Some years ago.

I woke up around 2am and I couldn’t get back to sleep, so was sitting on the edge of my bed. You know how your eyes adjust to the darkness? Suddenly saw something scurry across the floor. Cockroach alert! My whole body went limp. My heart palpitated and my palms were sweaty. I didn’t want to scream and wake everyone up, but I needed to get out of the room! The cockroach was in the way though, and the door was closed.

I grabbed my blanket. I could throw the blanket on the cockroach and escape while it lost its bearings. But what if I missed and it started flying around? I had to take the risk! I carefully stood up, grabbed my blanket, put one knee up on the bed (just in case I needed to climb up fast) and prepared to throw the blanket… it scurried again! What the heck? And this time, it stopped a short distance from the closed door.

What a nightmare! The door opened inward. What was I going to do? My knees were quivering. I was sharing floor space with the most frightening of all miniature beings!

I turn off the fan, afraid it would cause the cockroach to move again.

The room became more silent; eerier.

Plan blanket seemed to be the only option now. I steadied myself, heart pounding, opened up the blanket… and without even knowing how I’d changed the game plan, threw the blanket over myself and rushed to the door, opened it and ran screaming into the living room.

Mum and Dad woke up. I threw down the blanket, felt like hundreds of roaches were crawling over me, shook myself off life a post-bath dog.

Hid myself in the kitchen while my Dad switched on the lights and looked into every corner of my room for the terrorising little creature.

It was nowhere to be found.

This would not do! How could I sleep when this monstrosity had likely hidden itself somewhere?

I demanded that the area behind the door be thoroughly checked.

The all-clear was given.

After some time, I gathered some helpless gumption and stepped into my room. I peeked cautiously behind the door. And there I saw it.

A wad of hair.

That had scurried wherever the breeze from the fan had pushed it.

A hairball.