On how I started watching horror movies

I had never been much of a fan of horror stories. I remember not being able to sleep for a week after my cousins made me watch a Japanese horror film on a hallows eve. I never went to see any movie of the genre or read any book, heck, an adaptation of a book series that aired on tv when I was a child scared me to death with its intro in which a dog with glowing eyes scarily looked into the camera.It came as a surprise when I suddenly felt the urge to actually watch something of the genre, though I have to admit that, in retrospect, it could have been foreseen due to my love of the thriller, especially the psychological one. You see, I had an unrequited love with psychology: loved to study it, could never imagine myself working for it. But I digress.

I slowly crawled into the world of horror movies, foreseeing jumpscares, imagining how the plot would evolve, liking or disliking the villains of monsters. The usual.

I don't know and will never know whether my recent moving might have to do with what happened, but I wager it is most likely. I had no friends, no family there and my colleagues were distant to put it nicely. I was the perfect target...

I was not the first victim though, weeks before it happened there had been strange occurrences in the neighborhood, though they had scarcely been covered by the news, not like I really read them, though. Breaking in, robbing, mild aggressions and attacks. Never anything really serious like a murder, but it was disturbing nevertheless considering how quiet and peaceful this part of town used to be.

Nobody noticed the pattern involved in the crimes. Not even after what happened to me.

It happened on a regular Saturday night, I had made dinner, watched a movie and was getting ready to go to bed since I had to get up early on the next day.

A light tap on the window...

I swiftly turned my head, my eyes darting from side to side looking for the source of the tapping. I slid the curtains to the side and took a look at the balcony, but it was empty. I could have sworn it sounded like tapping on glass. I figured I was tired and starting to imagine things, not too strange considering the movie I had just seen and went to bed.

A slight tapping on the window followed by a tapping on the door.

This time I shook off the uncertainty of my judgment and quickly checked the balcony, which was obviously empty, and then proceeded to check the entrance. I lacked the courage to open the door and face whatever might be hiding behind it, so I just pressed my ear against it and tried perceiving what was happening on the other side.

Nothing.

A tap on the window, another and another.

And then I heard it: a whisper from behind the door accompanied by slow arrhythmical breathing.

I jolted from the door and made sure it was locked.

Unsure on where to go, I made the fatal mistake of locking myself in the bathroom.

In the dark, I could do nothing but listen to the slight tapping on the bathroom door. How they had broken in was a riddle to me, but there were more important matters at hand concerning my integrity.

The tapping stopped only to be replaced by scratching of the door and forcing of the handle.

I knew I would go insane if this were to continue for too long.

Scratching

Scratching

Forcing the handle

Scratching

Forcing the handle

Scratching

And then it stopped.

I stood up and got closer to the door.

I could hear nothing coming from the other side.

I decided to keep the door locked for a while, just in case.

I turned on the light and went to the sink to wash my face.

As I looked up I was greeted by my reflection in the mirror.

I was covered in blood, a sly grin painted on my face and the eyes of a madman piercing my soul.

The hunt had begun.