things I use to repeat incessantly, despite the fact that they gave me the heebie jeebies.

• "one fine day in the middle of the night, two dead boys got up to fight." from the poem two dead boys
• "one, two, freddy's coming for you. three, four, better lock the door. five, six, grab a crucifix. seven, eight, gonna stay up late. nine, ten, never sleep again." from a nightmare on elm street (1984)
• "now he's coming through the woods, now he's coming through the yard, now he's coming in the house, now he's coming up the stairs." from night visions (1.07)
• "a-tisket a-tasket, a victim in a casket."
• "ladybird, o fly now up into the sky now, hark to the drumming, now the turks are coming; hurry, hurry will you 'for they catch and kill you, pickle you in brine, tie you up with twine..."
• "yesterday, upon the stair, I met a man who wasn't there. he wasn't there again today. I wish, I wish he'd go away..." from antigonish
• "ring around the rosie, pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down."