Stephen King said he got the idea to write the novella Secret Window, Secret Garden one day when he noticed a window in his house (I think in the laundry room) that he viewed in a, pun intended, different light. The window was always there. He knew the window was there (it wasn’t covered by a dresser or armoire or even veiled behind a curtain for ages), and he saw it every day. But one day, he saw it differently. How a stranger might view it.
I think everyone has experienced this to some degree. You’re walking through your living room, which you’ve done a thousand times, and a table lamp strikes you as odd, almost strange. Like you’ve never seen it before, and you have to take a minute to ponder it and continue ogling its strangeness, soaking in it. Then, to quote Cher in Moonstruck, you “Snap out of it!” And it’s your table lamp again.
This happens with people, too. For a fleeting moment, you see your spouse or brother or friend completely different than how you’re used to seeing him/her and suddenly that person is a stranger, and you’re standing there thinking, “Wow! Is this you how I don’t know you?”
Weird.
These moments don’t happen often, and when they do, they fade quick, but it’s both fun and strange to see someone or something in a different light.
Now, sometimes it’s not the thing or person itself, but their shadows that catch you off guard.
We all know shadows can look downright demented. You should see my dog’s when she’s panting under a 2 o’clock, Yikes! And lately I’ve been noticing other twisted images being projected around my house. It’s like a portal has been opened to another dimension and either monstrosities or other items are coming forth that have no earthly business in my universe.
Below are a few photos of these encounters.
All quiet on the western front: Okay, I don’t think tanks were used in WWI. But they’re not used on my property either so why is there one climbing the banks of my driveway? (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)
Danger, Danger Will Robinson: House guests are one thing, but robots? (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)
Ummmmmm: Your guess is as good as mine, but it kind of looks like the alien from Alien talking to a shadow from a Peanuts comic. (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)
