 Horror/Scary: September 19, 2018 Issue [#9129] |
This week: Creatures of the night Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon  
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Quotes for the week:
"Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night."
~William Blake
"Children of the night, shut up!"
~George Hamilton as Dracula in "Love at First Bite" |
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Many of our deepest fears are associated with darkness and nighttime. When it is dark, we don't know what might be hiding out there waiting for us. For that reason, many horror stories are set at night. In these stories, creatures of the night may be the main antagonists or they just might add to the frightening atmosphere.
Some iconic horror creatures such as vampires, are creatures of the night. A vampire stalks his victims when most of us are asleep. Werewolves transform into beasts under the full moon. Even humans who are awake are more vulnerable in darkness. While other horror creatures, such as zombies, are able to be out during the day, they seem more frightening at night.
Real life night creatures have special physical adaptations that allow them to function well in darkness.
Animals such as cats and owls have enhanced eyesight that allows them to see well in low light. Bats are able to navigate in the dark by using sonar or echolocation.
Other senses besides sight are also essential to animals that roam by night. If you can't see an enemy coming, you might be able to hear or smell them.
Creatures that hunt at night must also be able to move quietly. Cats are able to retract their claws, so that their footfalls do not make any noise. The slinking motion in which they stalk their prey also allows them to move without much noise. Owls are able to fly almost silently due to specially adapted wing feathers.
Dark coloring also helps certain animals to hide in darkness. Crows are not night birds, but their dark color helps them to blend in to the shadows and hide in the foliage of trees.
While our human bodies are not specially adapted for living in the night, we have created technology that can help. Night vision glasses can improve low light and infrared motion detectors can warn of approaching enemies or predators.
A character adapted for living at night can also be a hero or protagonist. Dean Koontz's "Sieze the Night" series is about Christopher Snow, a young man who has a rare genetic disorder called Xeroderma pigmentosum. People with this condition cannot be exposed to sunlight, because it causes severe, irreversible damage to their skin. Christopher has learned to live with his condition by sleeping during the day and being active only at night. His adventures begin when he witnesses suspicious activity carried out under cover of darkness that nobody else was around to see.
If you do use a traditional night creature in your stories, or create an original one of your own, it will help to do research on adaptations of species that are active at night. That way, your character or monster will be more believable.
Something to try: Write a story with a protagonist that is active only by night. |
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