I don't have a lot of experience with Halloween pranks, to be honest. Even though I always considered Halloween one of my favorite holidays, pranks were never really part of the celebration. Not that I didn't want to. I just had a mom who made sure I wasn't in a situation where I could get into trouble on nights that supported mischief. She knew me too well. So I don't have a lot of ammo for this topic but a couple of stories came to mind that fall into a similar category.
I wouldn't be surprised if most people have a very similar story as this one. Well, except for the fact that mine takes place in a crematory. Yes, for humans. That's part of what I did for a living for 15 years, but that's a long story. Anyway, working in the room that the machines were in was something you got used to over time as far as creepiness. But, that atmosphere combined with the noise of the mechanics can still make you wonder what you just saw out of the corner of your eye. One day, I had been in there fixing something on the back of one of the machines while the other was running. I was completely blocked from view when my coworker entered the room and started working with his back away from me and would only be able to see me if I peaked around the corner. Which, I did. And then I made some low, guttural noises that were just loud enough to get his attention. I can still remember experiencing his face go from curious to shocked to "I'm having a heart attack". That's when I had the realization that some people might not physically be able to handle a good scare. That's also when I found out that Bill had some acting talent. So, as it turns out, we both got scared that day. Who was scared the most is hard to say though.
The second story I can sum up a lot quicker. It's also a cautionary tale of what could happen should you choose to scare someone. I have found that when scaring someone who is trying to fall asleep, the reaction from the scaree is more survival in nature and shock. Therefore, appearing in front of your friend, while wearing a vampire mask, in the dark, when he's almost asleep, might get you punched. Multiple times. Just saying.
I'll have to think about if those stories mean I'm not very good at the scaring thing or if maybe I'm exceptional at it...
