The Hippocampus:

Jeepers creepers, where’d you get those peepers?

Something forbidden was finally within reach. No more did I hear, “That’s for adults.” No, this time I must have matured enough to watch the sacred Scary Movie.

I tucked in next to my mother on the couch, blanket and popcorn at the ready.

After the white text of names made it passed, the movie began. A car driving on a long road in the country was shown. Two people speaking, well, bickering. They were calling each other names and using foul language. It was so grown-up!

I remained strong and confident that I could handle the movie, even when the rampaging truck tried to run the brother and sister off the road. But somewhere during the first organ eating my little mind broke and I retreated to the safety of the blanket.

The safety was just an illusion though, as small crocheted holes allowed me to see everything that was still happening on the tube. 

“Stop watching if you’re scared.” My mother said.

How could she say that? If I closed my eyes or left, not only would I miss the experience of this forbidden fruit but the monster could pop out and get me! He’d surely come and steal my eyeballs or other organs like he had been doing all movie!

When it ended, I was scared. My mind just kept repeating the gruesome scenes. How could something like that be possible? The world was full of all sorts of things. Now I had to worry about a creepy monster that was actually shown! What!

The Frontal Lobe:

This was my first experience with watching a horror movie. I was a scardy cat, like most children. I decided that I didn’t like them. I wouldn’t watch them and would throw a fit if one was playing. 

However, at some point and whatever life experiences started to turn me back to the heart racing experiences. A contributor to my love of horror movies came from a close relationship with my cousins. We grew up seeing eachother alot. Naturally, we played and found ways to keep ourselves entertained. This included partaking in watching horror movies, seeing who would get scared first.

We watched Chucky, It, Pet Semetary and many others of that time frame. Sharing these experiences got me excited to see what else was out there. What other monsters, demons, ghouls, and murderer possessed dolls there were. 

And I did. I started to watch horror movies on my own and further explore the genre. I definitely did not become some horror movie connoisseur. I just knew I liked the stories and the unknown aspect of what would happen.

As an adult, I find myself being picky about horror movies now. They don’t scare me as they once did. Perhaps because some of the lore, decisions, and story lines don’t always make sense.

Perhaps because I’ve lost that child-like thinking of not knowing what was out there in the world.

Perhaps because I’ve also found that people are much scarier than any fictional monster. 

However, I’m still watching and seeing that the genre is coming back. It’s not just about getting a jump from the audience, it’s about the stories and elements that create that bone chilling atmosphere.

…Jeepers creepers, where’d you get those eyes?