1.
Two children are lost in the woods. Which storyline do you pursue?
a) They run into
a wicked witch who tries to eat them, but a flying deer kills the
witch and adopts the kids.
b) They are
abducted by aliens, then return much older with the power to
destroy the world.
c) They embark
upon a breathless flight from an unseen evil that haunts the
woods.
d) One child is
found, but will not tell what happened to the other.
e) They become
chainsaw-wielding maniacs, sending animal body parts to the
townsfolk.
2. A group of teens camp out in the backyard. How do they spend the night?
a) Roast marshmallows and sip hot chocolate while an older brother tries to
scare them.
b) Peel off their human skin and construct a satellite dish from their limbs.
c) Hold a séance.
d) Huddle together, shivering, as a dark figure circles the tent.
e) Murder the dorky kid, then hang him from his parent's flagpole.
3. A woman is stranded on a dark secluded road. What does she do?
a) Calls her kids to rescue her.
b) Jumps out and runs toward the strange light in the woods.
c) Faints at the site of a ghost on the road.
d) Crawls out and checks under the hood while twigs snap in the
nearby woods.
e) Steps out, whimpering, and is instantly ripped to pieces by a
red-eyed mutant beast.
4. An unmarried, childless man buys the huge Victorian
house across the street. Why?
a) He plans to turn it into a jewelry factory, and force children to work for
him.
b)
He's an extraterrestrial who needs a house big enough to hide his
spaceship.
c) He
owned the house 300 years ago.
d) He
isn't who he says he is.
e) He
needs a new torture chamber.
5. In the fifth inning of the seventh game of the World
Series, all the lights go out. The crowd panics, screaming and
tripping over each other. What happens next?
a)
Glow-in-the-dark turtles appear at the end of each aisle and calm
the people.
b) A
well-lit spaceship hovers over the field, flashing the words,
"Follow the blue beam."
c) The
lights come back on, and every human is a skeleton.
d) A voice
from the loudspeaker announces that the game has been canceled by
a terrorist group.
e) Gunfire.
1st
Degree - If the A answers send chills up and down your spine, you prefer your scare
on the lite side. Such an imagination is best suited for the
little ones. Can you see them? They're in a circle at your feet,
wide-eyed and waiting.
2nd
Degree - If the B answers leave you trembling, you prefer your scare to come from
another planet. Such an imagination is perfect for sci-fi or
fantasy. The truth is out there--go find it.
3rd
Degree - If the C answers keep you awake, you prefer your scare to come from the
spirit world. You're best suited to deal with the supernatural
because you accept the fact that some things just can't be
explained. Now, tell us, what's really happening on
the other side?
4th
Degree - If the D answers are more your cup of tea, you prefer your scare to come
from the world you know. Thrillers are your forte. You want a
hefty scare, but you want it explained. Therefore, it must be
"of man." Maybe you can tell us what happened to
the other kid in Question One.
5th
Degree - If the E answers strike a chord, well, you're
one sick puppy. You prefer
hardcore gore without too much rhyme or reason. Slasher stories
should be your focus. Go make 'em gag!
© 2006 Elizabeth Guy
The New York Times' bestseller list has included one or more
horror novels
nearly every week since the mid 70s. So no one
should be surprised that among the most popular and financially
successful writers in the world today are those who write in this
genre.
