As young as I remember my mother Elle took me to Gran's (Mildred's) house every weekend. My mom thought I loved it but I didn't. I loved my grandmother but I always wanted to stay near my mom and every separation even for hours or a few days hurt my heart. I was never able to express anything going on inside. I didn't know how and no one took any interest.
I remember the weekend that changed my childhood. Mildred and Dutch sometimes took me to places with them like bars, race tracks and gambling casinos or left me with babysitters or left me by myself. One Saturday I was left with Pat the teenage girl who lived next door. Gran gave Pat money so I could join her and her girlfriend at the movies. Saturday movies meant a double feature and lots of affordable candy- it was an all afternoon event.
Gran gave a strong warning to Pat to take me to a different movie than the horror film that was playing. Pat and her friend wanted to see the off limits film so she took me anyway to see "Brides of Dracula." That movie set bondage to fear in motion in my childhood imagination that lasted for many years. I had no way to discern reality from fantasy and no one to explain- so I believed what I saw in that movie. I thought vampires were real and that I was in constant danger of being apprehended in my sleep and forcefully indoctrinated into becoming a vampire.
Sometimes I would look in the mirror and wonder if my teeth were growing fanglike points. I was so scared. I wanted to remain a girl and not be a vampire. What seems ludicrous now was sad and frightening to a child. I never told Gran or anyone what Pat did and suffered silently as my fears multiplied.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ9hZNuk04w
"Transylvania, land of dark forests, dread mountains and black unfathomed lakes, still the home of magic and devilry as the nineteenth century draws to its close. Count Dracula, monarch of all vampires is dead but his disciples live on to spread the cult and corrupt the world"
ReplyDeleteWikipedia