 Horror/Scary: July 06, 2005 Issue [#458] |
 
Horror/Scary
This week: Edited by: schipperke
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This week's horror/scary newsletter brought to you by schipperke. I had a strange dream last night....
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I get up, pad into the bathroom and look at my teeth. They look okay, but one of them really hurts. I poke it with my tongue, and the tooth wobbles. A second painful poke, and the tooth falls into the sink and rolls down the drain. Horrified, I peer at my bloody mouth. My teeth are covered in thick blackish blood and I can see the stump the lost one left. I reach up to place a stray strand of hair behind my ear and it pulls out of my head and into my hand. I scream, and find myself sitting upright in my own bed.
I wake up. Nervously I shuffle into the bathroom for real this time, and look carefully at my mouth and hair. Nothing missing, nothing bloody. Just another nightmare.
Nightmares are vivid and terrifying nocturnal episodes in which the dreamer is abruptly awakened from sleep. Nightmares are very common, happening at least 18% of people, the majority being women. Five to eight percent of the population has a recurring problem with nightmares leading to sleep disorders. Children have it even worse. They have nightmares at a rate of 20 to 39% of the general population. Most nightmares are not from a psychological problem, but part of natural life, although people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, or people who take certain medications or drugs, such as antidepressants, beta blockers, alcohol or barbiturates, may suffer from nightmares at a greater rate.
The ancients believed nightmares were evil spirits sitting on your chest to suffocate the life from you. The painting, “The Nightmare” by Fusili, that is at the top of this column, represents a fair maiden in distress, with an evil imp sitting on her chest and a wild horse looking in. Many famous stories are based on nightmares. Mary Shelly wrote Frankenstein because of a nightmare, as did Poe, for much of his work.
How can you use your nightmares for creative purposes? First, I have to say if you or your children have recurring nightmares that are interfering with your life, you should see a medical professional. When doing research for this newsletter I was surprised to find that people who suffer from debilitating nightmares have been successfully treated with behavior modification and/or with medication and relaxation techniques. That aside, for most of us, nightmares are an occasional fright that can be used as fodder for your next horror/scary writing.
Take a notebook, a small one, and a fat pen, and place it by your bedside. Next time you have a nightmare (or a great dream you don’t want to forget) and you wake up with your heart pounding in your chest, put on your light, take the pen and write down everything you remember. Then try to go back to sleep. Get yourself in the habit of waking and writing after a dream. The next day, if you can decipher what you wrote, you will have great inspirations for your next horrorific tale!
Unpleasant dreams!
Unfortunately, I didn't have enough stories about mirrors to award a awardicon. However, I would like to share the submissions, plus some other items dealing with nightmares. Enjoy!
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Reader Feedback
Ms Kimmie  says:
I just read Summer Schip 's nl. Interesting--the mirror concept. I like it. Mind you, it reminded me of a sort of . . . mean joke I once played on a friend. Our usual little group of girls were sitting around in someone's basement, talking about boys, school and horrid parents (in that order) and just hanging out. I saw a mirror, then went over to it and screamed. I ran back to the sofa, cowering, pointing at the mirror, covered my eyes and said, "What do you see? What do you SEE?" One of the girls went to the mirror and said, "Nothing, just me." I let out a sigh of relief and said, "Whew! I was afraid it was me!" I apologized profusely, and she eventually forgave me--but yep--mirrors can be entertaining! Good story fodder.
Kim, thanks for the kind comments. I find looking at myself in the mirror a bit of a fright. That's why I do it before I put my glasses on! 
billwilcox says:
Hey, Schip, nicely done. People don't realize the work it takes to put one of these newsletters together. This week you hit upon a pet peeve of mine--MIRRORS. I have a phobia with mirrors,--don't know what you would call it, but they make me uneasy. Even when I shave, I guide my hand by feel alone and try not to stare too deeply at my reflection. I can't really explain it. Of course I'm not real fond of having my picture taken either...lol. It must be because of the missed stubble on my chin ,
W.D.
As you know, the NL are a labor of love! Ever been in a fun house? Now that is a scary place!
Tell me about a nightmare you have...better yet, send it in a bitem form, and I will highlight your work in my next newsletter.
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