Halloween Stories

       I have noticed that there are two kinds of horror: First there is the fun horror, the horror you go to experience at haunted houses, the kind that develops a cult following. It is so much fun because you get the rush of adrenaline from the tension (the same reaction you would feel on a roller-coaster or other simulated danger), and then afterwards all the hilarity of remembering your reactions, mixed with a healthy dose of relief. However, there is another type of horror, what I think of when I hear the term, which leaves you unsettled and uneasy afterwards. It is not about zombies, or sharp objects, or being startled, but about the human soul.

       Horror is an involuntary reaction. It is not controlled by reason, but by the senses. Think about navigating a haunted house: there are sounds (the sounds of distressed human beings works the best), there is visual input (the sets, and also the darkness, which gets your imagination scrambling) and there is tactile input (things hanging from the ceiling that you have to push away, as well as the plain fact that you are physically present.) Your mind might know that there is no danger, but your body is being tricked into tension, a tension that explodes when someone jumps out at you in a plastic mask. Slasher movies use as many of these tricks as they can, as well: other distressed humans, worrisome sounds, visual cues, and sudden scares.

       However, since horror comes from the subconscious, people are horrified by different things. Personally, I find myself laughing at slasher movies simply because my response to fear is to get super analytical: to point out the terrible acting, the cheap special effects, the inaccurate wounds, or even just the fact that it's a movie. Want to set me on edge? Be subtle. Don't show me the monster, or, better yet, show me a monster I can worry about: human beings.

       Well, I am currently trying to scribble a little something of my own for Halloween, but I also have to prepare for Nanowrimo, a job interview, and life in general, so please enjoy a few dark stories, in honor of the season. These are all picture-stories ("comics" doesn't seem like the appropriate term) because, as I mentioned, all the best horror touches as many senses as it can, so visual is better than just words.

       First, I would like to recommend His Face all Red, a dark little story by Emily Carroll. I read this on Halloween in 2010, and the imagery really stuck with me.

        Did you like it? Here is another by Emily Carroll: The Prince and the Sea. It is similar, except it starts out nicer, and ends up worse.

       Okay, well, I understand that things like that aren't necessarily everyone's cup of tea, so here, have some straight Korean horror: 2011 Mystery Short. Unlike the other two, which get under my skin, this one makes my heart jump. Every time. Yes, I know it is in Korean. No, you don't have to be able to read it. Just keep scrolling.

       Mwahahaha!