#7: Most Frightening May 24, 2019

I was once asked, “What’s the scariest horror film you’ve ever seen?” 

My answer was non-hesitant.  To be sure, the movie is a horror classic, not for the feeble-hearted nor those with over-active imaginations.  However, it is the circumstances I automatically associate with the film that make it personally terrifying.

It was 1974 and as a senior in high school my girlfriend and I went to see The Exorcist, which had just hit the theaters. The movie freaked us both out; it was creepy, unsettling for a young Catholic couple.

After grabbing a bite after the movie at a local burger joint, I dropped her off at home and said good night. But every time we had walked to or from the car, we each were glancing warily around and over our shoulders. That walk from my date’s front door to the car seemed interminable even though I ran. I hopped in, locked the doors and sped off because the darkness of the night (even with the streetlights) sent shivers down my spine.

Once home and inside, I felt much safer and went to my room after saying hi to Mom and Dad. In my room, I prepped for bed, deciding to shower in the morning before school—I had seen Psycho years earlier and there was no way I’d shower that night.

I did my best to read a bit to make me sleepy but that wasn’t working, so I gave up, turned off the light and snuggled down.

The head of my bed was beneath a window so I could best enjoy every breeze. As I lay there to doze off, sudden sounds started coming down to me from above, near the ceiling. These were subtle almost inaudible sounds. Sometimes they sounded like creaking; others were more like splintering or breaking.

The next thing I knew, the entire set of window dressings came tumbling down on top of my head. I’m talking about the curtain rod, the heavy curtain and sheers, the valence, they were all over my head and shoulders.

I bound out of bed to switch on the light expecting to see Linda Blair as Regan floating toward me. No such thing.

After calming myself and regaining my curiosity more than my courage, I examined the curtain, its supports and the wall where it had been attached. We lived in an old house and this was obviously a case of old wood and supporting screws that were ultimately too short to hold the weight. It was bound to give way sooner or later. Still, the fact that it gave way after watching The Exorcist is spooky.

I was able to sleep in safety and comfort on the living room couch that night.

To this day, I will only watch The Exorcist during daylight and never alone.