The Other Side

Angie is the biggest introvert that you would ever meet. Though she is very friendly and interactive, she doesn’t hang around a lot of people. She has one best friend named Josephine, who she only ever brings to her house to hang out and the only close contacts she has are her mom, older sister and her young daughter. On Halloween night, Josephine had a devious trick up her sleeve for Angie.

“So you taking Amy trick or treating tonight?” Josephine asked. “She’s not feeling well so I’m just gonna give her my big bag of candy I got from work and we’ll call it a night” Angie replied as she looked back down at her book.

“That’s probably what’s best considering you couldn’t handle leaving the house anyway” Josephine joked. “What’s that supposed to mean” Angie asked. “Girl, leaving the house for you would be like a horror movie” Josephine added.

“Oh you’re being dramatic. I’m not that introverted, am I?” Angie asked curiously. “How about you go outside and try walking around for five minutes…AWAY from your front porch” Josephine dared. “I bet you I can, watch me.” Angie effortlessly rose up from her couch and walked to the front door. When she opened the door her heart slowly started thumping with anxiety.

“Um ok, I can do this” she thought. Angie slowly started walking toward the end of her parking lot and verything seemed normal. After a brief pause she kept walking and was startled by approaching children. “Happy Halloween” the little children called out. “OH MY GOODNESS!” Screamed a frightening Angie. She quickly backed away from the kids and started speed walking down the street with her heart racing.

“I can do this” she thought. “It was just a group of kids, I’ll be okay-” before Angie could finish her train of thought. A couple of voices called out to her right ear. “Hey, Angie. It’s good to see you out the house for a change, how’s that girl of yours?” Asked an elderly man standing next to his wife on their front porch.

Angie slowly turned her head in fear. “Oh no, are they speaking to me?” Angie trembling. She then started walking further down the street. “I can do this” she thought nervously to herself. “I can do this, I can do this. See I’m not such an introver-” before she could finish her inner monologue a small black colored dog came up to her barking. “OH NO, ITS A DRAGON!!!” She screamed out loud. Angie then began a slow jog away from the dog but as she got further down the street she saw more parents and children frolicking in the Halloween evening atmosphere.

Angie suddenly felt smothered by the outside world. Her heart was racing as if she was being chased by every horror movie icon known to man and she was the only victim left in the world. Her comfort level was under siege as she began asking herself how could she had left her house.

“Why did I do this?” She asked herself frantically. “Why did I leave my safe works of introversion? Why I was I foolish enough to step out doors? This place wasn’t meant for people to be. This is a wasteland of terror where people will attempt conversations with you, children will approach you with utter smiles and happiness to interact that wreaks of horror. And the animals, oh goodness the animals will run up to you and do the unthinkable…they want…you…to pet them.”

“I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE AND GET BACK IN MY HOUSE” Angie screamed out loud. She quickly turned around and sprinted for her front door. On the way there she passed every man, woman, child and animal, which turned their attention on her due to her erratic behavior.

“Oh no, they’re looking at me” Angie trembled as she neared her front porch. As the terror of the outdoors reached their peak in Angie’s stomach she finally made it back in her house. Nearly out of breath she closed the door behind her and slowly slumped to the floor as Josephine laughed hysterically.

“I told you the outdoors would kill you” Josephine joked. “All I know is I’m never going out there again” Angie uttered in terror. “The horror known as the outside world is an evil that was not meant to be explored.”