“Pedal Like Hell” ⇒

Matt Gemmell:

So, no, we have no choice but to be scared. The thing is, terrors like cancer or bankruptcy or loneliness can’t be outrun. You can’t get on your bike and fly down a dark road, adrenalin spiking, desperately hoping to leave them behind. They’re on the bike with you, riding on the saddle while you stand on the pedals, with their claws holding firmly to your jacket, and their smile is more like a silent scream. Fear is our co-pilot, and always will be.

That’s why we need a substitute; a surrogate thing-from-the-graveyard. Something we can deal with directly, and that we can escape. Maybe something with claws, and wings, that can move impossibly fast. For me, that’s what spooky stories are about - what’s dismissively called “horror fiction”, and more properly (in my opinion) called supernatural literature.

You really should be reading Matt’s site.