From the crazy mixed-up basement of Val Thevictorian, I bring you this vignette, a day late and a blog premier short. (I left it in a comment yesterday at blog buddy Donna's site.)
I have shared most of my spooky stories already, and I'm really in no hurry to have new ones to tell. However...Friday night, as I was going through the DVR shows after watching The Amazing Race, I saw The Exorcist that I had recorded for The Pony last Saturday. He read the book, you know, so he wanted to watch the movie. I have read the book, but refuse to watch the movie. I didn't see it when it originally came out in theaters, and I didn't watch a DVD, and I won't watch the DVR.
So I said to The Pony, sitting there on the couch in our basement, "Do you ever plan to watch this again? Good. Because I'm deleting it. I don't want it on our DVR." Just as I hit DELETE, there was a noise of something falling in the corner past where The Pony lay with his head on the armrest. I sounded like an old plastic audio cassette case falling off the mantel of the fake electric corner fireplace. I accused The Pony of knocking something off, or hitting something to make that noise. He vehemently denied it, though he heard the same thing. Then I heard a knocking sound, like 4 knocks, and accused him again. He didn't hear it, but still denied.
Then that little rat The Pony went upstairs to shower and go to bed! Leaving me all alone with my thoughts.
Saturday afternoon, Halloween, The Pony finished his chore of splitting wood with Hick, and said he was going to be in his room watching a movie. I asked if he wanted me to recommend one. Like the original Halloween. I have the 35th anniversary edition DVD, you know. But The Pony was not interested.
"I really don't feel like watching a scary movie in my room."
Uh huh. And THAT was during daylight hours.
You really need to get out of the basement. My daughter had an experience. She was watering plants in the study and saw a something float by, thought it was a moth. Looked on the floor and found an old valentine from 1918 signed from Mildred to Ameila. She said, "Look, I have enough problem people in my life, so Happy Halloween and go on somewhere else, please." Maybe you just have to talk to them, Val.
ReplyDeleteOoh! I've never found anything like that. But I HAVE talked to them. I'm kind of a joker, you know. And when we were first having the basement issue, after Hick moved a chest of drawers down there from Genius's room, I talked. There was one light bulb that would "burn out." Then a few days later come back on. And then go out. So one night, as I started to put my foot on the first step to go upstairs, I looked at that light bulb, and said, "Don't you EVEN think about it!" AND IT WENT OUT RIGHT THEN.
DeleteSo much for talking. Maybe it was just playing around. I didn't talk to the headless man, though. I was too shocked. He must have really wanted to make himself known. I read that it takes a lot of energy to manifest like that. I don't know what he was drawing the energy from. He WAS in front of the satellite receiver and DVD player, right beside the big screen TV.
I'm not so keen on going upstairs to Genius's room and talking to whatever turns over in his bed, or dances around like it's a disco.
From the mixed-up basement? Were you a Konigsberg fan when you were a kid?
ReplyDeleteI was not. I never heard of Konigsberg, so I asked my BFF Google, and now I wish I hadn't.
DeleteWhoops. I don't know who or what THAT Konigsberg is, but the author of "The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E, Frankweiler" is Konigsburg. It's a book about a brother and sister who end up living in a museum for a while... I read it in the sixties.
DeleteWell, Madam, I am relieved to hear that you did not actually insinuate that I was childhood fan of a deranged murderer. I was definitely not that kid from "Problem Child," writing fan letters to the Bow Tie Killer.
DeleteThe Exorcist was one scary movie, but it was also brilliantly filmed and directed and definitely worth watching---during the day with all the lights on.
ReplyDeleteNo thank you. I will let others admire the craftsmanship that went into such a production. Just as you let others appreciate the delicate blend of flavors in cream soda.
DeleteOur town house is the creepiest place I've ever lived. Surrounded by neighbors on all sides, it always sounds like someone is walking around downstairs, or on the roof.
ReplyDeletePour yourself a dirty-water cocktail and sit down. I've got news for you. That's NOT the neighbors.
Delete