Dancing on the ceiling.

Picture the scene- I'm half dressed. Sleepy. Wet (ish). And just about to apply a liberal coating of antiperspirant to my armpits, when suddenly, from out of nowhere (actually, somewhere to the right of me), a hand touches my back. I jumped miles. Frankly, it's a miracle that the roll-on didn't go up my nose, I jumped that much. "A" had snuck up on me and "ninja-like" applied the touch of death. I fucking crapped myself.
"Who did you think it was?" she asked while giggling.
"A SCARY DEAD JAPANESE GIRL WITH LONG HAIR, THAT'S WHO." I replied, while trying to release my grip from my Lynx Africa (tm).
This is at least the second time that "A" has scared the crap out of me. The pregnancy scares aside (joking), they have both been pretty scary for me. And I blame this on one thing, and one thing only. A creepy little Asian horror film called Ring.
Now, I have always enjoyed horror films. I like a good scare, and the plot freedom for these films is something that my imagination can run free in. You don't really have to explain how the monster is there, it just IS. The dead girl that's come back to avenge her torture and murder? She's doing so because she CAN. Ok?
But following on from these recent scares, I have realised that now, when confronted with something scary in the dark, I instantly think of the girl from the Ring book and movie. See? It's a book now as well.
Anyway. On both occasions, I instantly think:
"ARGH! SCARY DEAD JAPANESE GIRL WITH LONG HAIR!"
Is this it?
Is this the thing that I am now most scared of?
Cancer and anal rape aside, this is now what my mind thinks of when it is in the dark and afraid.
I have seen countless horror films, read countless novels, slain MILLIONS of zombies in Resident Evil, Silent Hill etc, yet when I get scared or surprised (in a bad way, not birthday party kind of way), I now think of that little dead girl, Sadako. And I'm not alone. Many of my friends hate that film because of that girl. Steve now insists on covering his eyes during the end scene of that film. You know what I'm talking about. It's just genuinely creepy. I know it's just a film. But the image is enough to stay in my head long, long after the film is over.
When you get grabbed by an unseen hand, or something jumps out at you, is it a reflex, or does your mind go "SCARY DEAD JAPANESE GIRL WITH LONG HAIR!"
I know what mine does.