My First Horror Movie Experience

It was late one summer night in 2000 when my two older sisters decided it was time for me to experience my first scary movie. We began with gathering blankets to curl up in and popping popcorn. I remember I kept asking them what movie we were going to be watching and what it was about but they never would tell me. Once the popcorn was done popping and we were all settled and wrapped up in our blankets they put the movie in. Little did I know that the movie we were about to watch was the movie "It" written by Stephen King and directed by Tommy Lee Wallace. The story revolves around an inter-dimensional predatory life-form that is referred to as "It", which has the ability to transform itself into its prey's worst fears allowing itself to exploit the fears and phobias of its victims, while also disguising itself when hunting. "It" takes the form of a sadistic clown that called himself "Pennywise the Dancing Clown", which was used to lure children in and kill them.

I remember within the first five minutes of the movie I began screaming and covering my eyes. As the movie progressed I began clinging to my sisters and crying my eyes out asking them to please cut it off but they would not do it. I felt my heart racing and my chest tightening as each minute passed. Throughout the entire movie I was shaking and trembling with fear. I remember my sisters laughing at me, calling me a baby and telling me to grow up that it was just a movie. However, every time I would close my eyes to all the scary parts, all I would see a clown jumping out at me making me fear even more.

Once the movie was over I was scared to go into the dark by myself because I feared that It would be there waiting for in the shadows to kill me. For a month straight after watching that movie I had nightmares. I would wake up screaming and crying for my mom and dad and when they were in the room with me I would make one of them sleep with me. Once I was asleep with one of them beside me I was fine because I felt safe. Throughout the night if I felt them move or get out of the bed I would wake up instantly begging for them not to leave me. Eventually, they got tired of sleeping with me so they put a nightlight in my room, but even with having that nightlight I still had nightmares. My parents eventually had to leave on the hallway light along with my night light to prove to me that there was not a clown in our house and that I was not going to get killed by a one. Months and years passed and every time I would see a clown I would run the opposite direction screaming.

Still to this day at the age of 23 I am still terrified of clowns. I know a lot of you are wondering why and I guess the only reason is because I cannot face a clown to overcome my fear. Now a day you go to a kid's birthday party, the circus, fairs, and Halloween celebrations and all you will see are clowns. For me, I try to stay clear of the