Jump-Scare

He always stays up later than anyone else in the family. Every night, Joseph and I are usually in bed for over an hour before Chandler. He has a very consistent routine he does before he finally shuts off all the lights. His routine always involves going outside to take a shower in our garage (that's the only place we have a shower) before he comes back in to our other bathroom next to our kitchen to brush his teeth, shave, and wash his face. 

Last night, I came down stairs after everyone else had gone to bed. My intention was to just grab some floss for my teeth and head right back upstairs. The lights were all on so I knew Chandler was still up, I peeked into his room to say goodnight but he wasn't there. Just then, I heard the side door next to our kitchen open. He must have been finishing up a shower.

As soon as I heard the doorknob turn, I had this urge to jump out and scare Chandler. I can't explain why I get this urge. It's like I see a perfect situation for a jump-scare and I absolutely can't resist the immense amount of pleasure it brings.

The lights in our living room were casting dark shadows into our music room (perfect for hiding). Chandler always walks through the music room to get to his bed - so I darted into the darkness and waited..... I laughed inside with anticipation.

I heard him lock the outside door behind him and cross into our other bathroom next to our kitchen where he proceeded to finish his evening routine. It took him longer than I expected but soon I heard him walking toward the music room and shutting off all the lights behind him, completely unaware of my presence.

He shut off the final light in the living room and the whole house was dark, except for a dim glow coming through the crack of his bedroom doorway. Everything was deathly quiet.

This was my moment.

I gave out a growl like a a gremlin as I reached for him out of the shadows. He leaped three feet into the air with a scream.

Oh, the satisfaction!!
His reaction was hilarious and I couldn't stop laughing.

Within a fraction of a vengeful second, he picked me up over his shoulder, threw me onto the couch, and sat on me. I laughed even harder to tears. The only thing that came out of his mouth was, "How long were you waiting for me, mom?" Me: still laughing... and him: still sitting dead-weight on me - I replied with the little breath I had in my squashed lungs, "For quite a while... You took forever in the bathroom....but the wait was worth every second!"