Haunted Houses on Halloween
Rose Students Get SpookedBY EMMIE BARNHILL OCTOBER 28TH 2014
As trick-or-treaters make their way down the streets on Halloween, many will pass especially creepy looking homes, yards and fields. Adorned with glowing pumpkins and spooky ghost figures, the haunted areas stay open to the public for one night only each year.
A neighborhood resident, Doug Barlow, puts together a show in his backyard. In early September, Barlow begins to set up his fenced in backyard. Temporary hallways and rooms are built. Dozens of actors come to scare those who are brave enough to venture behind the black curtains. Barlow does everything he can to ensure that few people make it through the house without being spooked. He asks surrounding homeowners to keep all outdoor lights off. He makes sure the actors are all in costume, and have rehearsed their performance in the days leading up to the 31st. Halloween fanatics from all over Greenville will make the trip to see Barlow’s haunted house. School buses and carloads of kids get dropped off at his door. “A ton of people come from different neighborhoods,” Owens said. Since fourth grade, Owens has gone with a group of her friends. They all meet out in the front yard of the house, then get in line to enter. A group of about eight people are permitted to go in at one time. There is a guide, usually some sort of creepy scientist or witch, that leads the group. From entrance to exit, the haunted experience takes about 10 minutes. Screams and shrieks can be heard from outside the fence. Owens thinks that the sounds make waiting to go in much more nerve wracking. For a more hands on experience, Junior Micaiah Teel visits Iornwood. According to Teel, unlike most haunted houses, the actors in this show are allowed to come in contact with the people who choose to enter. Like Owens, Teel has been going to this particular haunted house for a long time. “I have been going since I was nine years old,” Teel said. Sometimes the house is too frightening for all of his friends to enter. “I mostly go with the same people but it depends on who is scared and who is not,” Teel said. Teel’s favorite part of the house is at the very end of the tour. Just before leaving, actors come out of the dark and spray the exiting attendees with fake blood. This grand finale can make for a dramatic exit. Senior Khalelah Chanakira used to make the trip to Briley’s haunted corn maze on Halloween. It has been a few years since they last operated, but some of Chanakira’s favorite scary memories took place there. “I used to go every year with my friends, but then it closed,” Chanakira said. Since the maze was a short distance from the parking lot at Briley's Farm, there was a hay ride to get the the maze entrance. “It was nice to relax for a second before you got as scared as crap,” Chanakira said. Actors dressed up as characters from scary movies popped up out of nowhere. Screams could be heard all throughout the night. “I love a good scare,” Chanakira said. That is why Briley’s Haunted Corn Maze was so perfect for Chanakira. She was brought to tears one year because she was so frightened. Getting spooked and spooking others is an exciting part of Halloween for many Rose students. Some will be attending haunted houses around town this year, while others will spend time rehashing scary memories. |
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