My night started with a nearly two-hour wait for the Haunted Hayride.
I knew the lines were going to be long, but still, I had cross country practice earlier that day, so my legs were already tired. Despite the line, the wait wasn’t boring. Actors wearing elaborate costumes and face paint walked through the line scaring unsuspecting people. Those checking their phones or turning their backs to the crowd as they talked with friends were the most common targets. Although I didn’t fall victim to one of these “surprises,” my friends’ screams scared me more than the actors’ colored contacts did.
Finally, we reached the front of the line and took our seats among a large group of – wait for it – middle schoolers. Despite that little detail, the hay ride was actually pretty scary. Masked actors jumped out from behind the set-up, screaming or shouting things like “You look so delicious,” and “What? Are you scared?” which doesn’t sound very intimidating, but it takes on a new meaning when they happen to be holding a chainsaw that they like to swing a little too close to your face.
At one point my friend, making reference to one of the actors approaching the wagon, yelled, “Is she carrying a gun? Guys it’s a gun!” The person, walking alongside the wagon, replied with something along the lines of, “What did you think this was? A gun? [laughs] [moves closer] It’s a stick,” after which she proceeded to hold up a something that resembled a tree branch. It was hard to tell under all her make-up, but I think she took pride in her sass.
After that adventure, we stepped in line for the KarnEvil, which is essentially a bunch of clowns that like to follow you around like the childhood fear that they are. In terms of scariness, it was a step up from the Hayride in that the actors weren’t blocked by a wagon and could get as close to people as they wanted.
The KarnEvil began with a maze. Actors ran through the setup scaring people and, in some cases, trapping them in dead ends. After the maze came a series of rooms (I don’t want to spoil their setup; it’s more fun if you don’t know what’s coming next), all complete with their scares and circus-themed decorations.
To save the scariest for last, we decided to make our final destination the House of Horror. Longer and more elaborate than KarnEvil, it definitely earned its title. I may have thought this because I ended up at the front of the group (not by choice I promise), but many other people agreed, it was frightening. Each room came with its own elaborate décor and haunted surprises, including a man with a chainsaw that sent people running out the exit. The actors had more hiding places, and the dummies scattered throughout kept us guessing at who was real and who was fake.
I wasn’t completely unprepared for my night of haunted houses and the elaborate get-in-your-face paint. Last year was my first time at Scream Zone, so I’d like to think I have at least a little experience, but that didn’t stop me from screaming and clinging to my friend when a zombie or a clown jumped out from their hiding place.