One man’s dispute over an excessive parking fee leads to a ruinous movie night experience.
Greetings, boils and ghouls! Blog Keeper here, just lurking about in my candlelit crypt. Hope our first story didn’t scare you away. Our next twisted tale centers on a foolish man on his way to see a movie. But first, he must contend with an unfortunate fate. I call this diabolical descent…
The Parking Garage
Friday night, my wife and I decided to see a scary movie. It was a fun start to the weekend and an even better start to the Halloween season, certainly an improvement over last year’s Halloween hayride.
There was this horror movie rumored to be so scary that paramedics were on standby at each theater. Patrons had to sign waivers, and no one with a prior heart condition was allowed. I couldn’t wait.
But what was supposed to be an enjoyable evening descended into a cacophony of rage.
My first mistake was choosing the Cinemark theater at Universal CityWalk, Orlando. It was theme park territory, with heavy traffic and crowds. However, our movie was only playing in select theaters, one of them being CityWalk. We had little choice but to make the trip.
We left an hour beforehand. The movie started at 8 pm. I expected some gridlock on the interstate, but nothing heavily impeding our journey. It wasn’t until we drew closer to CityWalk that I noticed a problem. Massive traffic filled all lanes toward the park entrance.
“What the hell is going on?” I asked, frantic, with 15 minutes to spare.
Granted, it was Friday night, but something deeper was at play. An unusual number of vehicles clogged the roads. My realization came bold and swiftly. Halloween Horror Nights was in full effect. I had completely forgot. We sat idling as the minutes lapsed, and with it, any hopes of a stress-free movie experience.
Five minutes to 8, we finally reached the main entrance to the parking garage. Parking is usually free after 6 pm, or so I thought. I presented the movie ticket on my phone to the attendant, expecting to be waved through.
“$32.68,” she said.
“What?” I exclaimed. “For parking?”
She glanced at me indifferently with a nod.
“But I’m only here to see a movie! I’m not going to Halloween Horror Nights.”
Her blank expression indicated no change. She never mentioned if or how I could get the parking validated. Instead of asking, I angrily fumbled around.
“Here!” I said, handing her my credit card. “Go ahead and rip me off.”
She wasn’t to blame, but I couldn’t help myself. I felt victimized and angry. She returned my credit card with a receipt, solidifying the injustice. But I would get the last word.
I floored the gas straight past the parking booth, crashing into a nearby barrier. The truck burst into a fiery ball, more horrific than any movie. Rage had gotten the best of me, and in my last moments, I thought of an enjoyable evening never meant to be.
The terror continues in our third ominous tale, where a mysterious salesman refuses to leave an unsuspecting couple’s doorstep.
Tune in next week for The Uninvited!
Shawn McKee 
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