Count Frankland’s Funtastic Frighthouse and Fun Fair: Imagine yourself, this October, approaching as you have a hundred times, your local school and community centre with the intention of seeing what’s on the schedule. The streets are full of leaves and a cool wind is rustling the barren branches above your head. You make it within a hundred yards of your destination and you realize that all is not as usual, there is music; no sounds filling the air. You continue, intrigued. Suddenly a figure approaches, not something familiar, something strange! It’s a cloaked man on a two legged dragon-beast, wearing what appears to be armour. Ah! it’s Halloween time of year! This must be the Haunted House you have heard so much about!See some pictures from previous years. You allow this "knight" to guide you towards the nearby sounds. Wow! Your community centre has been transformed! The entrance is mysterious and cavernous in appearance with costumed actors and patrons milling about. Isn’t that your neighbour behind that mask? You swear it is and decide that THIS community event is worth investigating. The man on the beast leaves you at the door to the Frighthouse where you purchase your ticket and take your place in the queue. In line, you are entertained by local talent. The decor and props are more than you expcted and the eerie surroundings make you laugh a nervous laugh. Your skin feels a little clammy as you listen to the group ahead of you talking about their experience here the previous year. After a short wait you approach the actual entrance of the haunted house; your heart begins to throb in anticipation as you hear screams from behind the "gate". Finally, it's your turn to go! With three other strangers, the ghoul at the gate ushers you through. "It’s Bright! Isn’t it supposed to be dark?" You wonder as you enter the "Beetlejuice" room. Nothing is as it seems, it is so distorted and irregular that you have to consciously stand straight to avoid dropping onto the soft floor. Just as you feel you have adjusted to these bizarre surroundings, things begin to spin and "shake" and the "wizard of weird", Beetlejuice himself, appears and shows you a few special tricks of his own before ushering you along. After just enough time to recover from those "little tricks" the next room is before you! It becomes apparent that it is in fact a haunted house you have entered. The obscurred lighting and shadow show make it difficult to see, but once your eyes adjust, the scene before you makes you shiver. A full scale medieval laboratory with an operating table and creepy "witchstress" to match! Bubbling brew and rattling chains will be permanently imprinted in your mind and all the things that make you jump will leave a lasting impression. On to the Library Hallway where you don’t know what to expect until you reach the end. All the sci-fi books you have ever read could not prepare you for the trip to another world that awaits between the shelves. Alien bodies and glowing objects abound in this maze-like room. The atmosphere is somewhat calm and serene, but as soon as you‘ve relaxed enough to enjoy this amazing scene, surprise! You want to turn back, but press on to the jungle room. Yes, a full jungle with spiders, trolls and much more. Within seconds you jump again, should you run? What are the other three people in your group going to think? You jump again, it’s definitely time to pick up the pace! And then you duck through the jungle cavern exit into the Phantom scene, where more than one special effect sends you scurrying down the stairs to the touch-me-feel-me area of the haunted house. Although somewhat repulsive to the touch, you feel assured as sounds of children and adults laughing and talking, begin to fill the air. Just a few more steps and you are at the end of your frightful journey. To relax your nerves you choose to play a couple of rounds of bowl the pumpkin and a few other games, while savouring a Second Cup coffee and enjoying a Great Canadian Bagel before returning home. As you leave and do up your jacket to face the cool fall breeze, you
wave at the man on the beast and thank him for leading you here. The only
words that come to mind are "see you tomorrow, I’ll be back with some friends".
As you leave this unique community event a chill overcomes your body as
you realize how much you’ve enjoyed yourself, the few dollars you have
spent help assure that the underpriviledged schoolchildren in your community
will be properly fed throughout the cold winter months.
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