The Boogeyman

Yesterday morning I saw the Boogeyman.

I have a habit of closing all the closet doors in my bedroom before sleeping – a habit that I developed after reading the story of the Boogeyman in 3rd grade. Combine that with seeing the cover of my sister’s copy of the book Cujo, and I was definitely sure that there was something lurking in my closet. Not that I believe there is anything in the closet now, I just have a general feeling of uneasiness if I try to sleep with the closet door cracked slightly open.

Another thing that makes me feel uneasy is a dark bathroom. The bathroom is one of those rooms that have been thoroughly tainted by horror flicks. Starting with Psycho, I don’t think that the bathroom can ever be viewed in the same way. From Bloody Mary legends to enlightening scenes from What Lies Beneath, the bathroom can be a very scary place.

So yesterday morning at approximately 6:11 am, I woke up to use the bathroom. After finishing my business, I turned off the lights and proceeded to feel my way back into the bedroom. And that’s when I saw him. The Boogeyman. A shadow that passed in front of me and was about five feet away.

Usually when I am startled and caught off guard, I gasp loudly and freeze. But for some reason, this time I decided to scream. Not one of those high-pitched screams, mind you. Just an “Ahhh!” that might be heard when a sports team I’m rooting for is losing. And to startle me even further, the Boogeyman started yelling back.

“Ahhh!” I screamed.
“Uhhh!” the Boogeyman yelled.
“Ahhh! Ahhh!” I screamed even more.
“Uhhh! Uhhh!” the Boogeyman continued.

Now, on some unconscious level, I knew that the Boogeyman was really Edwin. When I first saw his shadow, I’m sure I knew it was Edwin. However, I was so shocked at seeing a moving object where I knew nothing would be that I couldn’t help but scream.

Good thing that Edwin had the sense to flick on the light switch. When he did, I’d never seen such a look of shock on his face, or his eyes so wide. I started laughing uncontrollably while continuing to make leftover screaming noises.

I was picturing this: two very sleepy people in the dark. One just finished using the bathroom. The other one needs to go. They run into each other and start screaming bloody murder.

This totally sounds like something that would happen to me.

Last night Edwin was trying to figure out why I started screaming. Apparently, his grunting sounds were a result of not knowing what the hell to say because, well, how did I not know it was him? So he started asking me what I thought he was. Did I think he was a burglar? A ghost? A monster like in Monsters, Inc.? No, no, and no. Finally he asks if I thought he was the Boogeyman.

I think about it for a moment. Yes, that’s it! I really thought I had seen the Boogeyman. Childhood frights revisited. After all these years, the Boogeyman still comes back to haunt me.