What scared you most as a kid?

[failedALIAS]

As the title suggests, I would like to know what scared you most as a child or (due to the nature of the people on this site) what scared you most in your life? Although I do LOVE scary games/movies I'd like this to be about scares branching from your life. Could be a story you read, a sight you saw (CHAINSAW!), or a sound you heard. So give me your worst, you sniveling babies.
Mine was an imaginary friend I had named Adam, who I invented to keep me company. Twas only a few weeks before the dreams began. They went by in sequences: First I was running down a dark twisting hallway of blues and blacks, him following far behind. He was a shadow with a crooked grin and piercing eyes. Then I was in an empty room with the same colors as the last. I was curled in a fetal position screaming at the horrible noises all around me. They stabbed into my very being. Later i was in my room, in the upper corner of my room, viewing myself in bed, with the same colors as the last time. Then I was in my own body, lying on my right side, staring across the room towards what looked like a plushy that was pure black and shaped like a little boy. It had a twisted grin. The room flashed and it was closer, again and it was closer. Finally it was standing right next to my bed -- staring without eyes. It reached out a single arm and stroked my face, saying "Good night."
Then the entire dream looped, and looped again. It just repeated over and over again for what literally felt like years! I then finally woke up to see the same plushy on the other end of my room. This dream freaked the shat out of me. But not as scary as the time my family went on a camping trip. One night everybody was playing cards, and I joined. Being horrible at cards I failed and being 7 I then left depressed and went to bed. I woke up half buried on the beach. I walked back staggering unable to think. When I finally got back they said I had run away. I've never really told them otherwise because I just decided to believe they were right. Though it's always been my dread if they're wrong.
So yeeeeaaaaaaahhhhhhh. What was your scariest experience or thing that you feared most.