I’m not sure what it is about them, maybe they provide a little adrenaline rush. When that toy clown pops up in Poltergeist – it’s almost like going downhill on a roller coaster. You scream, curl your toes, and try not to pee. It’s exhilarating.
There’s also the challenge aspect. With all the hype around Blair Witch Project, they were basically daring me to watch it. I did. It was one of the most annoying things I have ever seen. Rewriting it with my siblings on the way home, though – awesome. Even a crappy scary movie can get my creative juices going.
I also think I must hate myself a little. When a movie actually does manage to scare me, I lie awake half the night, head buried in my covers, imagining every muffled sound I hear is Johnny, coming to murder me with an ax. I end up swearing upon everything holy that I will forevermore watch nothing but slapstick comedies and feel-good dramas if only I can close my eyes and not see Pennywise beckoning me into the storm drain.
But dawn comes and I realize if I limit myself to slapstick comedies and feel-good dramas, well, that’d be a different kind of nightmare. Why be stuck on a merry-go-round when you can ride a roller coaster?
**I wrote a scary story! Actually, it's mostly funny, and it is going to be available for FREE on Amazon October 28-31st. Click here to download this ebook short story.