My vision was blurry, smudging my surroundings into a blob of color. Something was slamming into the wall of my chest as if it was trying to break free. I put my hand over my heart and felt each strong pulsation quicken. I knew I had to concentrate and use all of my will power to take another step forward. I had to keep telling myself not to look down, but how? How could I not look down if I needed to see where to put my foot? Tension started to build in my muscles making every movement more constricting. My breathing quickened to fill the emptiness in my lungs. Calm down Claire! You cannot do this if you keep freaking out! I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. The scent of salt filled my nose and I could hear waves crashing against the shore. My heart rate fell and my breathing began to slow. I opened my eyes only to feel a sharp stinging them. I rubbed them trying to find some relief. Sweat had consumed my face and found its way into the delicate tissues of my eyes. It was then that I realized the scent of the fresh sea air was actually coming from me.
Almost every human is afraid of something. When these creepy clowns, scary spider, or slithering snakes cross our path, our bodies react to signal to us that these are potential dangers. Our fight-or-fight response kicks in and increases our hear rate to promote blood flow to our muscles. Adrenaline pumps into our system to boost our strength, enabling us to either confront or flee the hazard. Breath quickens, increasing air intake to deliver more oxygen to the muscles. Functions of the digestive and immune systems stop, allowing the body to focus all its energy against the imminent danger. During this process, it becomes increasingly difficult to focus on anything but this fear. The body will do everything it can to prepare itself to fight or to run, but in the end only the individual can choose what to do.