horror movie conventions

I'm looking to compile a list of horror movie conventions - you know, dolls that come to life, homicidal cars possessed by evil spirits, and the like. Can you think of one or more to comment below?

fugitives from the law, part deux

Longtime readers may remember my sister and I briefly being mistaken for meth heads a few years ago while I was visiting her at my parents' house. Well, Mom may not be around to blame me anymore, but the brushes with the law continue unabated, I'm relieved to see.

Last night we were on our way to her home after her birthday fete, after dark, when I was pulled over by a state cop just outside the town where I grew up. It wasn't for speeding; I was doing the speed limit (amazingly). It wasn't for lights being out; I knew those were all working. Well, I thought I did, anyway. Turns out it was because the little light over the rear license plate was not working and he couldn't see where I was from. ("Turn on your fucking headlights, sonny," I wanted to say to Officer AgeTwentyAndFirstWeekOnTheJob.)

His actions were pretty standard, he took my license, made a note he'd given me a warning, and sent me on my way. While he was back in his car doing his thing, my sister scrambled for her Zune and began scrolling like a madwoman. Finally, I noticed this activity. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to find 'Bad Boys,'" she informed me.

"What? NO. DON'T YOU PLAY THAT," I warned her. She keeps scrolling. "If you're in YOUR car and you want to do that, that's fine," I continue. Still no response. "DON'TYOUFUCKINGPLAYTHAT."

Calypso metal starts up on the player, followed by the familiar "OOOF!" we all know from the trailer parks and rusted-out Dodges of "Cops."

Bad boys, bad boys
Whatcha gonna do?
Whatcha gonna do
When they come for you?

I yanked the cable out of the CD player (it broadcasts MP3 players through the speakers). dahlianna yanks it out of my hand and plugs it back in:

Whatcha gonna, whatcha gonna, whatcha gonna doooo-

I yanked the cable out again. She reached for it, but I held tight. We were still wrestling when Officer RubberPants showed up at my window, whereupon I let go of the cable and prayed the song wouldn't start back up. He did his business, I thanked him, and he turned and was walking back toward his car, when - while he was still level with my back glass/trunk - very LOUDLY:

Ooooooooooooh, when they come for you?

It was another five miles to the house. I didn't know she had the lung capacity to laugh for that long.