JUST BREATHE

JUST BREATHE                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

         One Dark Night,Christine shivered as she approached the cabin one of her bunkmates had nicknamed, Death Ship. "Get a grip!" she chided herself. "This is your first Sleepaway Camp and the campfire stories have you spooked. You're not actually Scared to Death. Just breathe."                              

         Christine deliberately slowed her breathing. Talking to herself always calmed her down. "Hah, this place isn't Cursed; there's no Boogeyman. How could I get caught up in Carrie's Ghost Story?"          

         She had been pretty convincing though with her ominous warning about Don't Go in the Woods. Whoo, whoo slow steady breaths......Yah, sure, the Dogs of Hell were unleashed into The Fog. The Howling Carrie attempted was kind of lame. I'm lame for believing her.                                                  

         With one last quick scan of the towering shadowed pines crowding in on her, Christine stepped through the gaping doorway. Even as her eyes struggled to make sense of the Pitch Black, her mind was registering a Warning Sign. She instantly recognized the sticky, whisper-fine filaments clinging to her cheek and upper arm. Reflexively, she brushed away the spider web. "Oh, come on! This is just perfect. What's with this Creepshow?"                                                                                                    

         Still assuming she was Alone in the Dark, an annoyed Christine stumbled to the bathroom and flicked on the light. Thoughts of Mother's Day preoccupied her as she smoothed her hair. Suddenly, the horrifying image in the illuminated mirror registered. It was the perfect time to have heard a startling "Boo!"                                                                                                                                  

         Christine choked down a Silent Scream. Definitely, the largest, hairiest, most scary spider she'd ever had the misfortune to meet up close, way too close and personal, loomed on her quaking left shoulder. Goaded by panic, she knocked the ugly thing, the Evil Spawn, away from her.                              

         It wasn't far enough. Because of the stubborn spider webbing, Christine morphed into a reluctant Puppet Master. "Just Close Your Eyes and get rid of it, now!" Like The Demented girl she'd become, Christine flailed frantically. She wanted nothing more than to rid herself of this unwelcome, menacing marionette.                                                                                                              

         Forcing her trembling eyes open and panting heavily, Christine finally saw that her efforts to free herself were successful. On the wooden floor lay a temporarily dazed spider. Without hesitation, Christine stomped and squished the spider Shocker. Now he was the Blob.                                        

         Shrugging her shaking shoulders, Christine straightened her dishevelled clothing and sighed with tremulous relief. "Whoa, I was a total Basket Case! No lasting Brain Damage for me, but I can't say the same about that spider." ( 28 horror movie titles ) ( 422 word count )