Cause and Effect, Halloween Style

Sunday morning, in the car on the way to church, in a conversation prompted by Jason's story of his Saturday night attendance at The Haunt, a local scary attraction:

Annie:  "And R is going to be a vampire for Halloween.  Were there vampires there?"
Jason:  "Yes!  There was a bridge you had to cross that made you feel dizzy, and people dressed like monsters who kept jumping out and trying to scare you.  There was a guy with a chainsaw who pretended to run towards you!  Do you know what happens if a vampire bites you?"
Annie:  "No, what?"
Jason:  "You become a vampire, too!"
Annie and Jemma, eyes huge in backseat: "Wow . . ."
Jason:  "And do you know what happens if a vampire bat bites you?"
Me, interrupting:  "Do you want to sleep tonight, Jason, or . . . ?"
Annie and Jemma, eyes huge in backseat.

*****

Last night, midnight, Jason and I fast asleep in our bedroom:

Jemma, standing one inch from my face:  "Mom."
Me, bolting upright, flailing in the covers:  "Aghhhhhh!"
Jemma:  " sniffle . . . sniffle . . ."
Me:  "Jemma!  What?  What's wrong?"
Jemma:  "Do bats eat us?" Begins to wail hysterically, sobs for fifteen minutes while I rock her in her room and explain cheerfully that bats eat mosquitoes and are so helpful!
Me:  Unable to get back to sleep for over an hour, due to the elevated heart rate from being scared awake.
Jason:  Sleeping soundly, snoring.