Are you a horror writer looking for the next big thing to thrill your readers? Sometimes all you have to do is look to the deep.
I love vampires, ghosts and ghouls as much as the next gal, but I’m always trying to come up inventive ways to give my readers the creeps.
When I read about the Cystisoma, a type of crustacean, I felt a tingling in the part of my brain that looks for oddities that could possibly terrify.
Photo by Laura Bagge / Duke University
Okay, so upon first glance, a sea creature that doesn’t look much different when compared to a lobster or roach-type thing might not seem scary to anyone other than those with a seafood allergy, but look closer my friends. And indeed…you must…because the Cystisoma, although a solid creature, has a unique ability – INVISIBILITY!
That’s right, folks. This insect-like creature has a shell made up up tiny spheres with a unique coating that is able to cancel out 99.9% of light reflections.
Think about that for a minute the next time you want to write about a new creature of the night. Imagine a being that is able to reflect light well enough that you don’t even see it coming.
Think about that sense of dread you get walking down a dark street at night, when you swear you hear something; when you would bet your life on the fact that there’s some unexplained something close by. So close that you can hear it breathing…right behind you…
Photo © K.J. Osborn