Scary Moment #1

Leading up to Halloween, I’ve decided to give my top five scary moments. Actually, it might only be four. I’m having trouble coming up with the last one. I’m also going to try to associate them with popular horror films. Yes, a couple of them will a bit of a stretch.

My Scary “Halloween” Moment:

When I lived in South Carolina, there were around five blocks we’d hit for Halloween. The block we actually lived on was the worst candy wise, and the scariest. This meant we’d usually hit our block last.

One year, I got ahead of our group and finished our second block early. I think there was a TV show I wanted to watch, so I was pressing to end early. I started our block and got a quarter of a way through when I realized there was nobody else around. Some houses still had their porch lights on, but most of them were turned off. I assumed our block must have ended early. I adjusted my bald cap that made me look more like a Conehead than an evil scientist and walked up to one of the houses with their lights on. The house next door had their lights off. I noticed in the yard next door they still had their scarecrow sitting in the front porch. I got halfway up the walkway, when the scarecrow stood up and walked toward me. I was fine till he stepped into the light of from the front porch, and I caught the glint of a knife. Maybe it was my toy knife expertise, but I knew that wasn’t a toy knife he had as he came toward me. It also struck me that he was trying to conceal it. If he was going to go through the normal scare tactics, he would make the knife visible. Other than that it’s just a guy with a straw hat coming at me.

Now I kind of have a rule when it comes to situations like this. Yes, it’s bit odd that I’ve even had enough fights to have a rule. My rule is to let them show their move first. That way you’ll know how to handle the situation. Also, never turn your back on your attacker. Perhaps I watched to many ninja movies. Living by that rule at that moment, I stood my ground waiting for my would be attacker to finally reveal the knife he was trying to hide. It’s funny what flashes through your mind. Having had my left kidney removed when I was a tyke, I was actually glad he was holding the knife in his right hand. His initial strike couldn’t hit my right side with my one good kidney. Maybe, it’s not that funny. I also mentally weighed the candy bag in my right hand. It was about 3 maybe four pounds of mostly hard candy. I had a habit of turning down the chocolates and softer candies. Perhaps I could daze him enough with a hard swing to get away.

By this time the scarecrow was nearly to me when he finally raised the knife. He swung the knife toward my head, and I shifted to the right. I remember glancing to my left at the knife, and chuckling in relief. It was just a butter knife. The scarecrow then raised the knife about an inch from my face, and waved it back and forth. At this point my fear was released in my laughing. “Why aren’t you scared?” the scarecrow asked. I wasn’t about to tell him I was shitting bricks 30 seconds ago. “It’s a butter knife.” I said after another chuckle. Then the scarecrow flashed the knife again and scooted off into the night. I just went home after that, and took stock of my candy.