid that would be really great"
"Sure i can do that"
"Thank you"
With a sight of relief i smile and sit down and wait for the rest of my class mates to arrive. After i have been waiting for a while Spark comes down and meets me.
" Happy Birthday Spark"
"Thank you. So you wanna play while we wait for the rest of the guests"
" Sure what did you have in mind?"
"Oh i know. Close your eyes i will be right back"
I close my eyes and wait for Spark to come back. Suddenly i hear a familiar rubber squeaking sound. But before i manage to open my eyes it happens. BANG. I scream from getting scared.
"What are you screaming for?!?!?"
"I...i...i got scared by the bang"
"why?"
"Because im scared of balloons"
"Really?"
"YES!! i have always been since i was little!"
"Hahahaha what a coward you are. Seriously scared of balloons?"
Suddenly we hear the doorbell ring and most of the guests arrives. We gather and sit down in the living room.
"Okay before we start the pary i would like to ask you all to not pop any balloons around Steam Tinker because he is afraid of balloons" I see everyone staring at me and i start to get embarrassed. Sometime goes by and Spark opens his present and we eat cake. After finishing eating cake we have free time to play. I look around the room and see all my classmates standing in a ring around SPark whispering about something. I put down my soda on a table and start to walk over.
"Alright let's go" i hear spark say.
The next thing i know i get pressed down to the ground by two classmates and thats when i see what they are doing. They have gathered up all the balloons in the house and are walking torwards me. Then i notice that Spark and a few others are holding pins in their hooves.
"Please dont" i whimper.
They dont listen to my whimpering. BANG the first balloon pops and i get scared. With each balloon they pop they come close and closer to me
"Please stop" i say while crying out of fear.
The last balloon is in Sparks hooves as he moves close he puts it right infront of my head and pops it.
"What did you think about that Steam?...um steam?...Steam?!?!?"
I open my eyes and see sterile white bedsheets and im lying under a white blanker. Im in a hospital. I see a nurse cheking in on some patients.
"Umm exscuse me nurse?"
"Oh you are finally awake. How are you feeling?"
"A bit dizzy but else im feeling fine. But why am i in here?"
"You had a panic attack at a party and lost consciousness"
"Oh...i see"
" You know what since you are awake now ill go get you some food"
" Thank you nurse?"
"Redheart. Nurse Redheart"
I went back to sleep when nurse Redheart left. I was kept Hospitalised for a week and was then sent home. I stopped talking to Spark and never forgave him for what he did. And still to this day im afraid of balloons. A phobia i wil never be cured of. Globophobia.
Author's Note
I myself am indeed a Globophobic and this story is inspiered by true things that happend to me such as having to go to parties when i didn't want to and being bullied by classmates aswell as my parents who thought i was just a bit weird. I am still to this day Globophobic and the only thing i want to say about it is. If you ever meet anyone that is Globophobic dont be mean to them this is a real phobia that can get serious consequences such a actuall panic attacks and ever worse things such a mental scarring.
Steam Tinker may look like any other ordinary little colt. But the fact is that there is one thing that separates him from the other ponies his age. The thing that makes him different is that he is globophobic. Steam Tinker suffers from a balloon phobia. A phobia he has had since he was very young. Steam Tinker is now eight years old and is very nervous about an upcoming event.
"Hey Steam it's only a day left until my birthday. Fun right!"
"Yeah fun Lightning" i responded very unenthusiastic. The reason i was pretty sad is because tomorrow is my older brother Lightning Strikes birthday. Im not very happy about it because i know there will be balloons there. My brother has invited his closest friends to attend the party. None of his friends knows about my phobia. I sight as i drift of into my own thoughts but im quickly interrupted.
"Steam Tinker could you please come here for a bit?"
"Yes mom" I walk downstairs into the livingroom where my mom is waiting for me. I see that she is standing next to a couple of shopping bags.
"What is it you wanted mom?"
"I need your help preparing for tomorrows party"
"Okay what do you need me to do? Clean around the house?"
"No i need your help with something more important."
"And what is it?"
She points her hoof at two of the shopping bags. I walk over to them and look inside.
"No! im not helping you with that" Inside the two shopping bags i see tons and tons of balloons
"Steam Tinker don't be silly"
"I won't help you"
"Honey this might cure your little phobia"
"I don't want to help you"
"Okay your leaving me no choice. You either help me blow them up or I will make you pop every single one after the party"
"I don't believe you!" my mother looked really angry now.
"Oh you don't believe me?" She reached her hoof down into the bag and pulled out two balloons and quickly inflated and tied both of them. She gave one to me and looked at me.
"Pop it"
"You're joking right?"
"No im serious pop it now"
"No i won't"
"Fine" and with out hesitating she pulled out a pin from a bag and popped the balloon she held. I jumped and was starting to tear up a bit.
"Now pop your balloon"
"NO!" I shouted and then she popped it in my face
"Now will you help me or do i need to continue?"
"O..okay i'll help you mom" I said tears starting to stream down my face.
"Good you can start now then. And i need to go buy somethings. I want to see that you have started when i come back" After saying that she left the house. My brother had left the house while I and mom were arguing so I was now alone in the house. I sighed loudly
"Okay i need to start then" I sat down on the floot next to the bags and pulled out a balloon a red one. I hesitantly started started to blow it up. Once it was blown up i tied it.
"Hey maybe I am silly? this is easy" A bit more relaxed I continued. I blew up about fifteen balloons. As i reached into the bag for the sixteenth I pulled out a yellow balloon and took a deep breath and blew. *Bang!* it popped and i flinched I started to tear up and soon enough I was crying. I stopped trying to blow up the balloons and instead went and hind in my room. I hid in my closet hoping my mom wouldn't find me. After about thirty miuntes i fell asleep. I awoke the next morning still in my closet where i fell asleep. I yawned and rubbed my eyes trying to wake up. After about ten minutes i opend the close door and looked out into my room.
My room was filled with balloons. They were everywhere. On the floor,on my bed,in my chair, there were even a few stuck on the walls and on the roof. I looked around my room and saw a note on my desk. I ignored it and went to the door. I reached my hoof up to the doorknob and twisted it.
"Why is the door locked?"
I went over to my desk and read the note that was lying there. The note said
"Dear Steam Tinker when i came home yesterday you had barely even started with your task and then i found you sleeping in your closet trying to hide. So since i had to finish your task i decided i would help you cure your stupid little phobia. So as you might have noticed the door is locked. The only way you are getting out is when every single balloon in your room has been popped so you better start or they will pop on their own sooner or later Signed your dearest mother"
At the bottom of the letter there was a pin. I fell down onto the floor and started to cry more than ever.
"I don't *Sniff* have a choice" I grabbed the pin in my left hoof and got ready. I slowly bent down to get closer to the balloons and quickly jabbed at one of them *POP* it popped and I began to cry more. It continued like this for several hours. Everytime i popped a balloon i had to sit down for five minutes and cry for a bit. After a long time I was almost done. There was only three of four balloons left. By now i was an emotional wreck. I was shacking and crying and I had given up. Only one balloon left. I approached it and popped it. I sighed in relief that it was over. Suddenly I heard my door opening and I was ready to get out of here. I saw my mother in the door opening.
"Mom I..I did it please let me out now" I saw her smile and I started to run over to the door but was suddenly stopped by my mother who shoved me backwards so i fell and landed on my butt.
"Why did you do that for mom?"
"What did i tell you yesterday? Help me blow up the balloons or by Celestia I will make you pop every single one! And you didn't help me so you choose your own punishment!" And with that said she moved ever more balloons into my room filling it again.
"And i don't want to hear you cry or make a single sound" And after that she slammed the door shut and locked it. I started to cry like i had never cried before. I cried through the whole day and night. Four days passed and I hadn't been allowed to leave my room. My mom only came with food but never said anything to me. On the fifth day I heard a knock on our front door and some shouting downstairs soon after I heard hoof stepps comming up the stairs and only a matter of seconds later somepony kicked my door open. It was the police. After they saw me i was quickly escorted out of the house. I never quiet understood what happend but i was place in an orphanage for sometime. But what i didn't know was that there were still worse things to come. My Globophobia never disapparead and I live with it still today.
Author's Note
Yet another story based on events that has happend to me. I will just clarify that while most of this is true and i was indeed really badly treated by my mom for sometime im still living with them to this day and im as i stated before infact a Globophobic that was teased by my brother and parents aswell as many of my former friends. Like i try to always inform people if you ever meet anyone with globophobia be nice to them because this phobia is hell to live with.
