Haunted House

In the late 1960's -

Every Halloween my brothers and sisters and I would dress up using props around the house, throw a pillow case over our shoulders, and go trick-or-treating. We walked to neighboring homes before piling into the station wagon for mom to take us to the main drag where the houses were closer together. She dropped us off periodically and we would run to and from each house until there was a long break in houses. There was a lot of activity on the main road with monsters, ghosts, goblins, witches, zombies, hobo's, and pirates. Car brake lights lit up the dark street and made it easier to see the little creatures darting back and forth across the street. The trees lining the street were large and seemed to reach high to the black sky. I imagined a witch, on her broomstick, flying across the sky in front of the full yellow moon. Halloween was be-witching and mystical! Leaves swirled around us as we ran from house to house. I remember the distinct smell of musty leaves and ripening apples in the air, the feel of a cold chill, frightening jack-o-lanterns lit up on every doorstep, and the sound of dry leaves crunching beneath my feet. Walking through ankle deep dry leaves was the best part of trick-or-treating! Collecting candy was a close second!

There were two very memorable houses midway up main street on the east side of the road. Big, towering, monstrous trees loomed in the foreground, casting a dark shadow across the lawn of Ms. Rowley's house. She was my fifth grade teacher. Candles flickered cheerily in various sizes of orange jack-o-lanterns all lined up on the large front porch's cement railing. We knocked on the door, and yelled in unison, "trick-or-treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat!" The door opened up to a well lit and inviting and yummy smelling living room. Like apples and cider. Miss Rowley wore bright red lipstick and had a cheery smile on her face. I really liked her. And I always dreamed of living in her home!

Just to the north of the Rowley home was a house that sat back slightly in a field. The Topolovec home. It was an unusually large home for our town. The outside was a dingy grayish white with architecture that reminded me of Herman Munster's home on The Adam's Family. The house was Victorian style and it looked creepy. It was the only house in Spring Glen that looked like that. I always felt apprehensive about trick-or-treating there, although I did with the moral support of my siblings. A youngster can imagine all sorts of "things that go bump in the night!" with such a long walk to the front door of that house. I thought it as the haunted house of Spring Glen. 

Fast forward 20 years later to the late 1980's -

The Topolovec home was going to be torn down! And before the scheduled date, they turned it into a haunted house for Halloween. I always knew it was the Haunted House of Spring Glen!

I was separated from my husband and had moved back to Spring Glen - my hometown. A friend and I were up to having the daylights spooked out of us so we made a date to go to the Haunted House. The line to get in was long and as we inched closer to the front door all I could think of is how creepy the house had always appeared to me. My anticipation and anxiety grew with each step. This was the first real Haunted House I had ever been to. And it did not disappoint!

I think I winced, screamed, and jumped at everything I saw, felt and heard. I grabbed on to my friend and never let her go. Sticky cobwebs, slimy eyeballs and brains, vampires rising from their coffins, zombies with pale faces, mists of fog, chains clanging, saws grinding, howls and hoots, and eeiry music gave a ghastly feel to the atmosphere already draped in darkness. As we went from room to room another frightening creature slithered out of the shadows, sending us clamoring for safety. Only to be greeted by the dark side again!

It probably took 20 minutes or so to go through, from start to finish. It was the best and scariest Haunted House I have ever been through. Nothing to date has compared! My hometown - population less than 1000, knew how to totally creep you out! I will never forget the Topolovec House. The Haunted House of Spring Glen!

What creeps you out?

Writing prompt #2: Write about something that creeps you out?

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