I got back from a quick lunch at Panera to discover that the lights in our office building were out! It’s been incredibly windy all day, so I guess the storm blew the power lines around. The main traffic light across the street was out, too. And, as I often whine, I have a windowless office . . . and with only a tiny security light to keep us safe, Brandon, Sandy and I hunkered down for about a half hour waiting for order to be restored — and our lamps and computers to come back to life.

So, reclining in the near pitch-black, what could we possibly do to fill the time?

We told scary stories, of course!

Well, by “told scary stories,” I mean rehashing the plots of the creepiest movies we’ve ever seen — culminating in the acting out of some of said terrifying scenes. Sandy’s votes for scariest movies ever include “Children of the Corn” and “The Village”; Brandon is not a fan of “Predator” or the Jason films. I don’t like anything creepy at all, period — and I really hated “The Ring.” I know, most people thought it was stupid . . . but watching it during a theater lock-in in high school, shifting about in a huge, cold and darkly empty auditorium with that creepy undead girl climbing around on the giant projector screen, I was terrified! I think I watched most of it from the tops of my eyelids, staring at my lap.

Rehashing all the gore and psychologically terrifying plots we’ve been privvy to over the years was pretty fitting right before Halloween. My sister has long been afraid of “Edward Scissorhands,” and I actually cringe when “Hocus Pocus” comes on — Bette Midler screeching with those gigantic teeth for the “BOOOOOOK!” And I don’t like seeing people being hanged (not that anyone enjoys that!) — it really disturbs me. So the opening sequence is just a little too much.

But it was a fun, tiny break from the routine! Everything came back on about an hour later and we had to then work double-time to get everything to press as scheduled. But all’s well that ends well — and now I’m thinking about all sorts of creepy things.