I remember a movie I attended in a theater many years ago. It was a romantic thriller. I munched from a container of popcorn as the tension ramped up and love scenes grew steamier. Then the female lead, for whatever reason, crept down the stairs in the dark toward the front door. No. Don’t. Not a good idea. The front door was glass at the top, but fogged so the character, and the audience, could not see what was on the other side. Was there a shadow? Maybe. Did the shadow move? Not sure. A fist slammed through that glass panel. The audience expected something to happen, but the impact of fist with glass was so sudden and so loud, there was a collective gasp. I jumped. My right hand flew toward my mouth, flinging popcorn at the moviegoers sitting behind me. I’m not sure anyone noticed. That’s why characters do stupid things in books and movies. Fear…or terror…leads to bad decisions, often making a situation worse instead of better. The reader or movie fan is happy with th...