What’s your most memorable Halloween experience?

My most memorable Halloween was playing hide-and-seek with my dad on our farm. With only moonlight guiding me, he’d vanish behind camouflage netting hidden among old oaks and pines. As a little kid, I thought he could disappear into thin air. That mystery still stays with me.

Tell us why you would make it to the end of a horror movie.

I’d survive because I know horror from the opening scene to the final scare. I read my surroundings, listen for the theme music, and think like I’m living the movie. Decades of horror and hands-on electrical know-how give me brains, strength, and the skills to improvise. Horror Survival 101 through advanced: pay attention, understand the threat, and keep moving. I’m not scared of things that go bump in the night. I make my own noise.

What would you do with the unlucky $13,000?

I’d put that unlucky $13,000 to good use: pay a bill or two, then finally take the real hero—my fiancée—on the vacation she deserves. She’s been beside me through life’s scariest chapters. It’s time to trade a few nightmares for a dream getaway together.

Who is your real-life hero who you would want to survive a horror movie with?

My real-life hero is my fiancée, Michelle. We’ve stood by each other through life’s scariest chapters, and I’d bet on us surviving any horror movie—and making our own happy ending. She’s my hero, alongside the single moms, single dads, and everyday people keeping it together. Sometimes the scariest things aren’t vampires or werewolves. They’re people and ordinary life. Showing up anyway takes courage.