Creatures of the Night,

Whether you’re a long-time or first-time reader, on behalf of the First Call team, I hope you enjoy our Halloween Special. By the time our issue comes out, most of you will already have gone to at least one Halloween party, but there are still a few days left before the actual holiday. Halloween falls on a Wednesday night this year, which means, for one week only, Wednesday is the new Thursday. Enjoy it while you can. And if you’re still thinking about a costume, Erica and Kathy have some ideas, though they may not completely agree.

To be honest with you, Halloween gives me the creeps all over. I don’t get a big thrill out of being frightened. I don’t like horror flicks or fake skeletons. I don’t even like most roller coasters. That said, I did find Scooby Doo’s Ghoster Coaster very thrilling this summer, as did the six-year-olds in the cab ahead of mine.

I know I’m in the minority here. People like to give themselves a good scare now and then. That’s why scary movies reap (pun intended) significant profits and amusement parks market their most “thrilling” rides to attract throngs of customers every year. For those of you who gladly count yourselves among the thrill seeking, Chris has written you a spooky story. (For the more cowardly sort, here’s a hint: closing your eyes until it’s over is not an effective strategy.)

But, not all frights are created equal. We want to be scared, but most of us don’t want to place ourselves in genuinely scary situations. The phrase “Halloween scare” makes us think positive thoughts; the same is not true of  “pregnancy scare.”

That’s why, if you do make Wednesday your new Thursday (or perhaps are carrying the festivities into Thursday and Friday, by which I mean Friday and Saturday), I encourage you to be safe. Watch who’s brewing your Witch’s Brew, and whether you’re Frankenstein or Catwoman, there’s no more practical accessory than a few condoms tucked up your sleeve. More safety tips come to us this issue on page 6, but trust me, mine are more important than those.

Returning to the subject of scary roller coasters, this issue, Lee studies the thrill ride of yester-year: the “dark ride.” He may encourage you to embrace the darkness, but whether you’re forging through the literal darkness of the night or the metaphorical darkness around what you did last night, I say, bring a flashlight. (Read: Don’t black out. Seriously. I am so not joking about this.) So enjoy the holiday, drink responsibly, and remember: zombies aren’t real, but muggers, rapists, arsonists, and serial killers are. Happy Halloween.

Sincerely

Jeshka Horlacher

Art Editor