G*Nice: The fear of the unknown

The beauty of being the Prince of Pointless is that inspiration for stuff to talk about can come from just about anywhere. I have become aware that the combination of dodgy work, canteen food and good friends can be the catalyst for so many conversations that in normal circumstances I wouldn't bear repeating but with this magic forum I have, they are pure gold!

So as we were chewing the fat one lunch time, the fat being both the tough chicken and various inane subjects, the question of scary movies came up once again. One of the boys made a bold statement that he finds the idea of being in a place and knowing that he is totally alone as the biggest freak out! I thought about this for a moment then posed this question to the group:

Imagine you are in the typical horror movie creepy, underground car park as big as a football field, with dripping water and fluorescent lights sparking on and off, where your every footstep echoes around like a panicked heartbeat…What's worse:

Think about those options for a second. For me it's a no-brainer. The way I figure it, knowing that I am totally alone is easy. I can deal with that with no worries.

Option two at least alerts me to a potential danger of a maniac with a big hook so I would be on the lookout for any movement and be prepared to unleash some crazy Ultimate Fighting Championship-type moves on anyone who came towards me. The only thing to remember is to check the backseat of my car before pulling away. I don't wanna be adjusting my rear-view mirror assuming that I am in the clear and then see a zombie staring back at me…basic mistake!

But option three, where you are told there might be someone there, means I have my imagination to deal with on top of the chance of a psycho out there! I can actually picture this scenario and feel my anxiety rising just thinking about it. The element of not being sure means that every part of the experience comes alive to tickle my senses into overdrive. I just know that the introduction of the unknown takes away some of my control over the whole situation. Every shadow might be a potential danger, I would concentrate on every sound and convince myself that I couldn't be sure if the footsteps I could hear were just mine or maybe mixed with somebody else's. Raises the question that my over-active mind could be the death of me through heart attack way before the ghoulie ever got to me!

Scaredy-Cat-ingly Yours
G*Nice