Bloody Mary!

"If you look in a mirror and say "Bloody Mary" three times, she'll appear behind you and attack you!"
"You have to stand in front of the bathroom mirror, right, and say "Mary Worth" 13 times, all the while turning in a slow circle. Then look quickly in the mirror and you'll see her behind you."
"I believe in Mary Worth!"

Everyone knows one of these stories, remembers it from their childhood, right? I know I do. I know I believed it at the time, and that I used to feel sick with terror and excitement whenever I was near a mirror because of it. That compulsion to say her name, to test the credibility of the story and finally gain some acceptance in the eyes of the people at school - it was always there. But so was the terror that if I did allow myself to say it, I would see someone else in the mirror.
Part of my essay for Narratives this year is going to be looking at the tale of Bloody Mary/Mary Worth/Mary Worthington, and so I have been looking through a mega long essay (well, 14 pages, but that's long enough) by Alan Dundes about the significance of the myth and what it symbolises. While reading this thing, I came across this rather magnificent piece of information:

"In a fascinating discussion of the folklore of menstruation, it has been suggested that 'in folklore, the conclusion is that menstruation causes a woman to act like a witch'".

You hear that, ladies? Once a month we turn into evil, cackling monsters. Hmmmm...sounds like a story idea...