Tuesday, October 24, 2006

"Where's the Trap Doors??!"

Alright, I've fought the urge to blog these past few weeks but I have to say...It is so therapeutic to me. I've considered going to straight journals and while that is nice and I have a few from before I submitted to what is "blogging", it's just too hard. I suck at it, it hurts my hand and it's more fun when everybody can read what you write! I mean, that's pathetic but true! Feedback is inspiring!

I'm such a loser.

But, I thought in honor of the holiday that is close approaching and the fact that my recent level of friendship with Steph has risen to new heights (only she and about four others will appreciate that), that I would write about a memory that I have with her.

It is my goal, for the record, to get my three other friends to develop a blog together and amongst regular stuff, re-write a bit of our history from different perspectives. San is always telling that I need to write a book about our crew and I know I should. Maybe this would get my creative juices flowin'! Right?

OK. I'm desperately trying to think of what year it was and I'm suspicious that it was 1993 but it could have been our senior year. I don't know for sure. SHE WILL KNOW..trust me. Steph's like an elephant when it comes to remembering.

I was hanging out with a long time friend of mine, Jeremy Lazzell, and we decided to invite Steph to join us for the night. Jeremy was HIGHLY enjoyable to do stuff with. VERY FUNNY...I can't really say anymore than that. You guys know.

So, I can't really remember what all we did at first, but the idea came to us to go to Tilton and hit a haunted house. I love Halloween and haunted houses and I thought this would be a total blast with the both of them.

Now, Just for the record, Steph and I had only been best friends at this point for a year or two. I knew her but I didn't really "KNOW" her. Not everything, like I do now! And, at the time, I didn't quite realize or accept that she was intensely terrified by all things Halloween and life-time trained to believe that holiday was to be rejected. (I'm not judging that belief...I just wasn't aware of it!)

She began to break this fact to us in our excitement that she wasn't really fond of haunted houses. That they scared her and she didn't really want to go. Now, Jer and I were chalking this up to just about everyone and how they feel about haunted houses. They can be scary. That's really their point. If a house wasn't haunted it would just be some building where you found dirty dishes. There must be some semblance of a ghost.

She then went on to explain that she didn't like that she felt trapped in them. She couldn't get out if she wanted to and yadda, yadda, yadda. Bottom Line is, we wanted to go...We wanted her to go...We were willing to lie to make it happen.

So, we told her that this particular haunted house had "trap doors". I laugh about it as I write it because it would seem that anyone could see the holes in that story. If there were trap doors aren't we back to just a regular ole' house again? We convinced her that if she needed to get out, there would be designated places for that to happen.

In our defense, we really thought that she would get into the house and enjoy herself. Sure, she might be afraid but the kind of afraid that makes you giggle and squeal in delight. Not the kind of afraid that makes you run in terror and desperation.

We waited in the line as Steph was outwardly fretting and tolerating my flirting when finally it was our time to head into the freak show that is Tilton's Haunted House. I will say at this point, that it was a bad haunted house. "Bad" in the sense that about 50 disgusting firemen and their friends got together with chainsaws and took the chance to cop a feel at whatever came through the door. *Shivers*

Regardless, I grabbed onto Jeremy who was the first through and began to run through the maze of rooms towards whatever Creepy Von Creeperson that would jump out next.

Sadly, I was not overly aware at what was going on with Steph behind me.

This means I was a selfish friend and I'm pretty sure I idled at selfishness when I was that age (and maybe older or maybe still!) and I figured that Steph would just expect that of me.

To my shock and horror (strangely NOT because of the haunted house), I looked back at my friend who had grabbed a "Freddy" character by the shoulders and was screaming, "Where's the trap doors? WHERE'S THE TRAP DOORS?"

He then transitioned into his regular John Smith type voice and said, "What?".

I couldn't believe it. She actually believed us. She was crying.

It was horrible and as soon as we exited through the final room and outside, she took off like a flash for the car, unwilling to say one word to either of us.

We had no idea.

I begged her to forgive me as she explained that she wasn't afraid like everyone else and in time she stopped hyperventilating.

I'm so glad she has decided to stay my friend despite that night and many hard times to follow. It's real loyalty when you stick by people that have hurt you and love them despite their faults.

(...and she's gotten me back a little through the years! Maybe one day she'll get honest about Senior Trip and the ditching!)

Happy Halloween, Steph! Thanks for not running through any trap doors out of our friendship.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Alrighty...now comes the "fact checker" that every good author needs... It was our senior year in the fall 1991. The plan was to "just hang" and then you and Jeremy got the brilliant idea to go to the stinky haunted house. My hang up was PEOPLE TOUCHING ME - and I was sworn to that they weren't allowed to do that! I was told there were exit doors to allow one to leave if one becomes too afraid... you would think I would learn to stop being so stinkin' trusting!. For the record, you guys paid for my ticket cause I said I wasn't paying to be afraid!:) Then, for the record - EVERYONE knew where I was cause Jeremy pointed my out to every scary monster in each room saying "Don't get THAT girl, she is really scared" Which of course meant, they ALWAYS came at me. (Oh, and much as I hate to say this part - I didn't grab anyone physically but I did yell at the men who were inbetween rooms and ask them where the doors were!!! Nor did I cry in the building) After I went through the hallway of hands...BEING GRABBED THE WHOLE WAY...these kind men let me out! Not making me go back through...you and Jeremy followed me and when we got to the parking lot THEN you saw me bawling and said "I am so sorry, I didn't know you would really be scared" And you both made it up to me by buying me Taco Bell and we went to Jeremy's and chilled. You didn't lie to me again until you told me that SCREAM was a comedy and I could handle it because everyone in the theater was laughing...but that is another story.

Charity said...

Ok, first...I just Fedexed one of my anti-anixiety pills to your house. Simmer down, girlie!

Are you sure that you didn't grab that guy? I have this memory in my head of you touching some guy at the house? ARE YOU SURE?

Are you also sure you weren't crying in the house? I'm pretty sure you were REALLY close if you weren't because you were really upset!

I forgot Jeremy did that but that makes me laugh even harder. I miss that guy! Pure evil-he was!

I forgot that about Scream also! (Doubled over in laughter now!)

We should totally blog together! It would be like one of those crazy movies where you never know which perspective is quite true.

Whew...that hurt.

Charity said...

Senior year rocked!

Oh for a time machine!

Charity said...

Oh Steph...I totally can't blog about this for obvious reason...but I heard this song the other night on a phone commercial and I remembered that time at Maranatha (when you were a student and I was visiting) that you were "on the phone" but you shouldn't have been *clears throat in and obvious way* AND I started to sing a song to you. I laughed so hard when I remembered that. I'm curious if you'll remember!

Charity said...

10 minutes later, I'm still laughing..Oh Man, you are good medicine.

Um..while Steph has painted me so ugly on top of my own admission to the fact....would ANY of my other friends like to gander a bet that I would have ultimately paid for the house and Taco Bell even if she hadn't been afraid or mad???

Hmmm...

(love you, Steph!)

Matt Harmless said...

I just like that "fresh HOT tortillas" sign above your heads.

Sandy said...

Oh, before I read Steph's comment, I knew it was Fall on 91! And I was't even there. That was the year that we did those silly haunted houses. This is a very funny entry. I am a bit scared of how embarrassing these posts could get!

Anonymous said...

Wow, I go away for a few hours and I come back to all kinds of conversation! First of all, SEND me that pill...then I can save mine for later! Second, what you may be remembering is me slapping one of those hands that came out of the wall VERY hard. I was near tears IN the place but burst into them outside the place. I also went to another one that year and for some strange reason, I remember having my head buried in John Ingold's big ole' flag leather coat! HA I was actually clutching John Ingold...seems like Manda was too. And if my memory serves me, it seems she ended up wearing the jacket that night...
Yes I remember S.L. and you on Kim's bed singing it to me!:) Goober... I think our mutual blog should be called "Her Point of View" Then we all write in what we remember...we'll keep each other amused for a long time with that one! Great now that stupid SL song is in my head...thanks!

Charity said...

ALright..let's decide right now...We can just change my blog into a group one if you guys want to...BUT, I need you all to find a picture that you actually like of yourselves and e-mail it to me!

And not a skinny one, San! We'll all be too jealous!

Oh, I am so compiling a list of things that I want to hear you guys write about! Yee-Haw! Wait..will Manda do this or not?

It doesn't have to be just stories..we can use it for our won stuff, also? It's up to you guys.

Charity said...

own

Sandy said...

Man Char, you corrected yourself before I could do it! I remember going to a haunted house with John, but I think I it was a different one. I was about to be irritated about my buds hanging onto my man, but then I remembered that I wasn't dating John in the Fall of 91. Lucky for you guys. Ok, girls, what is "SL"?

Anonymous said...

Is the fall of 91 when you dated Matt Davis? If so, I've got a BUNCH of funnies about that time period too! HA!