‘The Witching Season’ Recap: ‘They Live Inside Us’

Written by Scott Edwards

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM. YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

If you ask anybody that likes to write, what their worst fear is, it will always be said that Writer’s Block is the worst thing that can ever happen to them. While there is no guaranteed way to get over it, there are many practices that writers like to use to break free of it. It could be as simple as talking to someone, posting crazy stuff on social media to see the replies, running through their local park or visiting a special location that is near and dear to them, but these do not work for everyone. Trying to get that one idea that will resonate with others can come easily to some people, while others struggle. With no sure-fire way to get out of the dreaded writer’s block, it is important to find your own way and just keep writing, even in a journal, because you never know what kind of stories can come to life from just a random thought.
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Looking for inspiration to write his next story, a writer is ready to spend the night in the Boothe house that is reported to be haunted. Wanting to chronicle the house’s checkered past, the writer pulls out his tape recorder and narrates the supposed story of Jacob Boothe and his wife Cynthia, both who lost their lives in the house. As the story goes, Jacob came home one evening and stabbed his wife to death and then retreated to his office desk and shot himself in the head for reasons unknown. As thirty years have passed and the mystery still stands strong in the community, the writer sits at Jacob’s old desk, determined to get a truly terrifying story down on Halloween Night.

Opening up his laptop and pulling out some old articles, the writer is not seeing anything that is giving him any ideas, so he goes to his list of Horror Movie Monsters to try and find some inspiration.  Choosing a masked killer as his first attempt, the writer feels like it is more of a comedy than a horror story and deletes his work. Changing the opening scene again, this time going with a killer clown, he is still not getting the sense of terror that he is looking for. Giving it one more go with a scarecrow, the writer is just not getting the right tone and with some self-reflection of where he was sitting, he finally gets the most frightening idea in his head, one that should send shivers down the spines of his readers. With the new story being placed in the Boothe house, the writer is ready to get a terrifying story down on the page, but hearing something in the hallway, he is forced to step away. Moving slowly to see who or what is making a racket, the writer spots Mrs. Boothe crying on the stairs and tries to get her to calm down, but little does he know what story he has become a part of himself.

This is a very cool episode and being able to identify with the writer is something I really enjoyed, at least up to a point. Going to a place to get inspiration to write is a common practice of mine and while I cannot always get away, I try to enough to keep some ideas flowing. I liked the three different stories that were going to be told and then deleted, as there was plenty of momentum to keep them going, but as all writers do, they say they can do better and start from scratch. With a candle, a haunted house, a backstory, a tape recorder, some typing, plenty of ideas, a record player, scaring one out of one’s seat, plenty of running and becoming what one fears most, this episode really made sure to point out that ideas are great, however acting on them may not be the best laid plan. Stay Scared.

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