| |
|
After reading the top horror movies thread, I can't but help think about the fact that the most scariest and the most shaming moment in your childhood involves a sibling with a malevolent imagination.
Needlessly to say, I was the one with the pleasure: my elder sister was scared easily, and my younger brother was too young to realise what the word “doubt” meant.
The best tale had my brother believing for four years, and made him mortally afraid of any body of water. He still hasn’t forgiven me, even in his new adulthood.
“THE INVISIBLE SHARK” – I used to live at an address with a swimming pool, which I’d jump into immediately after school in the summer. One summer, my brother had learnt a new fun thing to do: annoy his sister(s) until they snap. So, after one too many splashes, I froze, and turned to my brother.
“FREEZE!!”
He froze. I spoke to him, “Come on... come over here… don’t look behind me… that’s it… climb out with me…”
Standing out of the pool, shivering, I began to yell at my brother. “YOU IDIOT, don’t you remember?!? Splashing in the water attracts the shark!”
My little brother scanned the pool. “But… there’s no shark.”
“YES, there is!”
“um, I can’t see it…”
“Oh, no! That’s right! You’re still too young! Ok, stand over here, look over there… see! See!”
“Um, there’s only ripples…”
“EXACTLY! Oh, gosh, you didn’t know about the Invisible Shark?! Mum forgot to tell you… See! The ripples again!”
(the wind was blowing, so there were plenty of little activities on the surface of the pool)
After five minutes, my brother started to sniffle and sob, and immediately rushed inside in search for Mummy…
The Invisible Shark hoax had to end eventually, when three years later, I ruined a family holiday in Queensland by making my brother mortally terrified of the beautiful sea, the idyllic hotel pool, and even the theme park pools.
Both of my parents warned my brother to NEVER ever believe me again. |
|
|
