4.29.2011

Still Scary After All These Years


Since my sister Cathy and I are only a few years apart, we often listened to the same music and wore the same clothes. Every Friday nite, my parents would go to their siblings' homes leaving Cathy, Peter and I home alone. Peter, about 10 years younger than Cathy, would be off doing something in his room, building or drawing something, and we'd be listening to music and just hanging out in the bedroom that she and I shared.

One night, we were sitting on the beds, room darkened, candles lit, music a little loud when I thought I heard a creaking noise. I jumped up, turned the music lower and listened carefully. Nothing.

So, we turned the music up and we heard a weird scratching noise. I jumped up from the bed, turned the music off and listened again. Nothing. Then, we both heard it, it sounded like something was scratching at the door to the bedroom. The door was opened just a little bit, so Cathy called out to Peter but didn't hear anything back. Then, a monster hand appeared at the side of the door. It was disgustingly caked with wrinkles and blood dripping from it. We screamed, both jumping onto Cathy's bed, yelling at the tops of our lungs ... and the hand pushed back the door and there was Peter with a flashlight in one hand positioned under his face making it glow and his "monster"  hand was dripping in ketchup and covered in crackers.

I think I beat Peter with my album case that night. Then we spent the rest of the evening cleaning up Peter's monster project in the kitchen and all the ketchup and cracker crumbs smeared along the door and walls.  Even though we were the youngest of the sisters, he still knew exactly how to scare the shit out of us. He found pure joy in doing it ... even when we were older, he loved to hide behind a door and pop out, or make scary noises when walking in the street. He was a lot of fun.

Hope you enjoy our little story - Thanks - Peter's sisters Pam and Cathy.

16 comments:

  1. I Love this story. I laugh my ass off because my brothers would torture me like that. They never got as creative as crackers and ketchup!! LOL!! God, bet you girls always had the worst messes to clean up after him all the time. I just gotta ask this...did he run tattling to Mama just to get you in trouble?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Peter was not a tattle tale. In fact, he was the one you told things to so he would take care of it for you.

    I'll ask Cathy and Pam if he got in trouble. My guess is not, because being the baby in the family (and the only boy) he was special.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That is something my brother did, but he would come up from behind me and he would yell. I almost mess myself a few times..lol. This is a great story i love reading them all. Thank you for sharing.. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. that is so funny,he must have been really fun and kept you all on your toes alot of the time! thanks for sharing.-erik hernandez-

    ReplyDelete
  5. ROFLMAO This story totally cracks me up. I am one of those very distracted people who's always daydreaming or basically being silly and not paying attention to my surroundings so I am a very easy target and get scared sh*tless at the smallest "boo". Unfortunately, as an only child, I did not have an ingenious, funny, horror-loving baby bro like Peter scaring the bejesus out of me (or sister to share my indignation with). What a prankster and how inventive too! The sight of that hand would have sent me flying through the window! Thank you so much for sharing this story ladies. I was wondering, did any of you ever get back at Peter and scare him back? Bet he was tough to catch off-guard!

    ReplyDelete
  6. lol that is such a funny story. makes me wish i had a brother !

    thanks so much for sharing !

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dear Ratajczyk family,
    I am loving every story that you've all been so sweet to share with us. I think Peter and I would have totally hit it right off as childhood friends (being only two years apart in age)...as I would also do this kind of stuff to my mom and dad all the time. Once I cut a hole in the bottom of a small jewelry box that had cotton on the bottom, shoved my middle finger up threw the hole and cotton and made it look like the finger was laying in the box on top of the cotton. I had my finger smeared with dirt, gray paint and fake blood. I came running into the house and up to my parents...proclaiming that I found this severed 'dead' finger in our front yard. Both my parents jumped back in horror and gasped! Needless to say that I, being like Peter, started laughing with joy that I had scared the shit out of them. It would amused me to no end. My room was decorated with Movie Monster Posters. Also, almost every night I would hide behind a door and jump out at my dad as he came around the corner of that room. These stories of Pete are so special I look forward to reading them each day! I Thank you!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! THIS IS RIGHTEOUS IN THE SCARE TACTICS DEPARTMENT!! MY BROTHERS ALWAYS USED WORM AND FROGS AND GROSS SLIMEY CRITTERS OR THE "ET FINGER" TO SCARE THE TARNATION OUT OF ME!!

    AWWW, I BET IT WAS SUCH A RIOT TO LIVE WITH PETE AS A BROTHER!! ALWAYS CHERISH THOSE SILLY YET PRECIOUS MOMENTS!! CRACKERS & KETCHUP...TOO FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    THANKS SOOOOOOO MUCH FOR SHARING.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Like many, I felt a special connection with Peter through his music and lyrics. After seeing him live for the first time, I ran out the next day and bought myself a bass and taught myself to play (Black no. 1 first song). Then in 2007 an even deeper connection when I returned back to my Catholic faith (during a difficult time in my life) at the same time as Peter returned to the Church. I felt that I was fighting alongside Peter through that time. Thank you again for the insight you are providing about Peter.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I enjoy hearing them all! Thank you for sharing these. I've been checking this spot out pretty regularily to see anything new. Love reading them! thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Haha! I love that Pete got such a kick out of freaking his sisters out! Typical little brother lol "Every Day Is Halloween" xxxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  12. We love hearing these stories, It reminds us that he is still around us and continues to inspire us.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Spooky boy. One reason I enjoy the music and vids is that tongue-in-cheek aspect, yeah it's SPOOOOKY but also silly and in the spirit of fun.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Excellent story! Pete's bone structure makes for perfect scary shadows... glad to know he made the most of it! Getting scared is such delicious fun.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I loved reading it, I was imagining the scene of you and Peter holding terrified to laugh!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hahahaha This is a funny story! Peter and his creepy jokes! I love that way of being. Thank you very much for sharing and for keep alive the memories of Peter in our hearts. I really love this site! Everyday I have a moment in the day to listen his music. He never will be forgotten. ♪♫♥

    ReplyDelete