Indianapolis is like a second Halloweentown this time of year. There are haunted houses, special parties at bars and restaurants, even ghost tours of cemeteries. Having a Halloween night out on the town is an adventure, and like all good adventures, you’re never sure how it’ll turn out. I should know; I tried to go see The Rocky Horror Picture Show last year but never made it to the theatre. The night ended up being a little scary, a little fun, and very Halloween.
Seeing Rocky Horror was an event long premeditated. My friend, Jenna, and I had been wanting to see it since there was a Glee episode about it. If you’re going to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show, you have to do it the right way; in a theatre with people who throw toast, dress up, and act out the movie. So both of us decided to dress as Magenta, the crazy-haired maid. We teased our hair and put on makeup in a style that can only be described as “bold zombie.” As the final touch, we wore fishnet stockings and faux-fur coats on loan from Jenna’s grandma. We were creepy maids ready to take on the town.
But the town we definitely did not take. Rocky Horror was being shown at the Irving Theater in the Irvington neighborhood, which hosts a huge Halloween Festival every year. People were everywhere and streets were blocked, including the streets by the theater. While we were driving around in circles, my car suddenly started smoking. We decided to pull over. Immediately.
My poor Dodge rolled into the nearest gas station amidst a cloud of black smoke. We ended up huddled outside my car, waiting for a ride and a tow, shivering in our fishnets. (Word of advice; pack an extra pair of sweatpants when you go out on Halloween)
It ended well for us; we got Jenna’s car and went to see a late night movie. It ended badly for the car; it was towed and sold for scrap, never to be seen again. Sometimes when the moon is full and the roads are blocked, the people of Irvington still see the ghost of my car, wandering the streets and spewing smoke.
The death of my poor car aside, I had a pretty great night in Indy with my friend. Follow my lead this year, though hopefully more successfully; go out on the town, have fun, and come back with your car in one piece.
Paige Dempsey is a junior creative writing major at Butler University. She is from a tiny town in northern Indiana called Harlan, which is just outside of Fort Wayne. Paige loves art, books, and listening to the Hamilton soundtrack (at least three times a week).
