Horror Short Showcase: 'Lights Out'

Written by Scott Edwards

Shadows can be a thing of nightmares when you see them moving around at night. Most of the time they are just that, shadows, being magnified by the moon on your walls and there is nothing to be frightened of. But there are times when such things are being caused by something else, whether or not they are sinister forces, that will have to be left up to you. As we have all heard of shadow people looming around old locations, what would happen if they were suddenly coming after you?
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Getting ready for bed a woman turns off the hallway light to see a shadow standing in the distance.  Thinking that her eyes are playing tricks on her, she turns the light back on to see that the figure has disappeared. But once again turning off the light, she sees the strange figure re-appear in the distance. Trying this a couple times and getting the same results, she decides to tape the light switch on so whomever or whatever is lurking in the shadows is not able to give her a scare while she sleeps.

Getting comfortable in bed, the woman starts to hear a rustling in the hallway and watches as the light gets turned off. Thinking that there is someone coming after her, the woman hides beneath the covers hoping that whatever it is will go away and leave her alone. Taking quick peeks, she sees that her door has been opened and her night light by the bed starts to flicker. Being able to summon the courage to adjust the plug and get the full beam of light back onto her, she hears the light in the hallway being turned back on. Thinking that it must have been just a dream, she is able to relax, only to find herself in a living nightmare.

This is a really fun short film, mainly because it plays on our fears of what is hiding in the dark.  Becoming a full-length film last year, this can be an example of what some film makers are trying to do with their shorts. Everyone has a fear of the dark and while some of those go away with age, having a grown-up deal with the same thing that kids do is what makes this short so special in my eyes. While I have gotten over my fear of the dark, there are those times when things just don’t feel right and keeping a light on seems like the right thing to do. From now on, I will play a little bit more attention to what goes bump in the night around my room, because if I find that there is someone or something playing with my stuff while I sleep, I will get my ass out of dodge. Stay Scared.

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