31 Days of Halloween { guest post + giveaways } Scary Books Traumatize Families by Evelyn Lafont
Today we are joined by indie author Evelyn Lafont, who shares with us the one book that has scarred for life. Feel free to comment back with a book, or books, that has left you scared long after reading.
The weather is cooling down, the sound of footsteps on the walkway is sweetened by the crunch of dried leaves, I’m drinking cocoa and all I want to do is read a scary book. I guess the impending holiday of doom is what makes me get that urge. Oh, wait, no—put your credit cards down, I’m not talking about Christmas and its debt-inducing spending freefall, I’m talking about Halloween.
I have always loved Halloween. Actually, any holiday that centers around food tends to rank among my favorite. But on Halloween I could always indulge my urge to be someone else and escape my own tiresome self for a bit. Even watching scary movies and reading scary books helps take me out of myself. I mean, with a scary book or movie you aren’t just along for the ride—you are there, and you are making decisions that could make or break your chances of survival and, if you’re like me, you’re shouting these decisions at your book or TV to no avail.
The one book that has left me scarred for life is Stephen King’s ’Salem’s Lot. This book is about one of my favorite subjects…vampires. Big ole mean, fangy ones.
I first read it when I was 13 and I swear, I slept perfectly positioned in the center of my bed for weeks after. I also couldn’t look out a window after dark without heart palpitations and I made a 4-foot leap from doorway to bed each time I had to pee in the middle of the night.
Last year I decided to read the book again. Surely, I won’t be as scared this time around! I thought. I’m 20 years older, ten times hotter and a reasonably intelligent woman now—not an awkward teen with a boyfriend-repulsing palm sweat problem.
I reread the book in one night, gripped and terrified the entire time. Possibly even more terrified than when I read it 20 years ago. When I finished, I decided to get up and noodle around on the ‘net for a bit to distract myself from the horror of King’s creation. Suddenly, while sitting in the dark catching up on my Google Reader, I felt three short taps on my arm. I looked to find who tapped me, and there was no one in the room. Of course, I did what any normal, sane, and well-adjusted 30-something woman would do. I screamed like a serial murderer had broken in and my death was imminent. I immediately imagined that the person who touched me was the kid who tapped on the window in ‘Salem’s Lot and I was certain I was going to die—and that Hubby was already a vampire because someone must have invited the kid into the house, and it wasn’t me.
It didn’t take long for my completely human husband to run to me with no look of new vamp bloodlust in his eyes. As he entered the room, one of our cats darted out. Our sweet, shy cat who is afraid of the dark but will brave it in order to get a midnight brushing. The cat that has an adorable habit of tapping us on the arm with his paw. He does this by standing on his hind legs, placing his left paw on the arm of the chair for balance, and tapping us with his right paw.
When I saw my cat fleeing the scene I realized what had happened and felt like an idiot. A terrible cat scaring idiot. While Hubby shook his head and laughed, I ran to the cat to pour out my apologies.
This year, I don’t know what scary book I’m going to traumatize my family with. But I do know I won’t be reading ‘Salem’s Lot again. I mean, not this year. Maybe I’ll read it when I turn 50. Surely it won’t scare me as much when I’m older, hotter and even more reasonably intelligent…right?
About Evelyn Lafont
Evelyn Lafont is an author and freelance writer with an addiction to Xanax and a predilection for snark. Her series, The Vampire Relationship Guide follows a clueless human as she sets out to date a vampire. Her books are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and her website. For humor in small, portable doses, you can follow her on Facebook.
