The Maglite

When I was a child, my father told me, "If there's ever an intruder, if you're ever in danger, grab a Maglite. It's heavy; you can use it as a weapon."

One Friday evening, he made a Hitchcock reference, which went over my head. He then asked, "Wait, have you never seen a Hitchcock movie? Do you know who Alfred Hitchcock is?"

I told him I had never heard of this person.

He said, "Well it's Friday, you're allowed to watch movies. Wait, I'll be right back."

And he returned with a stack of horror films. He handed them to me, saying, "I'm not sure where your brothers are, but they should be home soon. Anyway, I've got a job in Port Hardy so I've got to be going. See you on Monday."

I watched those horror movies alone, in that big empty house. My brothers came home and found me slumped over in a corner, clutching a Maglite.