When the Clock Strikes Twelve

“Tis now the very witching time of night,

When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out

Contagion to this world. Now could I drink hot blood

And do such bitter business as the day would quake to look on.” 

     -  Shakespeare, Hamlet.  Scene III, act II  

My daughter likes to ask:  What is your biggest fear?  What are you afraid of?  I never have a very interesting answer for her.

I used to be afraid of midnight. By that I mean 12:00 a.m.  Not 11:59 or 12:01.  but 12:00.  What’s the difference, you might ask.  And I don’t have a good explanation for you.  I know this.  For some reason I was convinced that at 12:00 midnight, the veil between worlds was thinnest. Midnight when creatures such as witches, demons, ghosts, ghouls, and any other supernatural things that went bump in the night, would appear and their black magic would be the most powerful.   Or maybe the door between the living and the dead was opened.  And it was only then, at exactly 12:00 midnight, you could be affected.  

“Why is it always Midnight?”  asked Shrek at some point (Shrek 2).

I would hide my face under the covers, as children do.  Midnight would come.  I could not stop it.  But I could remain safe beneath my blankets.  Whatever was out there, if I couldn't see it, it could see me.  Typical child mentality.  I literally would look at the clock.  If it was 11:58/59, I would tunnel myself under the covers until midnight had passed.  Come 12:01 a.m., I would be safe to breathe the fresh air again.  

I knew it was illogical.  I knew it made no sense.  Even with a child mentality, I could reason with myself, how is it possible that if the monsters were there at 12:00; why would they be gone at 12:01?  But still, if my eyes caught that clock at 12:00 a.m; my heart would race and panic would set in.

I know what you are thinking - how is a child even UP at midnight?  Well, this irrational fear stayed with me for a very long time.  Past adolescence.  Right up until adulthood.  Very young adulthood.  But adulthood still.  

How did I conquer this weird fear?  Logic.  Sort of.  Often in my house, and I hear it from other people’s experiences also, which housed multiple clocks - these clocks were NEVER set to the same time.  If it were 12:00 in the kitchen, it very well might be 11:58 in the living room and 12:02 in the bedroom.  Which one was correct?  Which one would the monsters be aligned with?  And then …. time zones … How do we know what time zone the spiritual world is in?  Maybe it is only 11:00 in their zone; or 3:00 tomorrow already; and the veil or door happened already, and I was oblivious to it, AND I survived it without an issue.  

Now my fears are so adult. Safety for my loved ones. Stability. Security. Health. Happiness. Icy Roads on a winter's day. Not all that exciting. Ghosts, Goblins, Witches and things that go bump in the night don't fall into my schedule. Plus .... who is awake at that hour anyway these days. :::yawn::::