It’s Tuesday. I have a story to tell today. The girlfriend and I went out for dinner last Friday night. Afterward, she wanted to drive around the neighborhood to look at some residential Halloween displays. We do this every year because we really enjoy seeing what other people come up with, the more creative the better. After driving around for about an hour, we decided to start working our way back home. Since we were close to the neighborhood that I grew up in, she suggested taking a drive down a couple of the streets that I used to Trick or Treat on as a kid. There were a good number of homes that were decorated but nothing that really stood out… until I saw some spooky lights further up the block.

I pulled up in front of a house that had four different scenes.

The first scene was a public hanging which featured a guy suspended by a hangman’s noose. We could hear something outside. Since my girlfriend was in the passenger seat and closest to the display, she rolled down her window. Just then the body started struggling and you could hear him trying to breathe. The movements were obviously mechanical and the sound was coming from a decent audio system. This was way more involved than the average person decorates for Halloween. I was impressed.

I rolled the car slightly forward to check out the second scene. This one featured a poor fella who was strapped to electrical wires. Just then he came to life thrashing violently to the sound of electricity coursing through his body. A lot of detail went into the effect. Again, I was impressed.

I moved the car ahead a few feet and we were now in front of a large smoking cauldron. The upper torso of a man was mechanically being lowered in & out of the bubbling brew to horrifying screams of pain and anguish. Someone put in a considerable effort to make the effects as realistic as possible. Again, I was impressed.

I pulled up to the fourth and final scene. This was a medical setting. There was an operating table that had a body wrapped in blood-stained sheets with a large figure positioned behind the table wearing medical scrubs splattered with blood. Suddenly the body on the table sat up and went back down. Again, I could here the mechanicals making the body sit up and down. It was right about now when I noticed the chainsaw at the foot of the table. Suddenly, the sound of a chainsaw filled the air—and loudly! Just then the figure standing behind the operating table grabs the chainsaw and comes at us. There was no mechanical sound this time, this dude was real!

Now, I should also mention that my girlfriend is a complete wuss when it comes to all things scary. She likes Halloween but can’t watch any scary movies, especially those with stalker-murdering types because they upset her so much that she can’t sleep at night. So here we are, at a creepy Halloween display with a large man coming at us with a chainsaw and… she completely loses her shit! I’m talking full-on epileptic seizure style movements with her arms and feet flailing like her seat was on fire! She managed to scream out the words, “GO! GO! GO!” followed by “WHY AREN’T YOU GOING?!”

To her dismay I wasn’t driving away. I was actually enjoying the scene that was unfolding. I was genuinely in awe that they managed to surprise me. I was honestly amazed that they got me—I had no idea that we were being slowly drawn in and set-up for the scare, and I loved it!

I did drive away. Albeit nowhere near fast enough for her. As you might expect, she was quite mad for the rest of the ride home. In part because I was still laughing occasionally but mostly because I nearly got her dismembered because I didn’t drive away quickly enough. With a grin still on my face, I ended our discussion with one simple statement:

Now that’s why I love Halloween.  

-keep