Someone Is In Your House

The tiny sliver of light that falls upon the floor is blocked for an instant and released again, flickering for no apparent reason. Strange, you thought maybe you had something in your eye, a piece of hair perhaps. But then the small, light creek of a floorboard weakens your confidence, sucking away any possible hope of rescue or escape, so you grab the nearest sharp object a shout like an enraged warrior hunting the enemy prey. The distinction between horror and terror is a standard literary and psychological concept applied especially to Gothic literature and film. Terror is usually described as the feeling of dread and anticipation that precedes the horrifying experience. By contrast, horror is the feeling of revulsion that usually occurs after something frightening is seen, heard, or otherwise experienced. It is the feeling one gets after coming to an awful realization or experiencing a deeply unpleasant occurrence. In other words, horror is more related to being shocked or scared (being horrified), while terror is more related to being anxious or fearful. In his non-fiction book Danse Macabre, Stephen King elaborated on the themes of terror and horror, also adding a third element which he referred to as "revulsion." He describes terror as “the finest element” of the three, and the one he strives hardest to maintain in his own writing. Citing many examples, he defines “terror” as the suspenseful moment in horror before the actual monster is revealed.