It’s Friday the 13^th………Yea, and?

The worst thing about this day is that it’s almost the half way point of another month that has flown by with time. I am not affected by the number and day being combined at all. Bad things can and do happen at any time on any day of the month the same as good things. However, feeling this way about the day does not stop me from promoting the irrational belief of others. I, in fact, love to tell scary stories that plant the seeds of irrational fears. Just ask any child that has sat around a campfire with me or listened to a bed time story at my home. Scary stories have been told to children since before reading and writing became a necessary skill for survival in the world.

Surviving the dark shadows lurking within the shadows of my back yard or in the hallways of my house was a rite of passage for all the children that passed through my home over the years….ask any that are now adults or my baby sister that grew up with the fear of basements, the dark and possibly muskrats. My guess is, none will go into the night alone or into the darkness without turning on every light switch within reach.

I suppose it is a bit twisted to be sitting here enjoying the thought of what I just shared. I would be called a liar the second anyone read a statement of regret for the creatures I gave them to dream about or look over their shoulders and under beds for at night. It is how my brain works, I can’t stop the thoughts or ideas. I can’t stop the pictures that constantly pop up inside my head when I see or think of something irrationally awesome to share with my kids and their friends. As my children and the rest of our communities children grew up, I would release each new monster, which formed in my mind’s eye, into the shadows of my yard. And from what I’m told, they are still lurking about the neighborhood in search of delicious children brave enough to play games of the night.

To say I miss those days would be an understatement. I can still see every face that ever looked up at me with engaged eyes through the camp fire light. Every one of those beautiful faces are the reason I have started to trap each of my new monsters that come to visit me, into the pages I print.

I am not offended when adjectives such as deranged, morbid or twisted are used to describe me on occasion. I suppose they have earned the right to say that about me with each new image I stash in the shadows of their imagination. I hope I never make them choose a different vocabulary when talking or thinking about me. I hope they always look forward to making room for just one more monster that crawled out from the recesses and dark corners of my mind.

With that being said……Friday the 13^th isn’t just another day but one to be feared by anyone caught alone when crossing the path of a shadow waiting to feed………