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halloween

This kid gives an impressive acting performance.

Some kids just have a natural knack for acting. Frequently, a flair for the dramatics can cause parents significant grief (Ferris Bueller-style) but it can also be a source of non-stop entertainment.

A viral video of a kid putting on an Oscar-worthy performance in his new Halloween costume is a prime example.

The video shared by @saddiegau on TikTok has been viewed a million times, and when you watch it you'll see why. The kid dons an inflatable costume that makes it look like a large green alien is carrying him around, which is pretty funny all on its own. But the horror movie scene that ensues is practically an acting masterclass.

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Why is seeing people's scared faces so hilarious?

Some people love being scared and some people hate it, but no matter where we fall, none of us are immune to fear. If we are taken by surprise, our bodies startle whether we want them to or not. And when we add a spooky or creepy factor in, a simple jump can turn into a full-body terror reaction.

People who enjoy evoking that reaction in themselves are the folks who love horror movies and haunted houses. I'm not one of those people. Every few years, some persuasive friend will convince me to go to a haunted house around Halloween, and I always spend the whole time clinging to their clothing, burying my face in their back and screaming.

I am a fan of seeing pictures of other people reacting to haunted houses, though.

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The Dinotes' hilarious skeletons.

The Dinote family of San Antonio, Texas, inadvertently started a tradition in 2020 when they purchased two human skeletons and a skeleton dog to decorate their lawn for Halloween. Steven Dinote told KSAT they jokingly propped one up against a lawnmower, which gave his wife, Danielle, the idea of making the skeleton walk the dog the next day.

This led to a competition where the family members try to outdo one another with funny ideas.

"It started as a joke in October 2020 when everyone was home during the pandemic," Steven told Today. The displays became must-sees for the people in the neighborhood who would stroll by their house to see what the skeletons were up to each day.

“We didn’t realize how popular it got … we had neighbors all of a sudden walk on up and say ‘We love your display, we purposely change our walks just to see what you got,’” Dinote said. Since 2020, the skeleton display has expanded to four adults, a kid, a dog, a cat and a piranha-like fish.

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Haunting the human psyche since days of old.

Ghosts have been haunting stories across human culture since ancient times. Even in our modern age, with a scientific explanation for nearly every phenomenon once considered supernatural, many still believe specters of the past float among us.

Perhaps it’s a way to make sense of the unexpected, cope with loss or to create a universe that isn’t random and chaotic. On the other hand, no one really knows what awaits us on the other side—it’s all conceptual theories in the land of the living.

But whether or not ghosts are actually real, they can help us make meaning of life’s fragile existence and perhaps take a different view on death, reminding us that sometimes our legacy lives on long after we are gone.

Reddit user u/pyotrfojti asked people on the online forum to share experiences that made them believe in the paranormal, and the answers were certainly compelling. Even the biggest skeptic might get a kick out of these spooky stories. 'Tis the season, after all.

Here are nine of the best, most bone-chilling tales of the paranormal:

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