Betwixt
A jumpy young fellow named Heth Gets spooked till he’s all out of breath. His hair has gone white From fright after fright, It’s the price of being scared half to death.
Heth is Emotopia’s Certified Fearologist. Everyone knows there’s no such position, but don’t tell Heth.
It all started when he had a very enlightening conversation with Science. He was telling her that he loved scary things. She asked him if he knew how to take his heart rate. Heth had always been told he had a big heart, but he didn’t know there was a rating system for it.
Science explained that all he had to do was put two fingers on his wrist. Then count the pulses for fifteen seconds. Multiply by four. And that was his heart rate. The higher his heart rate, the scarier a situation was.
He tried it. 83. Science explained that 83 was a very calm heart rate.
Heth decided to test it out. So, when he heard a door creak open a few days later, he took his heart rate again. 102. Interesting.
Someone dropping pots and pans? 124.
Reading a book? 72.
No pulse? Well, Heth couldn’t help you. He just referred you to Mortimer, who knew much more about zero heart rates.
Maybe Science was on to something. Heth decided to come up with his own ScareCard Rating system.
If something takes you by surprise, take your heart rate.
Heth even made a job out of it. He’d inspect local shops at night and rate the jump scares. He’d then leave them a ScareCard with a Scare Score. If the Scare Score was too low, he’d suggest ways of making their establishment more creepy or frightening.
Every business reveled in their ScareCard Scores. Some would hang theirs behind the counter with Pride. Pride never missed a ScareCard ceremony. He loved a good hang.
One day, Heth hopes to expand his business into the Official Betwixt Scare Patrol. Pride might be interested in being his Thrill Sergeant.
Heth is a character, not a diagnosis. Heth is not about fear any more than a kid is about their hair color. Please introduce them as a neighbor.
But you don't have to miss out on all the new residents and new hood construction.
Gossip loves keeping everyone up to date on what's happening. If you sign up for the field notes, she'd be happy to sit on the porch with you once a month.
She promises to write only once a month to start. She'd write more often, but we only have so much tea to spill.