Haunted house offers terrifying entertainment
My harrowing experience with the Airdrie Boys and Girls Club’s haunted house began weeks earlier when I interviewed Executive Director Denisa Sanness about what the organization had planned for this year’s event.
With the fantastic setting of Airdrie’s old RCMP detachment building and a team of staff and volunteers behind her, Sanness promised a spooky experience.
She certainly delivered.
Fueled by anticipation, imagination and previous haunted house experiences (which I have avoided for the past 20 years), my nerves were high heading to the opening night of the haunted house, Oct. 18. I was in good company, having a group of co-workers to accompany me (and hold my hand) during the frightening experience.
With trepidation I began my ghoulish experience outside the old detachment, with a group of VIPs and other local media types, gathering outside the entrance. Zombies and monsters roamed freely and approached us as we formed a queue to visit the haunted house.
Once inside, our group of six, including four City View reporters, were screened for contamination before being let into what our tour guide called “the safe house.” One girl didn’t make it and was dragged out by two evil-looking doctors. Upon entering, we saw her tied to a hospital gurney screaming while being attended to by the physicians.
Holding on tight to my friend Carolyn McTighe, we followed our guide down a narrow, dark passageway. Screams, thumps and other things that went bump in the night beset us on all sides.
Heart pumping we entered a large, pitch-black room that was completely silent save for our nervous laughter. Fearing the worst we huddled in a tightly knit group in that cavernous room. Once our host told us it was safe to leave and opened the door, we noticed ghostly creatures coming at us out of the dark. I am ashamed to say, I pushed a co-worker out of the way in my haste to leave the area.
Our tour continued. We were faced with a terrified Airdronian fleeing down the corridor, people dressed in rags sobbing in the corner and a host of zombies trying to escape a room, their desperate hands silhouetted behind a brightly lit window.
Losing all track of time, we entered cells with zombies, desperate to escape, and a contaminated being encapsulated in a barrel, struggling to get out.
Our final experience was a gloomily lit passage, which led to a medieval-like surgery. Inside was a chainsaw-wielding man, whom we scrambled away from in terror as we vacated the house. The tour of the safe house took about 10 minutes, but there was so much terror and laughter packed into those few minutes that I won’t soon forget them.
All four of us experienced high heart rates, and myself in particular suffered from a hoarse voice, which I got from screaming in terror as zombies jumped out at me, or one of the other media-types poked me in the back!
Although it took quite a bit of chamomile tea to calm myself enough to sleep, it was a thrilling experience and one I shared with great friends.
If you haven’t yet visited this year’s haunted house, I urge you to take the opportunity. Organizers did an amazing job, making it enjoyable for everyone – even this scaredy cat.
For more information and a complete list of dates and admission fees, visit www.airscares.com
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