It’s that time of the year again: that time we unwillingly trade in extended sunny days for short winter days, but are we shaking because we’re cold or because we’re scared?
Halloween, a holiday partly based on fear, coincidentally marks the start of shivery nights, when streets filled with shiny happy people turn into soulless grounds erred by few zombies.
Kevin Gabriel does not fear the weather changes – he is fascinated by them. He does, however, point out one eerie detail.
“It seems to always rain on Halloween around here,” Gabriel admits.
Public health major, Tina Nsubuga, 21, does not enjoy the imposing weather.
“When it gets cold, it’s a bit too cold for me,” Nsubuga said. “I like 80-90 degrees. That’s my weather.”
Nsubuga associates the dawning weather with imprisonment.
“I don’t like snow. I get numb,” Nsubuga stated. “My joints get hard and I don’t like that. I like to be free.”
You can’t run from it and you can’t hide from it: the freezing pain is everywhere around you.
The only escape seems to be your own home, but even in the safest places, you can be at risk.
Jason P. Finley, Director of the Pierce College Weather Station, shares his haunting story.
Finley affirms he witnessed a horrific storm outside of the apartment he used to live in when he was 9 years old.
“I lived in Joliet, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago,” Finley said. “We had a very dark storm cloud move our way toward my parents’ apartment.”
“Suddenly, the wind picked up,” Finley continued. “Rain and hail started to fall.”
Finley claims the weather attacked the large tree outside the living room window, causing it to drop dead.
If the sudden amputation wasn’t enough, the tree met its faith when it landed on the electrical transformer across the street, Finley remembers.
“Sparks were flying as our power went out,” Finley states.
Although the suspect was not initially identified, a tornado was later determined to be the killer.
“Our power was not restored until 24 hours later,” Finley attests.
The mutilated and dismembered tree had to be removed over three days, according to Finley.
“This was definitely the scariest weather-related moment of my life so far,” Finley concluded.
Nsubuga shielded herself from the tempest that occurred on the evening of Oct. 24 by staying in bed.
“I had no class that day,” Nsubuga continues. “I was in bed so I got to avoid that.”
Shielded or not, Nsubuga could still hear terror knocking on her door with palm trees swinging in front of her window.
“I could hear it though,” she states. “It was scary out and I have these palm trees right outside of my house.”
Nsubuga knows that clothes are to cold weather as holy water is to vampires.
“I have no choice but to wear fur coats and shoes and long stockings and cotton stuff,” a prepared Nsubuga sighed.
“See what she’s wearing?,” Nsubuga said pointing at her friend Aichata Traore. “That’s like winter clothes. I don’t like it. I like to be free.”
Accounting major Aichata Traore, 21, is scared of lightning and thunder and prefers spring, when darkness is defeated by the flourishing environment and the fauna’s revival.
“I like spring. It’s nice, really nice,” Traore insists. “it’s cold at night and it’s warm during the day. It’s really nice.”
Still, spring is a haunted maze away. Trembling and cold sweats are going to be in place before it comes around.
The cold-blooded wind breathing down your neck and the sharp pain stabbing through your body and numbing your limbs are only beginning.
Prepare yourself because soon enough, rain will start pouring, and before you know it raindrops will solidify on your skin, like coagulating blood.