I spent a good portion of my childhood in a medium sized town in southern Ohio - Springfield. My family left the place for good right after my fifteenth birthday.
We couldn't get out of there fast enough, as far as I was concerned.
To this day (including last night) I'm plagued with periodic nightmares of being there again. In these nasty dreams, I'm usually trapped in the Catholic grade school I attended - running up a stairway that has no end - running from some faceless, formless "thing" - black, malicious, murdering and evil enough to spook Satan himself.
Springfield is a creepy little town. The crime rate had always been among the highest in the nation for a town of it's size. It's mostly low income - the poverty level is high, as is the unemployment rate. In a town like this, a high crime rate isn't unusual. What *is* unusual, however, is the NATURE of the crimes.
Some examples:
In 1986, a 19 year old white male was arrested for the murder of a 15 year old girl. Her body was found in
Old Reid park in 6 different places. Said man was charged with 16 felonies, including kidnapping and gross abuse of a corpse. The police found him at a party within 2 hours of the murder - covered in blood and quietly drinking a beer.
I grew up with this guy.
1999 - A woman is arrested for assaulting her live in boyfriend with the leg of the kitchen table. Apparently she tore it off during an argument.
2001 - a man is in his driveway washing his car when he is hit in the temple by a rock. The assailant then proceeded to tear off the vehicle's rear view mirror and beat the man into unconciousness. Investigators found no connection between the assailant and the victim.
2002 - A woman is arrested and charged with assault and battery at a local restaurant. After being asked to leave the premises by the manager, she picks up a dinner plate from a nearby diner's table and whips it at the managers face. Manager is hospitalized and receives 12 stitches.
2004 - in the midst of a bar fight, a 22 year old white male rips a drainpipe from a wall mounting and shoves it into the mouth of the other brawl participant. The man is hospitalizd and receives 23 stitches. Investigators found no prior connection between the two men.
I remember my first week of high school back in Springfield - I walked into the cafeteria for lunch to witness a fight going on in which one of the boys involved had a tie rod and beat the other boy into a comatose state.
Springfield also has an unusually high number of mental institutions.
I've never quite been able to completely shake the dense black cloud of this place.
Anyone read Stephen King's IT? I grew up in the midwest version of Derry.
We couldn't get out of there fast enough, as far as I was concerned.
To this day (including last night) I'm plagued with periodic nightmares of being there again. In these nasty dreams, I'm usually trapped in the Catholic grade school I attended - running up a stairway that has no end - running from some faceless, formless "thing" - black, malicious, murdering and evil enough to spook Satan himself.
Springfield is a creepy little town. The crime rate had always been among the highest in the nation for a town of it's size. It's mostly low income - the poverty level is high, as is the unemployment rate. In a town like this, a high crime rate isn't unusual. What *is* unusual, however, is the NATURE of the crimes.
Some examples:
In 1986, a 19 year old white male was arrested for the murder of a 15 year old girl. Her body was found in
Old Reid park in 6 different places. Said man was charged with 16 felonies, including kidnapping and gross abuse of a corpse. The police found him at a party within 2 hours of the murder - covered in blood and quietly drinking a beer.
I grew up with this guy.
1999 - A woman is arrested for assaulting her live in boyfriend with the leg of the kitchen table. Apparently she tore it off during an argument.
2001 - a man is in his driveway washing his car when he is hit in the temple by a rock. The assailant then proceeded to tear off the vehicle's rear view mirror and beat the man into unconciousness. Investigators found no connection between the assailant and the victim.
2002 - A woman is arrested and charged with assault and battery at a local restaurant. After being asked to leave the premises by the manager, she picks up a dinner plate from a nearby diner's table and whips it at the managers face. Manager is hospitalized and receives 12 stitches.
2004 - in the midst of a bar fight, a 22 year old white male rips a drainpipe from a wall mounting and shoves it into the mouth of the other brawl participant. The man is hospitalizd and receives 23 stitches. Investigators found no prior connection between the two men.
I remember my first week of high school back in Springfield - I walked into the cafeteria for lunch to witness a fight going on in which one of the boys involved had a tie rod and beat the other boy into a comatose state.
Springfield also has an unusually high number of mental institutions.
I've never quite been able to completely shake the dense black cloud of this place.
Anyone read Stephen King's IT? I grew up in the midwest version of Derry.
VIEW 18 of 18 COMMENTS
My Monday was EXHAUSTING!! I worked 14 hours> I work 2 very physically demanding jobs. Today it was a little warm, but lifting heavy shit ALL DAY just kicked my ass! But NO drama from the ex so that was cool!
?-What's your favorite scene and favorite line(s) from NBK?