Jasimo’s Blog

Halloween is just around the corner, and maybe you might be afraid to go out in the dark.

Would you feel like having a sense of personal safety being all by yourself and alone, outside and under the stars? Being out in a wide open environment comes with a very tall order of unexpected events and unforeseen circumstances.

I’m an extremely vigilant person. I can’t remember the last time I walked the neighborhood streets at night. Just to energize and take in some fresh air before retiring my way to bed. Sometimes the full moon would make nights a little bit brighter, but it’s still night.

Nowadays, it seems like my sense of safety and security is at all-time lows. You’re in an unfamiliar territory where unexpected twists and turns can happen in a split second. In the crosshairs of danger coming out from the shadows and heading straight towards you in 360 degree circular motions ready to hit you head-on. If this sounds like some sort of creepypasta, then it’s likely it is.

Imagine if a vicious dog (and I’ll name him ‘Cujo’j comes running towards you and chews your leg clean off while out there just taking a leisurely stroll. At night, you’re at your most vulnerable because hardly anyone will see you despite the prescence of street lights in activation. In my neighborhood of 40 aging homes, dog activity has been on the rise as pets come running towards unsuspecting walkers any time of day, me included.

Some nights, I would feel like the police will stop me and conduct a random ‘search and frisk’. Crimes often happen at night, and there’s no way of knowing if you’re the criminal suspect. You end up being a shadow who’s being caught red-handed. I wouldn’t be sure to handle a police interaction myself, and I would definitely be on my own without full support. Scary, indeed, but I commend them for doing their jobs properly.

The nighttime environment is where the city never sleeps. There are places in America where you can find weirdos who act like zombies running around acting strangely. Drivers who are just as bad as zombies get distracted and careless behind the wheel. Not to mention blaring their sound systems to disturb the peace.

Then again, I could get mugged by sneaky rascals in range from being a lousy homegrown crook to a vicious gang member looking for a cash grab — or retribution, for worse. That’s a well-coordinated criminal act right there. And that so happens when you’re out in the dark minding your own business face front.

Darkness happens in broad daylight, too. I could be walking in a trash-infested alley at one o’clock in the afternoon. The narrow space between two buildings you’re in feels limited and full of endless hiding spots for some goon to jump out and take advantage of you. Subway systems in large cities are like this, too, considering how many movies you’ve seen that took place in a subway system like The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three.

We see signs of darkness within our castles and indoor confinements. It would be fascinating to walk into an abandoned shopping mall built in the 1970s in constant decay and deterioration just to film what’s inside and share these sensational images on social media. It’s like stepping into a haunted house — crumbling concrete, water leaks, and full of mold. And again, the hoodlums are lurking around, waiting for their next big “target” which could be you. Even with all that extra space, I would never take the risk of doing the Dead Mall Challenge by visiting such a torrid place. The hazards are just too great.

Yet every day of the week, darkness keeps on returning. Some nights I have to take out the trash because I just plain forget. Imagine getting vampirized by a horde of bats and suffering from a rabies infection for the remainder of my life. Or dead, even.

The dark is where people want to go out and party all night long. Endless noises creep from a distance. I have no desire of participating in crowds of this nature whatsoever. Probably won’t get enough sleep when the party’s over at the break of dawn.

My high astigmatism due to a corneal condition makes all sorts of lighting distorted. It’s also why I’m not comfortable riding in a car at night. These tiny little lights erratically turn into streaks of lightning and ghastly ghost images in odd looking forms. 

But what if darkness was our best friend? There would be no special events without the effect. What would Halloween feel like then?

As a kid, Halloween was a special kind of ritual by being Spider Man and loading up on Milk Duds and Smarties. That’s the spirit about living out a spooked up holiday where monsters and cosplay culture intertwine. A night out like this may have been “horrific” but only because it’s an annual tradition about the joys of giving and having fun, as long as my mom accompanied me being the source of security I needed. For a little 5-year old child like myself, well, things actually were harey scarey.

Many decades ago, movie nights at the drive-in theater were commonplace. The horror triple feature… that would be awesome! I’d be happy to go, but almost all of them are extinct now. If I walked into an abandoned drive-in sitting on blighted property, it would be real life 360-degree zombie cemetery. Same goes for abandoned big box department stores, too.

The Fourth Of July would never be the same without darkness. Flashes of fireworks light up the night sky to honor our country. I could watch the festivities on TV and be okay.

So not all darkness is doom and gloom. It provides the aesthetic beauty out in metropolises where lights from skylines and skyscrapers dot the nighttime landscape as viewed from miles away. 

But I can control the darkness while staying my butt indoors because it’s ideal in most cases. It’s essential for bedtime. I use it to watch movies because it’s the perfect effect similar to being in a movie theater. Not for being outside, however. You never know if you slip and trip over a pothole.

Outside is where the world is blind. You can’t see what fate has in store. It just needs a little more light.

If this post sounds almost like a Halloween spook story with friends gathering around the campfire, then it’s likely you’re right.

Always remember to watch your back and stay safe!