Mathematic Anxiety

by T.B. Johnson

Three phobias dominated him. Entomophobia drove him to frigid climates. His linonophobia led him to make bizarre fashion choices, eschewing traditional cotton for leather and plastic. Most debilitating was the ideophobia, which nearly isolated him.

But the mind is fickle. Its ideas come as they please. He had been playing solitaire for several hours when one visited him: what if he also had triskaphobia, a fear of threes? His heart pounded. Panic loomed.

Then came another idea. Triskaphobia made four fears. Relief washed over him. Maybe ideas weren’t so bad.

But without his ideophobia, he realised, that’s three fears again.

T.B. Johnson

T.B. Johnson directed two short films: Master Leonard (2020) and In Menstrual Frames (2022). T.B. has also won many placements at screenwriting competitions and film festivals. T.B. continues to create.

Website: tb-johnson.com