You're walking down a
dark hallway with a lantern flickering in the distance. The sound of
screams and squeals deafen in the darkness. The musty smell and cool dampness
in the air run shivers down your spine. As you try to find your way around a
maze of corners, you grapple with the thought that something gruesome is about
to appear or possibly won't appear. This anticipated fear can be a love/hate
euphoria feeling when going through a Halloween
Haunted House.
Haunted Houses have
always been popular with young and the old. People will actually wait in
line just so they can SCREAM! They
want the experience of creepy monsters, gory ghouls and evil creatures scaring
them silly.
Also in the
lineup, are the protectors, the smug jokesters and the big "fear nothing" tough
guys. The event is all for
pure entertainment and a celebrated Halloween tradition for some.
However, in my
experience, what's even better than a good scream is, without a doubt, being
the one on the reverse side. The one MAKING you scream. Yep, I was the
ugly spook lurking in corners and following behind you in the darkness.
Each night I performed my menacing role, I would apply hideous makeup and bloody scars to make my look as ghoulish as possible.
I volunteered for a
Twin Cities haunt called Ramsey County Fright Farm
and it was the most unusual, strangely fun and weird experience I've had.
Once I transformed into my sinister makeup and shabby clothing, it wasn’t hard to take on a creepy
persona. It was time to freak out teenagers and make grown men scream like little girls. These were the best moments of haunting.
I would lurk behind
hidden doors and unseen entryways waiting in the dark for the next target. Then
quietly appear walking closely and unsuspectingly without saying a word. Once they realized it wasn't their companion standing next to them, there’d be a shrill and a startled leap. I'd
shift swiftly behind a wall and appear again on the other side only to have them scream again.
After terrifying about
1000 visitors each night, I observed some common incidents and reactions from
individuals that helped me to discover –
What not to do when going through a Haunted House:
Don't ask for the way
out, where's the secret passageway or what's behind curtain #1? Ummm…really? You won’t
get an answer to any of these questions.
The plan is to keep you lingering in the house of horror as long as
possible. We won’t reveal secrets or
hidden doors. However, if someone is
completely paralyzed with fear, emergency exists are the exception. This does happen.
Don't eat Taco Bell
before going to a haunted house. Leaving a Trail of Terror of your own is not cool.
I can’t believe how many people will rip a ripe one or drop a silent killer while
in a haunted house. I've even heard stories of soiled underwear sightings. Now
that's scary!
Don't bother to tell
the haunter they’re ugly. Duh! We know
already! We try our best to be as ugly and grotesque as possible. We
take it as a compliment and it will only boost our scare-worthy confidence.
Don't try to hook up
with the haunter. This was a big
eye opener for me. I had bizarrely too many offers to meet up later, hop on the
party bus, called baby and sweet stuff; then asked if I liked chains in bed.
Seriously, it took all I could not to laugh.
Don’t overdo stink potions and booze. If people aren't
fanning a Trail of Terror, then some
are drenched in Juicy Couture or Nautica. Additional odors are ones soused in Tanqueray,
Johnny Walker or Old Milwaukee. The
aromas I had to endure were frightening!
Don't fall through a wall. Enter at your own risk and whatever you do just
keep a forward motion. Don’t plummet
backwards. Unfortunately, there are times when fear knocks a person right off
their feet into a nearby wall. It’s times
like these; you should take the helping hand of remorseful witch.
Don't laugh your way
through. This
could possibly haunt you at the end. Some show their fears through laughter,
but even if it really is a cake walk, these are the people we make efforts to spook
the most. I found the more arrogant they
are the quicker they run.
Hey grown men! Don’t
use your 6 year old kid as a shield.
In fact, don't bring your 6 year old kid! There's a low scare version for little tikes.
Don't be a jackass and
ruin the experience for others. That's it! Just don't be a jackass!
Last but not least – Don’t
punch or slap the haunter. This was a lesson learned
from a personal encounter. I found when poking out from a hidden room and leading
with a Long Latex Witch Nose, that it
left me vulnerable to having the thing slapped right off my face.
It was a close call
and I just fell short of being cold cocked!
It certainly made for one of the best fearful reactions ever and was actually
the first time that someone took me by surprise.
So, after picking up
my nose from the gritty floor, I decided to call it a night. After all, what’s
a witch without her repulsive wart nose?
As the evening came to
an end, I deemed it a successful and frightful night then clutched my latex nose,
grabbed by broom and flew home.
Take the list of DON’T’S and do as you may with them, but if
nothing else...enjoy and appreciate all the work that volunteers do to make the
Halloween experience happen. Then, of
course, DO SCREAM! The
Haunters Love That!
The one and only time I ever braved a "haunted house" Pin Head tried to touch my shoulder and I took him out. I have never gone into one since. I think he lost a few pins.
ReplyDeleteOh Sasha I don't blame you for your reaction. We were always told not to touch the visitors, but I certainly knew of people getting too close and getting punched. I luckily, just lost my "fake" nose! That was a little too close for comfort for me. Happy Halloween :)
DeleteI've never had the courage to enter one of those haunted houses. I'm such a chicken. This was hilarious, told through the eyes of the haunter. It goes to prove even zombies have feelings! Who knew?
ReplyDeleteHmmm, not sure about zombies, but this witch did feel badly when a young girl smashed through a wall. However, I must admit, once I knew she was o.k. I did feel somewhat satisfied with my scare efforts. Lol
DeleteHow funny and interesting to see the 'scarer's' point of view! I haven't been to one in years, my girls hate them, lol!
ReplyDeleteMy last visit to a haunted house was in college, 30-something years ago... Went with a friend, and she got so scared she grabbed my hand and wouldn't let go. I was frightened but had a little bit clearer head and kept telling myself "it's just acting..." She got frantic, though, and seriously almost pulled my thumb out of joint. It took a couple weeks for that to stop hurting. Haven't gone back to one since... (Carol A, a high school classmate of yours, Laurie.)
ReplyDeleteHi Carol! I think you either love 'em or hate 'em (Haunted Houses). Even though it is just acting, it's still seems very creepy and real. Sounds like your experience wasn't exactly a "thumbs up" one! LOL So glad you stopped by and thanks for your comments.
DeleteI'm a bit of a chicken when it comes to anything scary - haunted houses, sideshow rides, bungee jumping etc - you'll never see me anywhere near them - but it was interesting to see it from the haunter's side!
ReplyDeletePS - just saw my blog on your sidebar - I feel very honoured :) xx
DeleteI would NEVER do bungee jumping either! Glad you found my story interesting. Also, I like to share the love of some of my fave bloggers. :)
DeleteYeah. Whispering "Don't scare me, K?" with every step doesn't work. At all.
ReplyDeleteNope, Diane, I would imagine that had the opposite reaction. Lol :)
DeleteSo funny. I can tell you enjoy being a haunter. Taco farts. Hmm. Good to know. I'm a big chicken.
ReplyDeleteRebecca, I had no idea what I was about to experience being the haunter, definitely an event I won't forget. So glad you stopped by and that it tickled your funny bone. hehe ;)
DeleteMy brother went into one and had to be dragged out the front while I walked through when I was 3 years old and he was 16 years old
ReplyDelete