Welcome to the fourth annual installment of Whispers in the Fog.  We started this chapter of our Halloween Haunt coverage as a way for a handful of Knott's monsters to share their experience with fans on a nightly basis.

Long before blogs were popular or even done, there was Whispers in the Fog.  This feature has become the top-viewed portion of our Haunt coverage each year, with nearly 100,000 people reading Whispers since it began three years ago.  Today, Whispers in the Fog has expanded to encompass each Haunt maze and attraction at the Scary Farm.

This is a test of will, stamina and determination.  We begin this year with representatives from each maze and attraction whispering in our ears.  By the end of the run, we hope to have everyone still whispering - it's not an easy task.  Imagine working Halloween Haunt each night only to come home not to crash into bed, but sit in front of your computer, writing in detail about the night's events; it's asking a lot of these individuals, we know.  We also know how much our readers appreciate and love this feature.

As the fog rises from the cracks in the ground in Calico, the wind whistles through the eaves and slinks through the trees.  Spirits of the past rise into the dark sky and if one listens closely, something can be heard.  Distant screams?  Perhaps.  The heavy breathing of a monster lurking in the shadows?  Probably.  Listen closer... do you hear it?  Whispers.  Whispers of the damned coming from all areas of the Farm.. a vampire's hiss.  A pirate's chuckle.  A werewolf's growl.  For the next month, all of these voices will join in unison to create a chorus from Hell that will bring you closer than you've ever been to crossing the line - to the other side.

Ssssshhhh... listen now...

Whisper from Lore of the Vampire:

There have been weeks upon weeks of waiting.  I have spent so many of my waking hours thinking about it; planning what I will do.  The things I will say.  How I will look.  What I will wear.  The motions I'll go through to get my first scare.  Becoming a monster has been a dream of mine for so many years; it's hard for my small mind to fathom that a day from now I'll unfold my monster wings for the first time.

And all of this boils down to one thing: I am petrified.  I know I'll do fine.  I was born for this.  But the looming threat of my dress rehearsal has become ever more tangible.  Now, I taste the fog every time I close my eyes.  I feel the walls under my finger tips.  I hear the pleasant sound of screams as I wake up.  The anticipation has become a sort of sweet torture; I crave it now.  And there is a place inside me that knows I will crave it forever more.

I am ready for this.  I can do this.  I will become an even better monster than I could ever conceive.

And tomorrow is only my test drive.

Whisper from Carnival of Carnivorous Clowns From Outer Space:

Re-hire is completed.

Orientation has been done.

Dress rehearsal awaits.

Soon the hallways of C3 will be filled with the screams of horror as my fellow clowns and me wreck havoc in the paint splattered hallways of our home for the month.

Some things have changed this year; most for the better some for the worse.

But I am ready both physically and mentally.  My Haunt box is packed and I am ready to work the magic of bringing people to tears and help the two rookies in my rooms to become real Scary Farm monsters.

The anxiety I experienced my rookie year has been replaced by excitement for the coming month.

We have a great group this year; a good mix of seasoned vets and a good group of anxious new faces.

I can't wait!

Whisper from Hatchet High:

I took one last walk around Knott’s yesterday.  Taking in a last look at everything though the eyes of a guest.  I walked over to my maze, Hatchet High, where I will be soon enough, unleashing an entire year’s-worth of pent-up energy on unsuspecting, yet willing victims.   It doesn’t feel as though 11 months have passed since I last roamed those halls.  Many have returned to Hatchet this year; many familiar faces at orientation last week.  I was thrilled to see my old classmates once again!

I am ready.  My Haunt bag is packed and I’m anxiously waiting for these last few days to pass.  Time has seemingly slowed down though, so these last few days are going to feel like an eternity!

I am looking forward to seeing how it will all come together this year.   Some great monsters have returned and we have plenty new bloodthirsty rookies awaiting their turn to raise some hell!  I think it’s going to be a great year for Hatchet.  We got off to a slow start last year but I think this year will be our year to really shine!

I hope the guests are prepared for what lurks in these bloody halls.  See you on the other side of the ever-thinning veil.  Until then...

Whisper from Curse of the Spider:

Thursday it all begins, but Tuesday is dress rehearsal.  It's my first year working Haunt.  I haven't even been inside the park in five years and now I'm gonna be working there!  Orientation night was last week and I got to meet who I was going to be working with and got to walk through the park when all of the guests left; it has definitely changed.

I am so excited to be working Haunt this year, I have even been practicing at work.  I almost got yelled at by my store manager because I scared the crap out of him and everyone else in the computer room.  Whoops!   Didn't know he was in there!  Oh well.  Ha!   Got ya!

I can't wait until it actually starts, but rehearsal will be fun 'cause I will get to tackle some of my friends that are doing a walk-through.  The bad thing is, I won't get to go see the pirate maze I've heard so much about it the last few weeks.

I hope the maze gets finished in time.  The last thing I want to deal with is to have some painter by my feet while I am trying to scare (woooooh - wet paint scary!  It'll ruin your clothes).  That just isn't how I want it to go down.  Anyway, I am gonna have fun so, I ask you to do the same.  I'll see you there!

Whisper from CarnEVIL:

Ah, it is just a few days away!  What, you ask, is so close it makes my heart beat a little faster, quickens my step and makes me smile?  Well, it is Knott's Berry Farm's Halloween Haunt.

I've been a part of Haunt since '98.  I've worked in the same general area, but this year there is a change.  I have moved from the frying pan into the fire and joined the streets of the Boardwalk!

So again, I find myself as a rookie.  While I have time as a monster in a maze, this year I approach the coming Haunt with both excitement and dread.

Excitement because love this job with all its ups and downs.  I love the satisfaction of performing behind a mask and giving guests what they've paid for.  A sudden burst of fear, the rush from having something dark jump out at them.  Even the guests who lash out are a common factor; some people react negatively to being scared.  I take those guest as they come and try to not let them ruin my fun for the evening.

Dread comes from being a rookie all over again; having the eyes of the veterans upon me while I go about my job.  I have talked to a few and have taken the hints and suggestions to heart.  I will give it my all, that is for sure.  I'm just getting jitters before Opening Night and at the fear of falling flat on my face, literally.

So come September 30, I will be there, ready to perform for the crowds and prove myself worthy of my place out in the streets of Knott's Scary Farm.

Whisper from Red Moon Massacre:

Well, here it is; the day before dress rehearsal.  I am excited and can't wait to get into character.  I have spent the last day or so getting everything I will need to work Haunt.  Fabreez, baby powder, blackout makeup, MONSTER drink - yup - I think that's just about it!  I have worked Haunt for a while now... under five years.  Each year, the excitement is the same; it never gets old.  We have a kickass Red Moon Massacre family and we will be ready for all visitors to the Mountain.

From the first time I worked Haunt, ALL "Haunt people" have been very friendly and helpful.  We have the "Haunt Family" and then we are families within our mazes and rides.  It's a great feeling to know I am part of such a great group of people.  I look forward to seeing all of you some place in the Mountain.  I am sure I will see YOU way before you see me!

Whisper from Red Beard's Revenge:

Well, children... here we go again!  It's that time of year.  Now, I don't know how y'all prepare for this little party, but here's my checklist:

1.   Music sets the mood.  Time to break down and put together a playlist for the month.  Being stuck in traffic on the way to the Farm is enough to get me riled up enough, but I need something to truly put me in the right frame of mind.  Such great artists as Dio, Iron Maiden, Marilyn Manson, AFI, Avenged Sevenfold and HIM.  I will listen to nothing else but these artists for the duration of Haunt.

2.   Black-out make-up.  Gotta buy your own.  Pink-eye is horrid.  Never share.

3.   Okay, well there were only those two big ones.  Never mind the #3.

This is my one month vacation from sanity.  I've been waiting for this since the beginning of the year.  It's an unscratchable itch.  Endlessly watching the TPA videos from years past probably hasn't helped, either, but it's almost here.  Only a matter of hours and we'll be in dress rehearsals.  Only a matter of days and Haunt will officially be underway.

Until then...

Whisper from The Asylum:

Hello!   Well, let's start off by saying this... I am a rookie.  Yes, I know... tragic.  But that means I have many Haunt memories to come.   And lucky you, I get to share them with you.  Everything I experience will be new and exciting.  I can't wait!

This year, you will find me (if you can) in the halls of the Mangler Asylum.   I can't wait!  Did I mention I can't wait?  Dress rehearsal is in two days.  And guess what?

I can't wait!

Whisper from The Swamp:

It's sort of amazing that Haunt is only a few days away.  Three days from now, I'll begin my fifth year at Haunt; something I never thought would have an effect on my life like it has.

It has brought tears of joy, tears of sorrow and so many things in between.   However, no matter how things turn out, I'll keep coming back as long as I can and every night I'll be ready for whatever may lie ahead.   I'll be there, waiting in the dark like a nightmare standing in the corner of your room in the middle of the night, waiting in between the moonlight stabbing through your window and the shadows cutting across your walls.

The question is no longer, "Am I ready for this year?"

The only question that still remains is, are you?

Whisper from Blood Bayou:

This will be my fourth Haunt and I love every minute of it and would not trade it for anything.

I was a vampire for three years and now I have moved on to expand my experience as a monster.  I am a little nervous about this year; I am in a different maze with new people and a new team.  It's like I am starting all over again, BUT, I am confident this will be a year to remember, as I am with some of my dearest friends.

I have also met a few of the people I will be working with; some have taken a liking to me and I have already spotted who will be the ones I will enjoy working with and who my friends and I will have to grow to like.   This is the case with any area you work in.  No matter, Haunt is Haunt, and I love every person there.

So here we go!  HAVE AN AWESOME YEAR, EVERYONE!  AND BE SAFE...

Whisper from Jaguar - Temple of Sacrifice:

It may be my first year as a monster, but I can already feel the excitement of Haunt deep within my bones, clawing at me, screaming to unleashed upon the world!

I have wanted to work Haunt as long as I can remember.  When I was younger, my house was the one that all the neighborhood kids either boldly faced, or cowered in fear of.  I made an entire graveyard, heavy make-up... I looked like a vampiric mannequin inside of my little spray-painted cardboard coffin.  Until people leaned over  - closer, closer, closer...

"Is it real?"

"I don't know."

The woman moves to poke me.

I jump up and scream, they scream and run.  It was beautiful.  Sometimes, I even made children cry.  I think I earned more candy on Halloween than I gave away.  Thus, Haunt is my only sensible next step.

I have known a good handful of veteran monsters for a few years now; they always rave about how great it is.  Well, this year, I am finally in a position that allows me the time to work Haunt.  I did apply late, and was put in Jag, but I have a good feeling that Jag will not retain last year's reputation - NO SIR!  Why, you ask?  Because we have a great staff, a different layout and me, of course!

Dress rehearsal begins in 17 hours - I fear that I will have difficulty sleeping tonight.  Until tomorrow...

Whisper from The Gauntlet:

Where to begin, where to begin.

Well, how about this morning when I wrote my log for the day at work, saved it on a disk and promptly left it on my way out?  So hey, that must mean it wasn't good enough for all you adoring fans and fate had to intervene!   Anyway enough about that; you've all come to read about Haunt and me.

Well, first let me start by saying that I'm seriously unprepared for Thursday night.  I've had so much to do that I have nothing ready.  Tomorrow after work and before the preview, I may just hit a mad scramble to locate all my gear.

This year in The Gauntlet - a place i've called my home for a few years, we have a very good group of people.  Only four rookies, but all of them seem as if they will fit nicely into the puzzle.  I'm amazed at how fired up many of you are out there.  I know for me personally reading your posts and interacting through various message boards, I've gotten fired up about this year.

Many new fans are stepping up to fill the ranks left vacant by some of our ex-fans/rookies.  Though they cross the veil to join us, and though many have stepped forward to replace them as fans, in a way, some of them can never be replaced and there shall always be a slight void without them.

And speaking of voids there are a few who shall not return to the veil this year for one reason or another.  They too, shall be missed greatly by us all.  One in particular stands out, for he shall never walk the streets of Calico again.  And while his loss has saddened us and been a blow to our family, it has brought us even closer and ignited a flame in me and many others as we go out to put on a great show this year so he and those others he has now joined have something more entertaining than fluffy clouds and harp music.  As they look down upon us, they shall see those they have taught, those they have helped to create spread their wings and wreak havoc on all you fans and guests.

Well, I grow weary and I still have yet another day of work to attend before Haunt so I must rest.  Goodbye for now!

Whisper from Red Moon Massacre:

All day, I kept looking at my watch.  I can't wait to get off work and head to Haunt.  FINALLY the time came to leave and I jumped on the freeway and headed to Haunt.

The funniest thing happened - I was listening to the radio and guess what song came on?  SUPER BEAST!  It totally put me into more of a Haunt mood!

As I got closer to Knott's, I felt the excitement grow.  I parked, met some friends and we walked to Warehouse P.  It's so fun to talk and laugh the whole way.  As we approached Warehouse P, that familiar look was upon us.  All of the people getting their costume pick-up cards, others walking out with their costumes.

I stopped for just a second and I noticed something... everyone was walking around with smiles of their faces.  Even the rookies who looked lost had smiles on their faces.  I found that to be pretty cool!  How many people do you know who want to go to work?  How many people do you know smile, laugh and have a good time while there?  Not many, but I do!

Tonight was a pretty good night.  I heard really good comments as people were leaving Red Moon Massacre.  I am not too tired tonight, but I know that will not last long.  We are all going to the dress rehearsal tomorrow night.  I will give you my two cents-worth tomorrow.

And remember... I will see you way before you see me, so be very aware!

Whisper from Curse of the Spider:

Ah, dress rehearsal!  My first night in that heavy, sweaty costume!  I can only imagine what it's gonna be like over the next month!

Tonight wasn't even a scratch of what Thursday is going to be; I can't wait!  I'm gonna sleep so well!

The maze is huge and I can only imagine what's going on in the other rooms.   I'm glad there are some veterans in Spider to kind of get some of these guys motivated.

Management; now, what can I say about them that will not get edited out of this journal entry?  "Good One."  Come on!  Get a little more into it!  And I do not get the whole, "Scare my friend, Scare my friend!"  I'm sure I'll get it soon though.

Although it was dress rehearsal, it was pretty fun tonight.  I got a couple good scares on some of the employees that did the walk-through!  I love making people scream!  I would like to see how far I can take it; you know - "Clean up on aisle 12!"  That would make for good stories!

Anyway, I will see you at the Haunt!  Don't be afraid to try to squeeze in the "Spider Maze" before you have to go to the bathroom.  Remember - good stories!

Whisper from TerrorVision:

Dress rehearsal Part One tonight and "tourist" duty for us.

Our circuit started at Blood Bayou - a little too light out to get the full effect and being first at bat, they had the least time to shift into Haunting gear.  But they got the ball rolling for us.

Next stop was Army o' the Underworld - tough to hide and scare in there; uneven results but some monsters gave it a good shot.

Third up was Red Moon Massacre, which had several dark areas suitable for scares that went oddly unexploited; but a final flashlight-wielding spookster surprised riders near the end of the ride.

We made the swing into Fiesta Village for Curse of the Spider and Temple of Sacrifice.  Spider seemed chock full of monsters and their scare efforts plus the always-creepy theme worked well.  And say what you want about the Jaguar maze, but the monsters in it put forward the best *group* effort in rehearsal.  As others remarked: the Temple denizens know they have the least to work with, so they made up the difference with their energy and enthusiasm.  They get little praise all season, but hats off to them tonight for stepping it up a notch for us - if they do the same for paying guests, they've done a monster's job.

Off to the gothic moods and mysteries of Lore which seems really short this year by comparison, as many people remarked.  But always a perennial favorite - and easy to see why.  Hail to the Queen and all her minions, and added appreciation to the dancers of course... always a welcome sight to monster eyes!

Last, we toured Red Beard's Revenge, quite possibly the unanimous highlight of the night.  Mad props to the designers for creating an excellent layout for the maze, with plenty of high scare niches built in.  The sets and lighting exceeded my expectations and decor was high quality start to finish.  The scurvy pirate skels looked great and no doubt they'll have a blast scaring 20,000 leagues worth of guests, if they live up to the standard of the maze around them.  Red Beard's is likely the odds-on favorite for Haunt hit of 2004.

Thanks to all of you working tonight; good work!  Tomorrow night, our turn!

Whisper from The Gauntlet:

So I woke up this morning went to work and had a pretty easy day.  Then I went home and managed to do a bit of laundry, including a few Haunt items and got ready to go to the previews.

We hit up a few mazes - Bayou, Army, Red Moon, Curse, Temple of Rookie Sacrifice (hehe), Lore and Red Beard's.  One thing I must say is that I saw a lot out of some of the talent tonight.  However, I was disappointed that a few things were still not ready for us.

Some new looks and bits and pieces of some of our old favorites can be seen sprinkled throughout the mazes and just seeing everyone I know - my Haunt family - energized me and made me ready to go out and work my tail off come Thursday night.

The excitement was coursing through my veins; the only thing missing was the Berry Punch, all the fog I should have smelled and the sounds of guests being tortured and scared witless.  But there shall be time for that soon enough!

Well folks, off I go again to get some sleep.  Good night, one and all.   Part two shall come tomorrow!

Whisper from Carnival of Carnivorous Clowns From Outer Space:

Walk-through was tonight.  It was great to see Haunt again, even without guests!

All of the mazes were good.  Army has improved this year in lighting and effects.  The talent was slow to start, but will learn and grow.

Red Moon was full of monsters and they seemed eager to scare.

Spider was about the same, but seemed more organized.

Blood Bayou has changed very little, but rocked as always!

Lore was awesome, but short.  Many hugs were exchanged, and that's always good.

Red Beard's Revenge had some AWSOME sets and a ton of great talent; they seemed to be still learning their surroundings.

All this leads up to...

C3 roars to life tomorrow night to dominate the Haunt!  I can't wait!

Whisper from Red Beard's Revenge:

And a big ol' Howdy, straight from the Pirate Maze!

Tonight was dress rehearsal.  Static filled the air as, at long last, everything finally came together for Haunt's new baby.  We checked in, got our costumes, found our positions and played in the maze for a good long while as the walk-through crowd was still on the other side of the park.

You'd think the maze would be ready by tonight, wouldn't ya?  Well, you're wrong.  Tech was still in our maze down to the last minute making sure everything was working, from the **censored** to the **censored** and even the **censored**, which you're just going to have to see to believe (c'mon, you didn't think I'd ruin all the surprises, did you)!

Finally, it was our time to shine.  People started to move through our maze.   Not just ordinary folks, but other monsters.  Rookies tried to scare and got sorely disappointed when fellow monsters refused to budge.   Others turned it into a meet and greet; a nice way of saying, "My maze is better than yours."  And much, much too soon, we were done.  The costumes were off and we'd have to wait another day and a half before the real fun begins.

I'm shivering just thinking about it!  This is going to be a good year!

Until next time, I remain...

Whisper from Jaguar - Temple of Sacrifice:

Well, tonight was... interesting, to say the very least.  "Stressful" may be a more fitting word.  Last night, I was anxious and unable to sleep.  I *finally* got to bed at about 5:30 in the morning, and woke up at about 9:30 a.m.  My body wanted to rest, but my racing mind resisted, triumphing over my lethargic limbs.

I had veteran monster friends of mine ask me if I was nervous - not really.

Excited?

Not Exactly.  That phase had passed.

"Anxious" is the word that I had finally settled on.  Anxious for this whole thing to begin.  Nervousness came with the application process.  Excitement came the few weeks after I was hired.  Now, I am just ready to get this thing going!

So, I rummaged through my boxes in the garage and grabbed some things that I know I will need: Lysol, baby powder and Febreze for my mask, an extra stick of deodorant (just in case - I want to frighten customers, not poison them), a black bandanna and a lot of cinnamon chewing gum.   Then, I set out for dress rehearsal, all of my items stowed away in a bag.

I left myself an hour and a half to get there.  An hour for driving, a half an hour for parking and walking to Warehouse P.  I arrived *much* earlier than planned - 45 minutes.  So, I sat outside with all of my friends, talking and having a good time.

Then, in comes the stress.  Apparently, there was a mix-up of sorts, and they replaced me!  So, I went with my talent captain to the maze anyway, listened to his whole spiel, watched a monster in *my* costume get placed in *my* spot.  My talent captain said that he will work everything out and call me in the morning when he knows what is going on.

So, instead of dress rehearsal, I got to tour the mazes.  I went to Curse, Lore and Red Beard's Revenge.

Curse was really great.  I enjoyed some of the effects, as well as the entrance room.  It was very well put together.

Lore was beautiful, as the Vampire maze always is.  Although, I may be a bit biased because of the very slight (insert sarcasm here) vampire infatuation that I have.  I got attacked by my friend's fangs while walking through.  I didn't mind... at all.

Red Beard's Revenge was, I think, the best overall.  There were a lot of great little hiding places for the talent, and I found them to be quite enthusiastic.  I don't want to go into too much detail on the mazes - I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise!

A large group of us went out for "dinner" afterwards.  Our poor waiter looked frightened.  Apparently he wasn't, because his shift ended, and he joined us!  That was great!

Until I get that phone call...

Whisper from Lore of the Vampire:

Today found me at the polar extremes of my emotional spectrum.  I woke up, and spent my daylight hours in a state of whimsied panic; I felt as if I were a small child, quaking in line, passing the minutes in fear and elation, awaiting his/her time on Santa's lap.  I feared that if I stepped out of place, if I opened my eyes before the sun had set, my whole world would dissipate and I would be left with my old life.

My hands shook as they held fast to my steering wheel, as my car brought me to the employee parking lot at Knott's.  The core of my being, once a source of confidence, had crumbled and fell to dust; I was small and scared, and utterly isolated.  As I crossed the street towards the Western Entrance, I was beside myself; I carried with me a carapace of free-floating anxiety.  And yet, I beamed broad and euphoric, nonetheless.

The minutes passed in seconds and the hours fell to the wayside far too quick for me to notice.  I was waiting for my costume in Warehouse P.  Then I was outside Lore, in a mass of my fellow vampires.  Before I knew it, the lights were off and the fog was seeping inside my mask; the smell of Haunt.  Once again, it sent the sweetest shiver down my spine.  There I stood, ready to be born anew.  All I had left to do was wait.

Waiting, I have found, is much like brushing lips with eternity.  I paced back and forth, up and down.  I memorized the curves of the walls around me; the subtle undulations of the ground beneath my feet.  I took in everything that I could, trying to push my leaping heart back down into my chest and not out of my throat.

Waiting, I have also found, gives one the sweetest of repentance.  For from the moment I first lunged out of the shadows and into both the path of a passer-through and the light that was to illuminate my form, my veins ran thick with adrenaline.  I was happier tonight than I have been in quite some time.  I was in my element.  Around me, the music kissed my ears, the fog wandered in my sight line and the sounds of screams and shaker cans rattled the core of my being.

The people I have come to know and love passed my way.  Some I spotted, some I missed.  But whether I had seen their countenance or not, I went in for a scare every chance I could.  I ran the gamut of my newfound abilities; I intimidated some that passed my way, I heckled others.   Tonight I truly lived.  And I will never be the same.

Now I sit here, the pale blue light of my computer washing my face, my mind reaching back through the evening, trying to pull out yet another scrap of the bliss that earlier I felt.  Already I am sore and tired, without having done a real night's full of work.  But that, my dear friends, will come soon enough.  For all I have to do is sleep myself through two more days, and then it's here.  My very first night of Halloween Haunt.

I'm ready for it.  But the more pressing question is, are you?

Whisper from Malice in Wunderland:

Pulling into the Knott's lot tonight, I was already excited.  Haunt has been waiting.  The excitement that builds in July all starts this week.   As always, it was nice to see the familiar faces and there was a lot of hugging going on.  A few faces didn't return.

We walked thru the mazes tonight.  There are a lot of rookies this year.  A lot of them seemed to get discouraged at scaring us.  But hey, we are all veteran monsters who don't always get scared!  I do have to give props though to the new scare in Red Moon; it totally startled me!

Tomorrow night is my rehearsal.  Returning to Malice again, I get ready to slip into my green wig and play in my maze.  See you all in Wunderland!

Whisper from Blood Bayou:

I woke this morning and I felt the anxieties of knowing Haunt was upon us.  I stayed in bed longer than I should of, thinking about the family (all the monsters) and what some would say about me being in a new maze.

I love my costume, and the talent in Bayou is for the most part, a good group.  We have a few rookies, but they seem to have a good time.  I hope all the veterans will step up to the plate and show the rookies the ropes.

I am very disappointed at the fact they took out what seems like almost half of Lore out this year, but the Queen is as radiant as ever.  Lore has a lot of rookies this year and it will be a struggle to get things underway.  I have confidence that they will do more than a good job.   Among the talent are a few of my friends and some of the best monsters I know.

I have yet to see TerrorVision but if I had to make a call now, I would say pirates will take Maze of the Year; you can tell Knott's spent a lot of time and money on it.

Until tomorrow, good night, sleep tight - because the monsters are out tonight!

Whisper from Hatchet High:

Tonight was the first set of dress rehearsals.  We got to take a sneak peek at what all the guests who enter the Scary Farm will witness for themselves when the veil drops tomorrow night.

We started out our tour at Blood Bayou, an old favorite of mine.  Talent in Bayou seems incredibly pumped!  Great as always, Bayou will deliver the same chills and screams, as it has become known to.

Next was Army of the Underworld.  I actually like this ride even though it’s known well as being a rookie maze.  Performance anxiety was rampant here; many did not yet know what to do.  Someone actually said, "BOO!"  That was awesome.  But the ride itself looks great and once the talent settles into their positions and become more comfortable, they will be great too!

Red Moon Massacre followed, one of my all-time favorites.  This ride will forever scare the hell out of me.  The darkness, the fog and some amazing talent make this experience one of the best that Knott’s has to offer!

Then over to Curse of the Spider.  It didn’t appear to be totally finished yet, which was a bit of a let down, honestly.  What was finished looked great though and the talent seemed ready.

Temple of Sacrifice in Jaguar’s queue was next.  Again, it didn’t quite appear to be finished.  The lack of fog and music, along with being brightly lit, seemed to make the talent uncomfortable.  Many tried their best, but under these kinds of conditions, there isn’t much that can be done.  Great costumes though; I love them.

Then it was time for Lore of the Vampire, another one of my favorites.  Is this maze shorter?  It looked it.  Aside from that, beautiful sets, as always.  And really great talent.  Everyone appeared to be really into his or her parts, which is nice to see!

Last, but certainly not least... the much-anticipated Red Beard’s Revenge.   This was one of the highlights of the night.  The maze is absolutely gorgeous (in a hideous, horrific way of course).  I couldn’t get over how well themed the maze was!  It features one of the coolest effects that I’ve ever seen in a maze.  But you’ll just have to wait and see for yourself!

All in all, it was a really fun night.  Tomorrow night it’s my turn to perform for my co-workers.  I’m nervous and anxious but that will all fade away as soon as I take my spot.  I’ve got some new ideas for my character and I feel that this will be my best year yet!

Whisper from Red Moon Massacre:

Got to dress rehearsal tonight and talked to the people who showed from the Mountain.  So far, everyone seems ready to work.  We have a good energy and we are going to rock!  It was nice to sit back and listen the the conversations everyone was having.  I heard most talking about Haunt.

People were trash talking and taunting other people in other mazes.  It was kinda funny to hear.  We got to go through Carnival of Carnivorous Clowns, Malice in Wunderland, Hatchet High and Asylum.  All of the mazes were pretty good.  I am not going into detail.

Tonight was dress rehearsal and you have no idea how hard it is for monsters to scare monsters.  Each maze had its down side, BUT those will be worked out by tomorrow night.  You will have a great time walking through the mazes.

I am pretty tired tonight, but am excited and can't wait for the sun to go down and to be able to let my claws out.  I am looking forward to seeing some of you tomorrow night.  I will be lurking, awaiting your arrival.

I'll be seeing YOU tomorrow night!

Whisper from The Asylum:

I could barely sleep least night.  When I woke up this morning, I asked myself if 5:00 p.m. would ever come.  And it did.  Oh boy... did it!  Dress rehearsal...

I have an ongoing problem with panic attacks, so I was more than petrified to even think of having one.  Haunt is not a good place for anxiety.

Tonight went well, though.  I got some scares in, boosting my confidence.   Everybody in the maze is really nice; that's a relief.  I got myself a little too pumped up and started to get shaky and panicky.  I stepped outside for some water, and I was fine.  Let's just see how the rest of Haunt goes.

I think my hair still smells like fog; love it!  Sorry this is so short, but I guess I did a rookie thing and over-worked myself on dress rehearsal!

Whisper from TerrorVision:

In some ways, it was a night of "terror" and doubt for TerrorVision, but in the end we prevailed.  The good news: we tune in for duty Thursday night along with the rest of you!

[APPLAUSE sign flashes]

The rough spot still being worked out: guests may have a fun trek getting to us, but the hard-working construction crew will bust their ball peens to beat a temporary path to our door in time for opening night.  To the construction workers and our friendly tech supervisor, we salute you!

As other Whisperers will note, none of you go to see our maze tonight.   Only the managers toured with the fire marshall folk, but thankfully, both parties gave us the thumbs up.  It was tough for us getting some scare practice since both groups had to enter through the EXIT of our maze, pretend not to see anything, then evaluate our performances from the entrance back again.  Not the most advantageous way to begin, but our TV cast turned up the volume and we did our best.

Sorry we missed seeing the rest of you, and vice versa.  You didn't get to enjoy all the great design work and sets for TerrorVision, but we dug it.  Hope you all had fun scaring, touring and meeting old friends elsewhere in Haunt.

Oh, we did catch some of The Hanging rehearsal on the way back to Warehouse P - looks like a great show this year!

Tomorrow night, set your TiVos for some real TerrorVision. Haunting time is HERE!

Whisper from Hatchet High:

Blah!   Thank God that’s over!  Tonight was Hatchet High’s dress rehearsal.  Trying to scare other monsters, many of whom are long-time veterans of Haunt, is the worst.  Last year was better; people had no expectations of me.   Plus... monsters are hard to scare!  So yeah, I’m glad it’s over and I’m ready for the real thing to begin.

Our maze has a few changes this year; nothing major though.  A few added twists and turns.  Plus, it’s a whole hell of a lot darker than it was last year, which is both good and bad.  Good, because it’s scarier, bad, because I’m clumsy and tend to run into things!

Our rookies are kicking ass already!  It’s so crazy to see a person all calm and collected one minute, then they are tearing ass acting like a mad person the next!  I love it!

So tomorrow is the big night!  Let the no sleep and sore muscles begin!

Whisper from Red Beard's Revenge:

Ahoy-hoy!

As I write this, we have 18 1/2 hours until Haunt numero XXXII (that's right, I mixed Spanish with Roman; wanna make something of it?) kicks into full swing.

I went to Knott's today for walk-throughs; my one chance at acting like a guest this year, you know - unless of course I'm mocking them!

The night moved pretty swiftly.  Instead of making us huddle together as one large group, we were allowed to move between mazes at our own pace.

The night began with a healthy round of Dance Dance Revolution outside of C3-PO, or whatever Clowns is called this year; a great way to bond with other monsters!

Clowns was purty dang good, if I do say so myself.  The talent had a lot of enthusiasm and the "outer space" aspect - well, wait and taste for yourself.  It really does taste like snozberries.

Malice.   Well, what can I say about Malice that hasn't been said already?

Hatchet High was just as fun as I remember it from last year, with the addition of a few awkwardly-placed walls (no doubt to cut down on sliding in the mazes - I heard Hatchet had some kick-butt sliders breaking the rules in there last year).

The Asylum and the spooky walk of scary doom through backstage to get to it, was last.  You folks are gonna love the surprise in the line area!

Finally, we left on a sad note.  Only management and the fire department would see TerrorVision tonight because construction hadn't finished and we wouldn't see The Hanging like we were promised; that made for a lot of depressed monsters.

After a quick stop for food and a lengthy Q&A session about Haunt on the drive home (I adopted my very own rookie), I arrived here, at my computer, to tell you a tale of a night long ago.

Sweet dreams.

Whisper from Jaguar: Temple of Sacrifice:

Well, my talent captain called me at about noon.  There was a mix-up with the paperwork.  Apparently, there was a girl in my maze with the same last name and same first initial as me.  She was terminated because she didn't show up to orientation.  Instead of pulling her paperwork, they pulled mine.

So now, I have a handful of options.  But, I will not know until tomorrow morning - the same day as opening - where I will be, and what I will be doing.

Streets?  Possibly.

Another maze?  Possibly.

Blackout until they can figure out what's going on?  Possibly.

A-brand-spanking-new-position-made-just-for-me?  Possibly.

A make-up position in my current maze?  Yet another possibility.

I am so gosh darn stressed out, I could pop!  But, in the end, I will be at Haunt, and THAT is what matters most - good friends and good screams.

Tonight, we got to tour the rest of the mazes, minus TerrorVision, which you already know.  I had the pleasure of seeing C3, Malice, Hatchet High and the Asylum.  All of them were wonderful in their own quirky ways.

C3 was incredible.  The 3-D effects were great and the clowns were nightmarish.  I walked through with a friend whom is deathly afraid of clowns; we received quite a bit of attention from them.  Her screams were like an infallible clown magnet, which was nice - because none of them paid attention to me!

Malice was, in one sweet word, beautiful.  I do have a slight obsession with Alice in Wonderland - so again, as with Lore, I am a bit biased.

Hatchet High was fun.  There were a lot of really neat touches that made me laugh.

And last, but certainly not least, was the Asylum.  The maze was dark and creepy.  The talent was quite enthusiastic - and nearly got me to jump a couple of times.  The Asylum is most certainly one of my favorite mazes.  The mirrors and the plexiglas got me all turned around at one point and I couldn't figure out what way to go for a split second.  Yay for blackouts that can help a ditz like me find their footing (and laugh about it later)!

Again, a large group of monsters went out for dinner.  Now, I am full and exhausted.

Until I find my place in the crazy, demented, messed-up world that is Haunt...

Whisper from Lore of the Vampire:

First and foremost, I would like start by giving a wondrous round of applause to all the talent.  Everyone did a wonderful job!

C3 was just as scary as ever.

Malice was again, a crazy tea party.

Hatchet High with its awesome soundtrack, amusing props and prom queens made me break out in happy laughter.

And Asylum.  Oh, Asylum, that famous creepy maze from last year, was a bit too dark and disorienting for me to really appreciate the details I so loved last year.  But nonetheless, I smiled all the while.

Everyone should be proud and walk into work tomorrow with the confidence of getting scare after successful scare.  I wish all of us the happiest of times tomorrow.

Now, on to the rest of my ramblings:

When I walked up to the Western Gate and saw the scattered clumps of friends and co-workers, all of whom I am proud to call my family, in my breast there lay the excitement I had felt every year as I walked through the front entrance on my way to Haunt, as a guest.

It was only once I traveled through my first maze of the evening, C3, that I realized my thought process had entirely changed.  Even when I got startled, which I will be the first to admit happened, the first thought that popped into my brain was, "Oh, they did that very well," or perhaps, "That's a good idea; maybe I can use that in Lore."   Granted, thoughts like these are not that new to me.  Everywhere I would wander at Haunt in years previous, I was always on alert.  I would study and carefully watch the mannerisms, the movements and the planning of every monster who's path I crossed.  It enthralled me.   It filled me with this sort of tingling joy; something I never thought I could replicate.  Little did I know, that subtle tingle was just a breeze hinting at what was to come; the maelstrom of adrenaline one feels peering out from behind a mask.

But what resonated deep within me tonight was not the high rush from yesterday, but a calmer more steadfast satisfaction.  I was more at home, more in my element tonight than I have ever been.  It was only this evening that everything really solidified itself inside my head.  I felt love and appreciation tonight like I have never experienced anywhere before.

Most of my life, I spent my time slinking around the outskirts of the social circle, but thus far, my experiences with the Haunt family have been something utterly different.  I walk into a room and people shout my name, they rise from their chairs to embrace me.  There are so many people I have met at Haunt that I now rank with the best of my life-long friends.   Maybe we will not always keep in touch; perhaps a month from now, I'll feel different about some of them.  Perhaps I won't.  There is not much one can do to see into the future.  There is always the bitter mixed in with the sweet.  I've learned that many times over.   But when I looked into the eyes of those around me whilst we shuffled our way from maze to maze, come bad or good, I am here to stay.

Whisper from Blood Bayou:

Tonight was our second dress rehearsal and my walk through night.  I can feel the excitement boiling under my skin.  My anticipation of tomorrow night is killing me; I just want to work NOW!

One of the first people I came across was J.P., the reigning Crown Jewel of Haunt.  He is, by far, the most entertainment you could ever hope for from one person!  I think Knott's should give J.P. his own stage show in Camp!  I would love to be his assistant!  For now, he will have to stay in Lore as the Vampire Demon Buuuddy!

Tonight, we walked through C3, Malice, Hatchet High and Asylum.  All the talent was trying their best, but it is very hard to scare one of your own; I will give tonight's talent a big "E" for effort.   The biggest disappointment of the night was when they walked us out of the park before getting to walk through TerrorVision, the one maze I was looking forward to walking through.

Well, it is off to bed for me.  This is my last night of good sleep 'till November.

So sleep sound and sleep well, for growing closer are the screams of Hell!

We open in 20 hours.  :)

Whisper from Malice in Wunderland:

It was a short night.  There were only a handful of mazes previewed tonight, which was okay, since it was such a nice night.  Arriving at Haunt for dress rehearsal and having no make-up really sets the tone for your night.  None of the Malices were terribly motivated.

The maze was not quite finished tonight.  We were missing a few things.   Despite the little things, the feel of the night was good.  It's always hard to scare your fellow monsters.

Jack walked through the maze tonight and told me I did a good job and was really creepy.  Nice to hear stuff like that from people who have seen it all.

I'm very tired.  I have been keeping long hours and need to rest up to recharge my energy.  I can't wait to sit in my make-up chair as I begin my transformation into Malice.

Whisper from The Gauntlet:

So tonight was second dress rehearsal.  I still don't have all my stuff together.

When I pulled in, got parked and rushed through, I got to start saying my hellos right as we were going through C3.

Now, C3 has always been pretty good, especially when you have someone who is desperately afraid of clowns going through (someone who shall remain nameless - hehe)!  Honestly, I really like what they did this year and the talent was working their butts off.  You'll all enjoy it, I am sure.

Moving on, we went to Malice.  Again, the talent was pushing it even though the make-up people don't have their make-up on during dress rehearsals; they were still trying, which is great and a good sign.

After Malice, we marched over and headed back to school for Hatchet.  Some the talent for all the mazes this year seem to be pushing themselves, so I enjoyed my trip through Hatchet.  Props to the prom queens who used their own fake blood since they weren't going to have make-up that night!  It was a great sign of initiative!

Last, we hit up Asylum.  It didn't quite look like the queue was ready, but we got back there.  There will be a few surprises along the way back, so it isn't just a huge boring walk to the maze.  It looks like Asylum has found a very nice new home and is chock full of talent.

Unfortunately, TerrorVision and the Canoes just weren't ready, so we had to miss out on those.  While the talent was all great, it only took us like 45 minutes to do everything.  No show glimpses, new Terror or Canoes; in a way, I felt a bit ripped off!  Oh well; perhaps I'll take a night off so I can make up for what I missed.  'Till the 30th, have fun all!

Whisper from The Swamp:

My feet hurt.  Just thought you all should know.  Other than that, I had a blast on opening night.  Yeah, The Swamp is going to take some getting use to with its new location, but, aside from it all, it was a great night.  The crowd was nice and calm and there were no problems whatsoever with idiot guests.

I'm pretty much wiped out right now.  I've been going hard non-stop all night.  The last half hour of the night for me was, "Okay, let's take a break" time.

As far as The Swamp goes, the ground, which is freshly-poured concrete, less than two weeks old, is too rough to get good slides on.  Plus, we only have one fog machine and our area is somewhat small, and too lit up with "mood lighting."  We also have no walls or artificial trees like we did last year, which is also a bummer.  I loved those damn trees.  I still had a great time and worked with what we had.

All in all, I'm glad to be back home and working with all my buds again.   I feel that this is going to be a great year.

Whisper from Red Moon Massacre:

As I was driving in to the Haunt tonight, I noticed how overcast it was; a gloomy feeling.  What a good night this was going to be!  As I was picking up my costume tonight, I watched the monsters for a bit.   There was an energy in the air.  Everyone was excited about tonight.

The guest flow tonight was on the slow side.  We were able to get some pretty good scares for a slow night, though.  I can't wait for tomorrow night... more people... more scares!  And YES, I did see some of you before you saw me (evil laugh)!

I am pretty tired and my body is stiff.  I am off to recuperate so I can step out from the fog tomorrow night!

Whisper from Red Beard's Revenge:

Ow.   Ow.  Owowowowowowow.  Owie ow.

The first night body ache trauma-thon has begun.  Nothing like burning yourself out one night into the run!

Tonight was opening night and I had a blast.  Albeit there were only 7,000 or so people in the park (from what I heard), I busted my butt... and my back... and my feet... and my tragus, I think.

It was a slow night, but a fun one.  It was fun to just have the freedom to play in my maze.  To explore.  To be a Toys-R-Us kid.  It gave me the time to find my sea legs and stretch them out a bit, to work my way into the groove of a new maze and unfamiliar surroundings.

But alas... this post must be short.  I am going to die and I have milk and apple sauce waiting for me.

Adieu.

Whisper from TerrorVision:

Props to my fellow video fiends, because TerrorVision rocked tonight!  While the crowds were light (especially early in the night), they were a good breaking-in size for rookie monsters and a rookie maze.  But our cast sure got into their parts and scenes quickly, because scares were plenty!

Veterans were generous with scare advice and survival tips earned over years of Haunt service, and the newbies set a good standard for themselves.   It's turned out to be a great mix of people — way to go, you TV haunters!

Now that we see TerrorVision with paying crowds in it, it's a much higher-energy maze than I expected.  I think guests are responding to that energy output, giving it back in loud screams, jumping and cowering.  Oh, and plenty of laughs too!  I think they have found a great mix: disarming "sitcom" scenes + treacherous monsters = scaring success.

It took me a little while to get the timing down in my area, but the taste for screams returns quickly.  By the middle of the night, my partners in crime and I were playing out great tag-team scares, handing off terrified guests from monster to monster.  It didn't start as a plan, it just naturally developed and was a perfect tactic for our scene.  Salute to the TV designers for giving us such a great working space!

Now, must sleep so I can hit night number two right where we left off.   Rest well, monsters of Haunt; you've earned it.

Whisper from The Gauntlet:

This morning started off great.  I had a great shower, a very good night's sleep before that and very nice dreams.  However, as the day progressed and I tried to get things ready for tonight, I suddenly realized how unprepared I was.

Once I had everything together, I rushed to Knott's to see a sea of activity; the smell of make-up and hair spray, of Febreze being sprayed on costumes, the excited and nervous chatter amongst monsters.  It was great!

I was handed my souvenir cup and moved on to grab my costume.  Before I was fully ready, we had to head to the Charles Schultz theatre so Jack could speak with us.  After a rousing speech, a new incentive program and a guarantee of more security helpfulness, we were sent out at double-time to get to our respective areas.

Tonight was very painfully slow, with us and the crickets out-numbering actual guests.  I saw a lot of people I know from the Theme Park Adventure site as well as a few I just happened to know.  One of the few scares and my fave was a big Samoan guy I freaked out.

Anyway, I need to go.  It grows late and my body needs rest.  'Night, all!

Whisper from Lore of the Vampire:

There is nothing I can say that will ever come close to describing the elation I felt tonight.  And the night has yet to hit me.  I hurt in so many places; my feet, my hands, my neck, my legs, arms and back.  The tapestry of bruises that break up my pale skin coat me in blue and black.  I simply cannot wait for tomorrow!  I am the monster I always wanted to be!  I ran, jumped, crawled, lunged, screamed, hissed, chased, laughed and stalked the whole night.  There is nothing I have found yet in my life that compares.  The world outside of Haunt is pale and lifeless.  I see vibrancy now only in my costume.   Everything smells different.  It feels different.  I walk in a way unsuited to the "normal" me.  I am myself, but wholly different.  I am myself, but truly alive.

I have the full run of Haunt still in front of me, but I find myself mourning its passing already.  The adrenaline of my first "good scare" still causes my hands to shake.  I'll never forget the eyes of the first guest I got to drop on the floor.  They shone like little blue light bulbs, wide and teary in her face.  She was pressed up against a wall, hugging a corner for safety.  Her face was pressed as far from me as she could.  She would shake and convulse, her eyes snapping open then shut then open then shut.  I was huddled next to her, breathing down her neck, urging her to stand and run.  And she did!  So off we flew, her hands above her head as she screamed and ducked, turning herself around every so often to check and see if I was still there.

After sending her to the next room, I spun on my heels and promptly swore off pacing myself for the rest night.  After that moment, I was in full-blown attack mode.  There were moments when I feared I would burn out.   I was afraid I would push myself too far, that my energy would be gone before the night was half through.  But, by the halfway mark, I had fallen into a steady rhythm.  This was how I walked, that was how I scared.  And my energy level never wavered.  Every motion I made was natural; the scares seemed to just bubble out of me.  My whole existence seemed to snap into place tonight.  I have found what I was born to do.  I have found what I live to do!

I wonder what tomorrow holds!

Whisper from Malice in Wunderland:

Stepping through the Employee Entrance tonight, I began to really feel at home.   Warehouse P was a mob of monsters.  Sounds of duct tape on pads, shoes and whatever you could imagine taping.

Getting in and getting to the maze took forever when all I wanted to do was get in and scare.  My make-up time was 45 minutes late tonight.   But when I left, I left looking amazing.

Once inside Wunderland, we found that like most years, we were off to a slow start.  The crowds were light tonight.  Though the crowds were light, we got some great scares.  I have already begun my tag team scaring with the Queen of Hearts.  I have some excellent new props this year; can't wait to try them out!

Last... Trail mix and energy drink don't quite mix.  Can't wait to do it all over again tomorrow night (not the trail mix).

::Evil Grin:: "Go ask Alice..."

Whisper from Blood Bayou:

Tonight was opening night, and now I remember why October is my best month and at the same time, is my worst month.

Do you ever listen to people talk about what they did that night or who they scared?  Now if you and the person you were talking to were from two different areas, then most people will tell a fib and think nothing of it.  But when you are talking to someone from your own maze and telling them you made a person faint and you made this person vomit, and all your co-workers are looking at you and thinking to themselves, "What a moron!  Why is she lying?  Does she not know we work with her?"  That's when you can tell that you should stay away from this one...

Good night!

Whisper from Curse of the Spider:

Great night, and oh my God, they weren't kidding!  My feet are blistered and my shirt is drenched!  Tomorrow night is sold out already and I am definitely looking forward to getting some more scares.

I would say the highlight of my night was "Pssssst"ing in someone's ear and making him come completely off the ground into another guy's arms that was screaming at the top of his lungs!

And I think scaring the lady in the wheelchair just was a little wrong though; funny, but wrong.

The other monsters in my section of the maze were awesome.  We were all playing off of each other, getting someone's attention and then boom.   HAHA!   This was a great night!   Oh, and to the person who sprained their ankle - hope you get better.  Stay off it.

To all the monsters, have a good night's sleep.  And maybe some better scares tomorrow.

"Make Brown," "Make Yellow," I don't care!  "Scare My Friend!"

Whisper from CarnEVIL:

I have to state here first I won't reveal who, but I have a very dear friend who is a fan of Haunt who talked to me at length on my slow trip in traffic to the Farm.  My cell phone was ringing non-stop it seemed, tonight.   As I went to work, I thought about who I owe a great thanks to; who gave me great encouragement; who helped me calm down and pass my jitters.   So, as I made my way to Haunt, also my mood music helped, but the kind words helped more.  You have this monster's everlasting gratitude.

First night on the Farm.  I was running late; accidents on the freeway and the normal slowing of traffic.  I got to Knott's at my call time of 4:45 p.m. on the nose.  I then walked straight into the first night chaos.

I made it into my make-up chair and was painted up for my first time as a monster (good thing I'm ugly)!  So, with my make-up on, I got dressed in my costume.

First night strikes again - no props or little toys to use and play with to startle the guests.

Well, the radio station KIIS was in the park.  So as we were cut loose from our "holding pen," as I call it, I headed out and went straight for my first scare - someone running into the queue of Boomerang - chattering my slider gloves and grinning like a kid in a candy store!   I snarled and went about my business and heard the sweet music of a scream.

My heart pumped and I felt good about myself.  Quickly, I found my rhythm and bounce around Supreme Scream to Xcelerator.  With a start here and a start there, when I walked over to the radio station booth and I spotted a group of teenage girls watching another talent.  I did my stealth ninja moves through the crowd ( I need to tell you my stealth ninja move is very funny to watch).

So, as I slipped in behind them and snarled into their ears, they jumped, looked and screamed.  In a rough, low voice, I asked, "DOO I SCAAARE YOOOOU?"  I watched these four girls turn and run and I chased them clear out of my area up by Supreme!

I saw a lot of repeat offenders walk through my area.  All in all, it was a great night minus the four blisters from my new combat boots.

My biggest thing was being asked, "Where is Swamp?  I can't find it."  I actually gave the right directions to it, because I know how little their area is.

Other than that, I had a great night!

Whisper from The Asylum:

Well it has finally come... and gone.  Opening night.  It was great!

As I walked toward my maze, a million things were running through my head.   As I got closer and heard the sounds of screams coming out, I was pumped!  I took a drink of water and peeled back that black curtain to enter my domain.

I got some *really* great scares tonight.  My fellow monsters and I worked really well together to get one good scare after another.  There was this one metal head who was deathly afraid of one of the doctors.   He came back about four times only to be chased throughout the entire maze and back down the exit (which you may have heard, is very long)!  I actually got a chance to walk around a bit in the queue.   A much-needed break from being inside the hot maze.

From what I heard, management said we were the best maze tonight.  The only bad thing was the 10-minute dead spots between groups.  Oh... and I sliced my finger.  But Haunt is all about blood, right?

Whisper from Hatchet High:

Tonight certainly was interesting.  The veil has finally dropped and I’m back in my favorite position in the halls of Hatchet High.  The first few nights are always weird.  Many rookies are still trying to get comfortable, while the vets do their best to give them the support they need.  We’ve already lost a few monsters and I could venture a guess at who will be the next to go.  This happens every year.   Rookies come in and don’t realize how much work it really is.  They discover after a night or two that they just can’t hang.  Then they are never heard from again.

I had a great time though!  It was a nice warm up since the crowds were ultra-light.  Got many good scares and even made someone cry!   I expect tomorrow to be a little busier, but not much.  My family is going to be there, which is always fun!

Until next time...

Whisper from Carnival of Carnivorous Clowns From Outer Space:

Opening night was good, but a bit slow.

It's hard to keep up the energy with long periods of empty rooms.  But even all the rookies had good scares.

I got a chance to work out new techniques and get some great scares, including a guy that just bolted out of the maze.  It was a very physical night, with lots of bouncing and bumping into walls, but the midnight conga line was a blast as usual; really freaks out the guests!

Tomorrow will be rough.  I heard it is Power 106 night, and that's always a rough night.

The bruises will all heal.

Whisper from Jaguar - Temple of Sacrifice:

After much fuss and back-and-forth action, I worked talent in Jag anyway.  And, I must say, I was very pleasantly surprised.  I was a little bummed out that I didn't get to move for first night, but I ended up getting some unreal scares!

After I got this one guy, he looked at his girlfriend and I overheard him say, "This is better than a lot of those other mazes."

That was a total confidence booster - and then some!

The mask was hot and sweaty, but not nearly as bad as I had been led to believe it would be.  I have actually turned down the make-up position in Jag; I would rather stay in the mask.  A little backward, I know - but, I have found that if i stay very still, all of the guests think that I am a mannequin.  That technique gets some wonderful, shrill screams. :)

I was offered a position in another maze, a maze that I would have KILLED to be in before tonight - and I turned it down to stay in Jag.  That is highly-surprising to many, but I did have a *great* time where I was.

Well, time to think about tomorrow night's terror!  *evil laugh*   How many children can I make cry tomorrow?

Whisper from Red Moon Massacre:

Well, it was a pretty fun night.  There were a lot of great scares.  There were several scares that had me laughing so hard I was shedding tears.

At times the crowd was rowdy, so some of us took it easy until we felt it safe to scare at 110%.  All of you Haunt guest are great!  I am glad it's over for the night, BUT, I can't wait 'till the sun sets at the Red Moon Massacre... Good night everyone...  I am still looking for some of you!

Whisper from The Swamp:

My hands hurt.  Just thought I'd share.

First off, before anything else, I want to say that the damn hypnotist show at the wagon circle is too long.  I set up trash cans so I could get a good scare of guests exiting the show.  Then I waited a half an hour before the show ended!  Waaaaaaaaaay too long!

It was a pretty good night, though.  Up until the last hour, the crowd had a lot of life and response.  We got a few more fog machines added to our area and I hear we might be getting some more "atmosphere" next week.  Let's hope so, 'cause The Swamp doesn't feel much like a Swamp.

Whisper from Blood Bayou:

Tonight was a good one.  We were busy and the crowd was very receptive.  I am a bit tired due to the fact that I got about three hours of sleep last night.  I think it hindered my performance tonight.

I apologize that this isn't longer and with more detail.  Once this first week is over, I will be able to write more.

I love you all.  Good night.

Whisper from TerrorVision:

First long night of Haunt, and an hour longer really means something.  Slightly bigger crowds I think, which made scares a bit easier, but more of them means harder work too and I can feel it in comparison.  Not complaining; just noting that the first 2 a.m. run is going to leave a mark tomorrow.

Lots of guests scared to the floor in a quivering heap tonight; oh what fun!  More!  More!  I wonder how the other mazes are doing.   Will read about it sometime when Rick gets wired up on location for updates.

Saturday night offers another scare-a-thon: I plan to improve my pacing even more and take full advantage of the time.  The TV cast and crew are doing a great job; a pleasure to work with you all.

Friday night in the books, and me into bed not-so-early on a Saturday morning.

Whisper from Lore of the Vampire:

To say that my whole body aches would not be quite accurate.  My whole body does ache, yes, but only because with each step I take, the 20 blisters that litter my feet send tiny shockwaves of anguish through the rest of my nervous system.  By the end of the night, I was limping my way to my car.  I am battered and bruised and ever so happy about it.   No matter how tired I am tonight, no matter how much I hurt now or in the morning, I am still in love with Haunt.  Granted, we are now only finished with day two; there are so many days left for me to change my mind, but after scaring an entire group of girls to the point of tears, I can assume this mindframe will maintain.

Today, I will note, brought a single difference in my attitude.  Last night, I was upset when it was time for my break.  I was so into the chase, the hunt, the scare, I didn't want to give up the rush, even for a moment.  Today, when my breaker appeared, I was happy to know I was going to get a chance to rest my weary feet.  But I must confess, I found myself feeling drained and colorless during my breaks, as if I were being punished; kept from my home, my small portion of the Haunt universe.  And the menacing smile that paints my face while I scare, returned only once I passed through the threshold, back into Lore.

I must go.  The sun is peeking through my window.  It's time to retreat into the dark.  Besides, I must rest up; there are so many more people to terrorize tomorrow!

Whisper from Curse of the Spider:

"Clean Up on aisle 12!"

Well, it wasn't the clean up I have wanted, although in the last room with the giant spider and the bungee.  We almost had her just about crap herself, when she was sprawled out on the floor with us huddled over her.

Damn stink bombs; not freakin' funny.  I almost got hit 'cause of the smell.   I had to swear it wasn't me!

I get it; "Scare my friend!" gets annoying.

I can't wait 'till Wednesday.  All you monsters know what I'm talking about.  No matter how much Febreze you have - JEEZ - those turtlenecks just stink and it puts the smell in your face.  All I could smell last night was "Icy Hot" and stank.  This is rough going with this much sleep, or should I say going without sleep?  But I am having a great time; the time flies when you are in a maze.  The hardest part I would say is the walk back to the car.  And when I got home, and went to get in the shower I almost dropped to the floor because of my feet.  Sleep is goood.  Must get to sleep...

Whisper from Hatchet High:

Two nights down... 23 to go!

Tonight was great!  The crowds were pretty evenly-paced and everyone seemed to be having a great time.  I was, too!

I gotta say, I’m very proud of Hatchet High this year.  I see so many monsters getting so many great scares!  I was impressed with our rookies on Thursday night, but their performances tonight confirmed that they are indeed, true monsters.  It’s really coming together nicely.

Well kids, it’s been a very long evening so I’m going to cut this a little short.  It’s bedtime for this little monster.  See you in the fog.

Whisper from The Asylum:

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it to Haunt tonight.