Flight

Despite having avoided horror movies for years now, my imagination still gets the best of me and I spook easily. Maybe even more easily now than ever. I can't explain it.

Halloween night some past coworkers of mine and I decided to go out and have some fun in costume. They had mentioned heading to Project X but I was hoping they would think of something less scary to do. But they're big fans of the spooky side of Halloween so I was held hostage in the car. Just hearing the "scary" music as we approached the complex creeped me out.

Me being a big baby my coworkers volunteered to "protect" me, one on each side, while I clung to their arms needily.

As we walked the path to the first part of the evening's experience a grim reaper-type stood sombrely a little ways ahead of us. Seeing as we had not entered into the actual buildings yet I just assumed he was a guide to let us know where to go. But no! All of a sudden he bolted towards us full speed and before I knew it his blade was in my face. All I could do was scream full-on. Therein lies the problem: I didn't even run! Something is seriously askew with my fleeing reflexes...like a deer-in-headlights sort of deal.

After that I couldn't walk any further. It took perhaps 10 minutes for my friends to encourage me to keep going. I was more than willing to head back where we came from and wait for them in the car...I didn't care that I already paid for my ticket. Fortunately, there was a big group heading towards us at that moment and my companions got the brilliant idea of using them as our sacrificial lambs. That worked out so well for me. The people ahead of us got all the scares while we got to walk past as the actors reset themselves. Not much jumpiness or screaming for me from then on. The gory scenes still made me uncomfortable, though. And yes, although I was safe from being the target of the spookers I didn't dare let go of my friends' arms for anything.

So I survived another Project X. This year (with the exception of the grim reaper that shook me up pretty bad at the very start) was easier to take compared to the year that Weird Kid took baby sis and I over there. I think it was due to it being Halloween and it was packed so they couldn't send you in 4 at a time. So if you played it right, like we did, you didn't get targeted at all for the scares and after that it was just a matter of walking through.

I'm still bothered by the fact that I didn't run, though. Maybe deep inside I can still keep in check the fact that they were all actors. But sadly that same night a lady in the NE (North-East, Joe has pointed out that not all cities run by quadrants) answered the door and a man in costume stabbed her. If that had been me would I have had the instinct to protect myself or run? Or would I have just stood there and got myself killed? I don't know.