Have you ever noticed that the Indian 'horror story' never quite seems as scary as the non-Indian ones? I mean I am no great reader so I admit I am ignorant about any great horror story set in India and written by an Indian, but just look at the movies! I mean each one looks the same as the next and are not as nearly scary as Paranormal Activity or Jeepers Creepers (my personal horror pinnacle, dont ask me why, just is!) Sitting in the hot,humid and always bustling India I failed to understand why it was so...now i know...
Don't get me wrong, i don't mean to be a snob. It is just that these are the factors that take away the chill factor in a scary read or movie. I mean even the unearthly creatures would fear being trampled by the magnitude of people and instead of chill down your spine all you are likely to feel is the trickle of sweat. That does nothing to create the sense of horror...at least not the fictional kind!
But now, as I sit here with overcast, foreboding skies, and howling winds that rattle through the house even through tightly shut doors and windows-an unanticipated chill slides down the spine which has nothing to do with the single figure temperature! When you are alone with no sound of cars outside your window, or people screaming around you about daily mundane things, or even your neighbours fighting about dripping laundry, it is easy to imagine things. The rhythmic thump of the door can sound like footsteps, the rattling hinges can sound like someone trying to get in and the howls of wind seem to hide the bloodcurdling cries of a tortured soul...
There is a reason greats like the Frankenstein and the Dracula were originated in the UK. Where else will you find storms that empty the streets and darkness that creeps into your skin. The wet chill will always grip at your heart and make it thump away in an anticipation for the uncanny.....
