I went to a haunted house with a couple of friends last night. It’s called the Crypt, in Mesa AZ, and it was pretty good. Good scenes, good jump factor. I’d recommend it for someone who wants something scary, but not too scary. I’m off track, though. One of my best friends doesn’t like anything scary. She only likes romance novels and romance movies (how did we get to be friends?). So, when I suggested a haunted house, and she agreed, I didn’t think anything of it. I’m pretty blase when it comes to scary stuff. I mean, my husband and I laugh at horror movies. I’ve been pretty disappointed by most movies that are supposed to be scary. She was really scared though, and it got me to thinking about fear.
I’m not afraid of much. Mostly, I’m afraid of things I can’t see. The dark really scares me because of what could be there. I live in a neighborhood in Arizona, and it’s never dark in my neighborhood. Back in Pennsylvania, I lived in a pretty rural neighborhood, and when the lights were out, it was DARK. I remember getting home after dark, heart pounding, eyes scanning the darkness, jumping at every little noise– the stuff of real nightmares.
I kind of miss that fear. I miss that pulse jumping feeling. Maybe it doesn’t feel great at the time, but it always made me feel alive. That’s why I keep watching scary movies and reading scary books. I want to recapture that feeling of being safely scared. Of knowing that there’s a monster out there, but that it doesn’t really want to eat me.
Maybe that’s why I prefer psychological horror these days. Psychological horror is not about a monster I can see, but a monster that could be out there. Something that could be lurking in the darkness. It’s the possibility of fear that I’m addicted to.
What are you afraid of?
Doree Weller 