Haunted (when the minutes drag)

Every year I have a checklist of 'shit to do before Halloween.' The list tends to stay fairly consistent, as events tend to be annual. This year I've made an effort to shift  the focus from the blood-and-guts jump-scare aspect of the holiday to the more autumnal and haunting side.

Partially this is because I am a horror fan - serial killers and zombies don't belong to October, in my mind. That shit is all year round.  Ghosts on the other hand, really do seem to thrive as the weather turns cold, and monsters go with Halloween like Nutella goes with everything.

So. No gore flicks. Monster Squad, Elvira, Tales from the Darkside and every ghost movie ever rule the day. I haven't been to any haunted attractions - I enjoy them, but I've chosen instead to put my budget toward things like the Chilliwack Corn Maze, the Vancouver Haunted Trolley tour, and of course the Stanley Park Ghost Train. (This year's theme was Classic Movie Monsters. Perfect.) Today I'll be going to Burnaby to check out the 'Haunted Village.'

The weather has been perfect for October, alternating between sunny and foggy. Although I haven't made it out to the cemetery besides as part of the trolley tour, I have taken several walks through crisp autumn leaves and also along the seawall in the dense fog. I feel badly for my sister sometimes - October is her busiest month, and consequently she's said it doesn't feel like Halloween is so close.

Some holidays are just that - days. Halloween (and I guess Christmas) is different. It's a month-long celebration of spooky shit, a fantastical meeting of death and sex. I feel fortunate that I have had time to enjoy the pumpkin spice lattes and ciders, to make paper decorations for the walls, and to simply enjoy the atmosphere peculiar to this time of year.

They keep stolen souls in that pumpkin.

Now. Links.

Jezebel's Annual Halloween Thread Party. - Although the website has been on a steady decline in terms of good content, I do check in occasionally. I was pleased to see that they're doing another scary story thread, along with links to past years' tales. 

 
One of my favourite podcasts is Last Podcast on the Left. (My sister and I frequently reference it, and have taken to screaming about bones in the chocolate.) My absolute favourite episodes of the show are the Creepypasta ones, which I will now list here.

Creepypasta!- The very first, highlighting some of the better known stories.

A Smattering of Creepy - Includes the pug parade, and a real life serial killer call,

The Hamburgering -The boys explain how to play the Midnight Game.

Then Who Was Phone?! - The very, very best. If you listen to only one of these? Listen to this one, specifically around the 25 minute mark.

Babybum - The latest instalment. Ben Kissel's bedroom, talking to God, and the eternal mystery of who was phone. We still don't know.