It is that time of the year again where all of the trees are starting to turn colors. Yes I’m talking about fall and some people even call it autumn. It’s always wonderful having the cool breeze of fall coming to visit the hairs on your arm. A simple little chill that just makes you shake but fall also brings something that makes you shiver. Yes throughout late September on through October, even in the beginning of November, the haunted houses will welcome guests into their buildings and down their trails.
There are many different people that take part in this celebration of fun. And everybody’s reaction is a little different as the sounds, the scenes and even smells are encountered by the guests that have accepted the challenge of going through.
The real challenge that can be accepted is the challenge that is in front of the actors and the make up artist. After the people have made the scenes, the actors in make up artists are the ones that can bring life to the scene. A haunted house is truly another form of artistic talent . From the ones that draw out the blueprints to make the structures all the way down to the final touch of a little speckle of paint on a paradise that makes it look like bloody fingerprints.
Every piece has a place where every person has an opportunity to truly show their artwork.
It is now opening night and the speakers are playing. The sounds as the actors are warming up their voices in stretching their muscles. There is a true love that goes into this performance. Every owner is hoping that the guests will love the show and want to talk about the show to others, which in turn will possibly get others curious and want to see the show.
The artistic talents of a person that tells an actor to sit down in a chair can clearly only be seen in the light. But for a make up artist at a haunted house, they know that some of their masterpiece that they create every night on actors will not get the full applause of the guests due to the lack of light. They know what colors to use and what shapes they know how to put on the prosthetics. Some of them even make their own to create these beasts that hide in the darkness. It is truly a balancing act, Between, artistic talent, and budgeting. what time they have to get one monster ready as the next is ready to sit down in the chair. Sometimes it’s easy with just putting a little make up on the face to give it an unrecognizable look while others call for the prosthetics. Even actors that wear a mask have to come see the makeup artist to have simple things like blackened eyes done so the color of their skin does not show through the mask.
The clowns are laughing and swinging giant hammers as the butcher fuels up the chainsaw and checks for its readiness. Nothing is better to an actor than the announcement of the first group coming down the trail or entering the building. Every character gets ready as they wait for that person to enter their area to see how they will perform. This is the time to show them how they will not break character and they will terrify or display their passion for acting skills, even if they are a victim.
The victim may be one of the characters that seems like the least fun, but the victim is one of the most important characters that you can find. Their performance brings everyone else’s performance to a new level. If the victim doesn’t look like they are scared or in pain, then it takes away from the true look of the killer.
Is there shaking nerves absolutely and it is not always from the guest. Some Haunt actors are terrified in the beginning as much as the guests are terrified to go through. Anxiety hits all levels. But once the first guest gets through everything seems to calm down just a little bit and the excitement for the next one makes itself very well known.
The ones with the chainsaw are at the ready with their hands on the post string handle. Is it time? Only the guest being in the right place can activate the passion and the Chase of the chainsaw through the scene. The one with the saw nose that you cannot do it too early and doing it too late is totally out of the question. They know that there will be a reaction
The clowns sit there twiddling their thumbs cracking jokes and laughing loudly. Do they have Boeing pins or do they have giant hammers? Every clown knows that they are different from every other. Their artistic talent has to be funny and fearful at the same time. Walking out as a clown to some is the easiest thing because to many it strikes fear when your face is painted up in your hair in the most oddly of directional colors. No Clown will ever laugh the same. You might have a he he he or even a ha ha ha. Sometimes the most terrifying clown is the one that says nothing as he walks towards you carrying a knife or perhaps a rubber chicken.
An old man sits on a porch that looks like he’s minding his own business, but he’s been waiting for the guests. He has made his scene exactly how he wants you to see it. Perhaps last year that scene was a bait shop but now it’s a moonshine steel And he’s not looking forward to you walking up and investigating what he has in his mason jars. Through his long white beard you can hear him yell at you telling you he’s going to make you disappear just like the other snoopers that came around. He’s not gonna let you talk to the authorities about him. Maybe the guest will make it through as he sits on the porch. Perhaps he’s even sleeping as the guests slowly take another step.
Into the darkness you walk as you can slowly start to hear a voice. Is this voice talking to you or talking to others? There’s now wonderful visitors going down a dirt path seeing a little girl in dirty clothes playing with dolls. This must be the sound that was heard earlier. The conversation gets a little more otter as you can clearly see there are dolls surrounding her, and some of them are missing heads while others have shattered faces.
A dark room that you enter and at first appears to be on fire, but no flames are to be seen, only smoke or even fog. This room is designed to be dark and not let light in and trap the fog. This room has got trees that have been handcrafted for you to feel like you are in the woods a dense fog. But there is a light a light that seems like it makes a wall in the fog. You walk down the path bumping into little structure walls that are underneath this light wall. It is a laser that is sending it slide out into the fog where you cannot see underneath. Inside the fog could be nothing or it could be a giant frog beast. let your imagination play until something brings up and then your imagination is not needed as there is something physically there now.
The biggest challenge is now coming into sight. You have made it past the monsters, the trap doors, the sites, the sounds and the smells. As you get through the last door or out of the path. The biggest challenge sits right there. No it is not the biggest monster. No it is not a witch trying to cast a spell on you. No it’s not even a guy with a chainsaw. Ready to chase you. It’s the concession stand and the gift shop. Will your wallet make it out alive?
Fae Corps Publishing 