November 29, 2006 Horror NL

Men fear death as children fear to go into the dark; and as that natural fear in children is increased with tales, so is the other.
~Sir Francis Bacon


No passion so effectively robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear.
~Edmund Burke


When you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you.
~Nietzsche



From the Editor:

I awake, breathing rapidly. I lay still, listening. Did they get in this time?

I see them yet I don't...in my dreams that is. They are male, I know that somehow. But I can't quite see them. They are Shadow People. I can see their shape but not their features. And they are always trying to get into my house. Sometimes they almost do and these are the times when I awaken in fright.

I don't know a lot about dream interpretation so I don't know what this could mean. I do know that this is a recurring dream and one that never fails to scare me.

Dreams have always fascinated me whether they are pleasant or of the nightmare variety. Dreams are in the realm of the unknown. And it's the unknown that often terrifies us the most. We never know what our dreams will throw at us. At least I don't.

This realm of the unknown makes for a wide variety of wonderful horror ideas. One of the most popular movie series in the horror genre is the Nightmare on Elmstreet series. Freddy may be cartoonish, but he is playing with one of our most deeply imbedded fears. I love those movies!

When considering your next horror masterpiece, consider the area of dreams. What might make a fresh take on this area of the unknown?


Feedback:

From alicengoreland:Your newsletter has inspired me to dust off a story I started for OHC and did not finish. I finished the first one but not the second. As I am sure you have guessed in the unfinished story Dia de los Muertos plays an important part. There, the half formed thing lays in wait, hungry for more words so that it may live. Excuse me while I feed my story.

I'm glad you dusted off that story!



From W.D.Wilcox © ¿ Φ : I think we should celebrate the Day of the Dead by going out to the local graveyard and setting up balloons and streamers, picnic tables and pot-luck buffets, etc. Then we could have races like 'Who Can Outrun a Ghost?' or The Addams Family favorite, 'Dig Up the Dead'. I tell you, if you put your mind to it, you could come up with all kinds of horrific fun...

It actually sounds like a great way to remember and honor our departed loved ones. We should do that next November. Think we'll get arrested?