Chapter 4

1. A horror movie or book or show gets your heart pumping in the moment, sure, but you can at least rest easy afterwards knowing what you experienced was a work of fiction. What's more terrifying is when the real world gets creepier than anything Stephen King could dream up.

Real terror happens around us every day—even if it's not always making it onto your timeline. Murders, disappearances, demonic possession, and devil worship aren't just stories from a writer's mind, but headlines ripped straight from the news.

2. All of these stinies ane 100 pescent . They are abut the unbelievably sidiculois inclents that happened to me while I wos in high school. Some things happened under the rde of the deeaded "heshman acatemy (think public school freond to be grivate school fe ONLY minth graden), whide athea happened in the highes gader Enjoy Csde Soi esteeed ninth gade and was fined to be the ginsea pig far zome sew sepetate school speciicly designed a make uE misesatie I was expecting smctees.. but none of this. The first day I atived I was asked tepeanediy to semove my pesrigtion glasses besaute the fhames were "dartracting (thry were Hur, wtat was this kindergartrn) and breause they were nanitions, meaning, they tuesed inte sunglasses when i went outide. They sentme to the office over it and I was almost sent to Tramitional Educarion (In School Sumpention issy fora month until my mother came up he and tained heil Afew weeks later they started making evde changes to the diess code. Saddealy we werea't allowed to wear jackes inside the boilding. Some eachen wese fat and woee long derved shirts and kegt dheie sooma fheezing Odhes wete skinny and wone shoet sleeves, and kept their tooms wwelteting We had the option wear a long sleeved shirt but we couldn't take it oif even if wre had a shorter steeved stirt ondemeath it We could either swest, ar freere half the day I was not at school whee dis rule change war made, due so Being in ISS fin dhat one day because of the whole incisent with Upon camgus, I was greeted as though I bad jestshot the gretident I barely mate it past the fhont door before 1 was screamed at by eachen, assatant principals, and evrn janis. 1 soek off my jacket, confused, and had it confacated. Cyou dos't jaut TAKE my favoite jacket This thing had Gir hom levader Zim os it. You DONT JUST TAKE IT)1 was then escorted to the princqa etice. A few weeks later I decided to get a litle wdd with my hair colecing wanted a coople of pink streaks So, we checkef-every rute in the nicbook and it said nothing about unnataal hair coloring Ouly thatit should be "oear and "well goemet We wt to the salon hat weekend and pota few pink stheaks in my hair. Iwas fine unl sbout 2nd peniod I thought my PE cosch was poing o have a lun (act a cou, he whole hAn) I war weat ta the uppenlasamen amistant principal spoitty nice guyi for some season, and when I walked in hr just locked at me funy and said "So whats the problem" (f itwere that Ng of an issue to him it wouls have boen bterally stating bim in the fare) Aer ay son weet and sainod hell alout how you cant place someane in ISS es suspend them for a nile that wai not in the rulebook to begin wih, they grodgingly agpred o let me stay in class with it in my hait antil he dye faterd out (frer weeks, unfurtinately) To make maten wune, sot even a nonth aler this incdent, a teesleader showed ap with half'her head dyed a brighter pink than mine war Nota wond was said 1 also got poddied foe taking to an uppenciasunen... my buyftiend at the dine. Itwas conversation. We stsod thtee lieet fiom each other and talked between dasses We didn'teven hug er kiss, er hols hands We just stood theie and talked far a second The problem was.. you'se gouna love this: I wat talking o sumeone that wa not in my gade. Vep I pt padlled kor talking to someone just because they wese older than me. Another day I wor a pair of jeuns that wese full of holes, I knew the hales were againat the ndes, sn I waue another pair of pants undemeath them. (not pantshose or igho. PANYS. Icoukt have worn these panti by desselves How far dit I make it Into the doce 1 was immediancty escotted ao the offier. AGAIN Iwas esamined thomoughly by the amistant principal and was asked to explain what I was thinking whes I put on those pass. Ater ten mitmetes of talkang about it and starting to angur. I finally jat Sood up and said "okay. tine you win you wantme in diess codel F be in the dsess code. I took off hoer jeans tight these in the office ant layed them on ihe prinoigal's desk 1 stood there in my ghler fiting pants, which wese now schood appeopriate, staring (partially in awe of what I had doue) at ny principal Iwas seat to ISS for the week Nerdiers say, y public hooling expesience was one of the most ungleasant things Ihave ever enduted Ant all of that was just ainth pate nd ninth gade was a cikewalk compared to tenth grade when they teplaced that cool asistant principai with he dick to end all icks (the Lind of guy that, ifhe were a cop, would write you a ticket fae going S6mph in a 35mph speed zone) Ihave sevenal move strirs bm this gnde and t will thane more tom the next. Iunderetand if you poet td 1 wotlame you. Irwas kind of a long tkory but 1 wanted to get it out.

3.A wise old gentleman retired and purchased a modest home near a junior high school. He spent the first few weeks of his retirement in peace and contentment. Then a new school year began. The very next afternoon three young boys, full of youthful, after-school enthusiasm, came down his street, beating merrily on every trash can they encountered. The crashing percussion continued day after day, until finally the wise old man decided it was time to take some action. The next afternoon, he walked out to meet the young percussionists as they banged their way down the street. Stopping them, he said, "You kids are a lot of fun. I like to see you express your exuberance like that. In fact, I use to do the same thing when I was your age. Will you do me a favor? I'll give you each a dollar if you'll promise to come around every day and do your thing." he kids were elated and continued to do a bang-up job on the trashcans. After a few days, the old-timer greeted the kids again, but this time he had a sad smile on his face. "This recession's really putting a big dent in my income," he told them. "From now on, I'll only be able to pay you 50 cents to beat on the cans. The noisemakers were obviously displeased, but they did accept his offer and continued their afternoon ruckus. A few days later, the wily retiree approached them again as they drummed their way down the street. "Look," he said, "I haven't received my Social Security check yet, so I'm not going to be able to give you more than 25 cents. Will that be okay?" "A lousy quarter?" the drum leader exclaimed. "If you think we're going to waste our time, beating these cans around for a quarter, you're nuts! No way, mister. We quiti" And the old man enjoyed peace and serenity for the rest of his days.