I love Halloween. There’s something about a holiday that’s meant to scare the bejeezus out of you that appeals to me. Kind of makes me wonder why I don’t write horror rather than YA fantasy/romance…but I digress.
I remember when I was a child, walking around the Chicago suburb where I grew up with my brothers and a host of neighborhood children bearing plastic pumpkins by my side. I was nearly always dressed in a costume handmade by my mom…Holly Hobby, Wonder Woman, an Indian (we didn’t know the term “Native American” back then), a witch, etc. And as we finished up our trick-or-treating for the night, I clearly remember approaching The House.
You know the one. The house with the life-sized monster installed on the roof with a soldering iron. The house with horrifying screams issuing from a doorway that belches fog from its inky depths. The house that draws you in to receive handfuls of candy while doing its best to make you pee your pants.
That house.
When I got too old to trick-or-treat, my mom decided to create The House in the neighborhood. We’d sit on her big, country front porch with scary sounds blaring on the outdoor speakers. We’d dress up in scary costumes and have skeletons that rappelled down ropes to careen toward unsuspecting neighborhood kids. And, of course, we’d have full goody bags to hand out to those who braved the long walk up the drive.
I really miss those days. I barely had enough time this year to scrounge in the garage and pull out some well-worn decorations. Fortunately, my daughter is only five and not yet old enough to remark on the utter lameness of the décor. She was content to stick out light-up plastic pumpkins on the front porch and consider her work done. As long as she gets to wear her Spiderman costume (not handmade, by the way) on the big day, she’ll be happy.
It occurred to me last night as I watched a recorded Ghost Hunters and saw the SyFy channel’s “31 Days of Halloween” logo that Halloween is going to come and go before I’ve really even experienced it this year. There was a time where I would have made a point to go shopping before October 1st with my husband and daughter to pick up one new and special decoration. I would normally have created a list of the local Halloween events and made a plan of attack to fit a few in. We’d have bags of Halloween candy well in advance (just in case, of course—not to nibble on between now and the 31st).
This year, I haven’t made time to enjoy those things. I could list excuses, but instead I think it’s time to change that. I want to get in the mood! I’ve got close to two weeks to get my scare on, and I’d love your help. I’ve made a Top Ten list (in random order) of movies and books that really got to me over the years:
1. Stephen King’s It
2. Saw
3. A Nightmare on Elm Street
4. Scream
5. Dean Koontz’s Phantoms
6. The Exorcist
7. 28 Days Later
8. The Ring
9. Children of the Corn
10. Halloween
Would you please help me add to this list? What should I read or watch this weekend to get me more into the Halloween mood?