Be Afraid

I am a 'fear junkie'. Not dangerously-I don't go playing in traffic or anything silly like that-but I love the feeling of reading a horror novel and being so...on edge. I love it.

Unfortunately, I have a tolerance now. It takes WORK to get that fear response. But there are two things-one book and one film-that work so well. So anyone out there seeking that perfect scare, listen close.

FILM

The Silence of the Lambs. We've all heard of it. Hannibal the Cannibal, Buffalo Bill, 'hello, Clarice'...

I didn't see it for several years. I knew of it, and it didn't sound that scary. A bit of background information-my mother managed a Halloween store, and one of the props we sold was a life-size Hannibal Lecter. It was neat-he had a straitjacket and his mouthpiece and he said things, and sometimes the mouth piece would come down. But he wasn't that SCARY. I thought, 'pfft. This can't be that good if the giant prop isn't that scary.'

Never have I been so wrong.

I settled down with some popcorn and the lights off and hit play one rainy night a few Octobers ago. I wasn't expecting much. I've read crime thrillers. They didn't scare me.

Then...then there was Hannibal's dinner. And the ending, when Clarice and Buffalo Bill...well, those of you who have seen it will know.

I didn't sleep for two days. It was amazing.

THE BOOK

Stephen King scares me. He's good at it. (Obviously, that's his job.) But there's one thing of his that does it more than anything else. Not The Shining, not Salem's Lot. No.

Pet Sematary.

My god.

I made the mistake of reading it while I was home alone. My parents were having a 'date night' and I was bored. So I'm reading it, and I come across the words Oz, the gweat and tewwible.

And then the back door swings shut because of the wind. I'll admit it, I freaked out.

I didn't sleep that night. And on and off for the next few days the words Oz, the gweat and tewwible popped randomly into my head and I'd get this little shiver of dread.

So. Anyone looking for a good scare should check those out.

-Lalla