Sometimes it's good to be bad.

I grew up about 2.5 hours north of Tuscaloosa in a tiny little town outside Florence, Alabama. It's called Greenhill. Yeah, I know, where the heck is that, right? My house is about 2 minutes from the Tennessee state line, if that helps you at all figure out how far into the boonies I really was.

Anyway, we had our local legends just like anyone else. There was the "Headless Lady" which haunted the small banks of Goose Shoal Creek. I'm pretty sure my grandfather made her up. But he wrote out her whole story and it's in a book somewhere, though I can't remember the title.

Another one wasn't too far from the creek actually, where there stands an old house on a windy backroad that once belonged to a doctor by the name of Stutts. Now, it's said that the doctor's spirit still lingers in the house. He isn't hostile, though. In fact, the story goes that years ago, a small boy was riding his tricycle on the second floor, and rode straight out a large window which took up most of the wall on one side of the hallway. When his mother heard the crash and ran outside, she was confused to find her son not only alive but unharmed. She then asked what happened, and he said "The Doctor caught me." I'll be honest. I don't know if I believe any of this, but that place is creepy to drive by at night.

Then in the near city of Florence lies the Sweetwater Plantation, supposedly one of the most haunted places in Alabama if not the country. I know Ghost Hunters has been there, but I don't think they really found anything. The woman who now keeps the place can tell you a lot of stories, though. Many people like to go out there and try to hear/see/photograph ghosts, whatever. Here's a video documentary I found on YouTube about it...



As far as my personal interest in the Dark Fantastic, it's pretty much limited to books and movies, although I enjoy "ghost hunting" now and then. Of course I love Harry Potter and other popular books. I also really enjoy the works of Poe (The Tell-Tale Heart is probably my favorite) and what I've seen and read of Stephen King (not a lot) and Hitchcock (The Birds, etc.).

I've written a few things that sort of fall into this category, though some of it is mere fanfiction. I've done scenes from the villain's point of view. Voldemort is one of my favorite characters to write. I don't know. There's something fascinating and empowering about writing truly evil characters. But then again, when you write them, you don't think they're evil. Because you know their motives, their reasons for everything, their thoughts and feelings. It changes the way you look at things.

Just sitting here thinking about it I realized how many of the fantasy movies and books I enjoy do have a darker side to them. I'm proud to say it was I who got Katy to watch every season of Supernatural. :)

Every story needs a villain, right? The ones we love to hate. It's what makes the story compelling and have a purpose. The undead pirates in Pirates of the Caribbean, the witches and monsters in nearly every Disney movie and fairy tale, demons and ghosts in virtually ever horror movie that comes out these days. Aliens. Vampires. Werewolves. Mummies. Curses. It's everywhere. A huge part of ancient legends and stories as well as popular culture.