Whisper from The Swamp:

Word up!  I've been saying that all night.

Tonight was the night of the fever.  If you have no clue what I'm talking about, which is very likely, don't worry; you didn't miss anything.

It was a slow night and it was boring.  The crowd was kind of touchy and bitchy and seemed to rather want a stomach pump than to be at Haunt.   What crowds don't understand is, if they're not into it, it's hard for us to get into it.  I mean, we try hard but when it's the kind of crowd that would rather tell you to f*ck off than be scared, it's not very easy for us to be enthusiastic.

Speaking of f*ckers, two guys were about to step up to me and two of my buds right before we got done tonight.  Damn guests can't have a good time and when we're trying to make everyone have fun, some ass clown has to get all hurt about it and start it up.  Nothing happened, though.  The only thing that got hurt was the guy's pride when people started laughing at him.

By the way, The Swamp is a lot more Swamp-like now.  Good news there!

Whisper from TerrorVision:

Tonight was the definition of S L O W.  We're beginning to wonder if people can't find us (since apparently the Haunt park maps have us listed in way over on the west (?) side of the park and thus, our guests straggle in when they do find the way.  Or was it just a horribly slow night for all the mazes?

A poor scaring environment and some poor scares, I admit.  I can only hope that the rest of the Wednesdays won't be like this.

We've added some new talent to the maze, beefing up cast lists to where they're were supposed to be.  The jury is still out on whether this helps my particular area or not - it definitely changed the dynamic of our room a lot and we all had to adjust our tactics.  But, as I said, tonight was such a bad one to judge anything by, Thursday may be another "fresh start" with our new manpower numbers.

Best move of the day: spending yet more money.  This time on elbow pads which will eliminate all those week one arm bruises, plus a fitted knee support which saves my "front" lunging knee a lot of wear and tear.  I could actually walk into my house easily when I got home!  I feel like a new monster.  Now for some costume "enhancements" to follow and get approved!  <evil laugh>

Here's to a better Haunt when the moon climbs the next night sky.  Until then, rest easy, friends.

Whisper from CarnEVIL:

Well, I had an early day.  I was up at 8 a.m., so I spent the whole day running around waiting and waiting for my night to start.  Streets has been fun lots of fun with being able to move around.  No restrictions as to not being out of place anymore.

Ok back to my night; I have new boots!  My feet still hurt, blisters and a cough have developed.  I'm getting sick.  Yuck!  But I push on.

Every night has been great so far.  Tonight's scares started out well - people jumping here and there.  I shoved my face into a photo booth as a group of girls were using it; loud screams rang my ears!  A few chases here and there, but nothing really to brag about.

The mood seemed to change half way through tonight.  No one wanted to be scared anymore.  No one jumped.  They looked at me like I was joking.

Then came the little kid in the red sweat shirt wearing boots; easy scare, I know.  But I scared him and his mom and as I turned to walk away, the little snot kicked me in my ankle.  His Dad just started laughing.   Oh, how I wanted to just step on the kid and smack the father of this little brat.  So, I limped off.  I left work early, my ankle hurt so bad.

My drive home was rough.  I kept falling asleep at the wheel.  My school schedule and Haunt are gonna clash majorly.

Whisper from Red Beard's Revenge:

So here we are again.  The art of acting weird.

Tonight began another glorious night at Halloween Haunt.  It was a rather slow night due to a rather low-energy crowd.  Low energy crowd means low energy monsters.  Which means the night drags like your ugly sister's club foot.  Ba-zing!  Yeah, I went there...

Got a few good scares.  A few good chases.  A good friend decided it would be a bright idea to go mess up his back.  We got to bid him farewell in an ambulance.  At the end of the night we headed out to Norm's and, well, that's it.

Have a night.

Whisper from Carnival of Carnivorous Clowns From Outer Space:

A new week.

And I am reminded of the sore muscles and bruises.

It was a fairly slow night with a trickling stream of guests flowing through, but good for the new people that joined us today.  Great scares were had by all as we got to know each other's techniques and how best to work with each other and send the guests into a frenzy of screams and tears.   Sometimes, it is hard to keep up the energy, but we did what clowns do - act ridiculous, dance, bounce around and run into walls.

Even Jack walked through with a smile!

Tomorrow will be just as slow, but should be fun and be good preparation for Friday and Saturday nights.

Whisper from Hatchet High:

Ugh.   Tonight just plain sucked.  I’m sick with a cold and the medicine I’m taking is making me kinda goofy.  Crowds were very light this evening and I was having trouble getting into my groove.

Hatchet got shut down tonight.  When I returned from my lunch break, I noticed that it was VERY foggy inside the maze.  It just kept getting worse and worse.  Last year, when this happened, it was because the fans had shut off and the problem was quickly solved.  This time, it was so bad that no one could see anything at all!  It kinda messed with me because of my cold; made it difficult to breathe.  So, they shut us down.  We were closed for only about 15 minutes until the fog cleared.

So that was the fun for the night.  Exciting, no?  I’m starting to feel a bit better now and am looking forward to the crowded weekend.

See you in the fog...

Whisper from Red Moon Massacre:

It was a pretty slow night.  I was still able to get a lot of great scares!

I have been thinking about this for a while... why is it that guests think they have to touch, punch, shove and try to scare a monster?  I know it's part of the job and it doesn't bother me that much, but I just wonder why.

I had a great scare last night.  I followed this one group from the entrance to the loading area calling out one girl's name.  She thought she was safe when she got on the ride - BUT - when she was getting off the ride, I was there to yell out her name!  Later in the night, I saw her from a distance and yelled her name and she cringed and ran all the way to Calico Square - with NO ONE chasing her!

All in all, so far I have had a fun time.  I will see you all in the Mountain!

Whisper from Blood Bayou:

Tonight was a good night and at the same time, a really bad night.  By telling you all what I am about to write, you will all know who I am, so here we go...

I was having a great night up until about 9:45 p.m. when I lost my footing and fell backward down the stairs in the room where I keep all my gear.   I was in some deal of pain and I was taken to First Aid.  They said I had a few cuts but I was good to go.  They said I should take the rest of the night off, but I said to them, "I can't do that; we only have 25 nights and I don't want to be cut short of that."   Plus, I felt good enough to go on.  So, I finished the night or as much as I could.  At about 12:30 a.m., I was having really bad pains in my back and I asked if I could clock out a half hour early.   My captain said ok, but I had to fill out a report.  So I sat down to fill out the report.  I was almost done with the report and I felt a sharp pain in my back; it brought me to my knees.  I was able to put my stuff away and I walked to Warehouse P and turned in my costume.

When I came out of Warehouse P, the pain got worse and I was having trouble moving.  I laid down on my box and people were standing with me.  That is when Craig walked up and said, "Ok, everyone step away; the EMT's are coming."  I was taken to La Palma Hospital to be checked out by the doctor.  They told me I had a contusion on my lower spine and I need to take it easy for a few days to let it heal.  They said I shouldn't work Haunt tomorrow night, but if Knott's will let me, I will be in costume, even with a bump the size of a grapefruit on my lower spine.   I was in the Hospital 'till about 3:30 a.m. when they let me go.   I was greeted with a very loud cheer from about 10 of my good friends - and if any of you read this, I love you guys and I thank you for showing up; I would have done the same for any of you.

So to end this long-ass story, have a good night everyone and I will talk to you all tomorrow.  Woo hoo!  I have Vicodin and Somas! Yay!

Whisper from San Francisco:

Everyone here at Theme Park Adventure wishes you the very best and applauses your team spirit.  Be safe, be careful and don't be afraid to take it easy for a few days.  Much love to our Bayou whisperer.

Whisper from Jaguar - Temple of Sacrifice:

Well, it is official!  I am staying in Jag for the remainder of Haunt.   They figured that it is more trouble to do the paperwork and transfer me to streets than it is to just hire a new person.  But, I am not really upset or anything - I am having a great time at Jag.

Tonight was pretty dead, as is expected for a Wednesday.

I had another girl grope me while saying, "Hey baby!"

Hrm.

I got a few people cursing and threatening to hit me after I scared them.

Made more little children cry.  Then I chased them.

Whisper from The Asylum:

Ah, Wednesday.  Tally ho, pretty slow.  Hey, that rhymes!  Woo!

Not much to say... We made it past the first week!  Yay!  *round of applause*  And from what I heard, we're in the lead again.  Clowns is close behind us, though.

I played around a bit tonight.  I've gotten some GREAT scares.  I wandered around the maze a bit.  Little scare here... and there.   Everybody seems to be in good spirits.  We want those jackets!   All I gotta say is: Be afraid!  Be very afraid!

Whisper from The Gauntlet:

Tonight is the beginning of the second week.  The day progressed with me trying to gather my things and get ready.  I've been working the past two days, some pretty long hours, so today it was nice to have the first half of the day off.

Tonight started off a bit scary; one of the make-up artists passed out and had to be taken away by the EMS.  She was back later on, but still, it seemed a small bit of deja-vu for me and I'm sure, many others.

With the exception of getting our one and only Piper back, the night progressed very slowly, being there was no one in the park.

At one point, many of us were gathered around the glow cart by Lore's exit, dancing to the Night at the Roxbury theme.  Finally, at one point in the night, I found a big abandoned cardboard box in a dark corner.  I tried using it by climbing inside, but it was wet along a corner and came apart.  So then I went to our backstage area and tilted it lengthwise and used it as a shelter since it was completely apart.  But it still wasn't working so well.  Finally, I had an idea.  I punched a hole in each side and put it on with the flaps in front of me so I could open and close them and pop out!  I ran around like this for about two hours stopping once only to change masks.   It worked so well garnishing either fright when their curiosity allowed me close and I popped out, or laughter at the fact I was in a "mobile home."

The night ended a bit sadly though, as when I approached Warehouse P, there was a fire truck and two EMS carts and one of our own was stretched out on his box lying on his stomach as they checked his back.  He had a small accident and a huge lump was forming on his back, at least raised a few inches.  Finally, the ambulance came to cart him to the hospital and I hope he's ok.

Many don't realize the risk and pain we will and do put our bodies through for this job.

Whisper from Lore of the Vampire:

The fog has filtered off, up into the starry night and the streets of The Gauntlet, The Swamp, CarnEVIL and Ghost Town are empty for another night.  The monsters of Halloween Haunt have survived their last Bare Bones night.  In some awkward way, I am thankful.

Tonight the park was empty.  The halls and chambers of Lore echoed in silence or the shuffle of a bored monster's feet, as we all waited for the next huddle of two or three guests to skitter past.  I was desperate for something to do.  I never thought that would happen to me at Halloween Haunt, but it did.  I was bored in spades.  I have grown accustomed to the larger groups of people, the psychological dynamics that occur when people wander in packs.  When you make someone scream out in terror, everyone else down the line feels the hairs on the back of the neck prick up.  Then it's scare after scare after scare.   The little clumps of timid, nervous friends that ventured past me were harder to scare.  When people come through alone like that, their defenses are up.  They are wide-eyed, watchful and guarded.   It's very hard to break down someone's defenses, to lull them into false safety when they are very well aware of the fact that they are your only option.

But with all of that said, the screams still rang out and the tears did puddle on the floor and I go to sleep once again eagerly awaiting tomorrow.

Whisper from Curse of the Spider:

Wednsday, not fun.  The park was empty, but it proves our point - Spider is the best maze.  They closed down some of the mazes last night due to the traffic; guess the word has gotten out.

Nothing happened last night that is very memorable, although I still love it and am having a blast.  The best part was they washed our costumes.  YAY!  No more Febreze smell!

Whisper from Red Moon Massacre:

Well, I was not able to work Haunt tonight.  I feel so badly that I didn't go in.  I feel like I have let the "Haunt family" down.   I hate not working.

But, a few of the other monsters I talked to earlier said to take it easy tonight and get well enough to hit it hard tomorrow night.  So, I am sitting here typing from home wishing and wanting to be at the Mountain.  I hope to see you there tomorrow night.  I will be looking out for all of YOU!

Whisper from The Swamp:

You can tell it's been a real good night when you get home and you're sore and reeeeeeeeally f*ckin tired.  For a small crowd, it was a damn good night.

I have noticed that I am not the "opener" type.  When the ropes are dropped, I more hang back and watch the crowd than go out and scare right away.  Part of it is because I want to watch what the crowd will be like (sometimes you can tell that kind of thing by the first group).  I also don't want to burn myself out right off the bat by chasing every single guest that was at the rope drop.  They are ready to be scared and are too easy, so I usually don't waste my time and energy on them.

All in all, I gotta say that this was pretty much my best night so far this year.

Whisper from Red Beard's Revenge:

Fun, fun, fun.

Or not.

Tonight was so-so.  Great scares, boring guests.  Chases were fun, but other than that... well... ugh to all you guests!  Step it up and we'll step it up!  We can't feed off of non-existant energy.

That, and the fact that 90% of my maze was AWOL by the end of the night.  For last hour, I kept hearing, "And that makes THREE monsters in the maze."

Maybe tonight wasn't so fun.

Better luck tomorrow.

Whisper from Malice in Wunderland:

Tonight was a very slow night.  There was some drama surrounding my make-up tonight.  I was given a sweet gash with a card on it.  HOWEVER, it was decided that my make-up artist couldn't express her creativity on the Malices.  So, she had to take it all off and start over.  I didn't even get to my maze 'till 8 p.m.

I chased people around with a spoon tonight.  I shouted "spoon" at them.  It is amazing what will scare a person when they come somewhere to be scared.  One girl wasn't just scared of me; she actually hated spoons.  Weird.

Other than that, it was a pretty standard slow Haunt night.  The fan who was scaring in my maze last week came back tonight.  This time she didn't try to scare anybody; thanks for that.

After taking off all that make-up, I am off to bed now.  ::sigh::   So sleepy.

Whisper from CarnEVIL:

Well, the new boots are working great.  My feet are tender and slowly healing.   Tonight, my make-up artist got to play since neither of the two people she has after me came into work.  She sat me down and went to work on my face with glee in her eyes.  45 minutes later, I looked into a mirror in wonder.  I must say, so far, this is my favorite face she has put on me.

Okay, now back to why you're here, reading this.  My night started off slow.  It is a Thursday night after all, so crowds are expected to be light.  My best friend, who helped me through my jitters, was in the park tonight with her parents.  So, I was on the lookout for them.

Anyway, my photo booth gauge is getting good.  I love snarling into people's ears who are minding their own business trying so hard to snap a picture - and my face comes flying in with a snarl!  My other mission in life was completed tonight when a guest ordered a Dip-N-Dots for me so I would leave her alone!  Honestly!  I would of done that without it.  But, she offered, so long as I stopped snarling at her.  When she gave it to me, the crowd around just laughed when I plopped right down at her feet and ate; when she tried to move away, I would snarl or snort at her 'till I had finished my treat.  I thanked her and kept my word to her; too bad for the rest of her party!

Okay, my friend finally came into view.  She was lagging behind her parents with my little sis in tow.  I knew right away and walked up past them and startled her mom really good, all the while her dad was left to stand there as her mom went 'round and 'round trying to get away from me.  I followed them for a few snarls and snorts.  Every time her mom got the courage to poke her head up, I was there.

Here is where my night began to suck.  I was at Xcelerator, when a girl broke down and ran.  I chased and ran her down to Supreme Scream, where she collapsed into a pile and began convulsing in fear.   While this doesn't sound like it should suck, my attention was so focused on my victim, I failed to see one of the guys walk straight up to me.  He sprayed perfume right into my face and eyes.  Oh, it burned!  I staggered away, pissed and even more pissed that there wasn't a single security guard anywhere to be found.  Not to let that really get me down, EMS put some drops in my eyes to flush them out.  I felt better and went back to work.

My scares stayed pretty steady throughout the night.

I snuck up (my ninja moves again) and scared a young lady, who damn near jumped out of her skin.  She then spun around, looked at me and then slugged me square in the face.  She turned and ran like a bat out of Hell.  Again, no security in sight; not even in front of the clown maze like there had been all night.  Oh well.

Tonight ended and I had school in the morning and had to book it home.  I didn't even take my make-up off; startled the hell out of my roommates!   It ended with me getting ready to go clean up and shower and get a few hours of sleep in before I have to go to school.

Whisper from TerrorVision:

By some accidental oversight, at about 8:30 p.m., the Haunt guests suddenly found our hard-to-find maze and poured through the doors!  Gee, our maze is MUCH more fun when people come through it!  I don't know what caused the mad rush after 90 minutes of dull, dull, DULL waiting around.  Maybe the line sign people found a new way to entice crowds or found a better spot?  Whatever happened, we TV ghouls thank you for your support!

We had a lot more fun tonight, and it showed in our attitude and scare; both improved a lot.  Starting Sunday night and carrying over into Wednesday, the TV crew seemed kinda tense and down overall.  Part of it had to do with what we heard about how scoring is working for the Haunt Cup race - something I probably can't get into here.  And it would sound like sour grapes if I did, which is not the case.  But seeing our daily scores "penalized" for an aspect of our maze NOT in our control is a good way to discourage your monsters, and I'll leave it at that.

Tonight we pulled together and decided to laugh it off.  How?  We thought last night's improvised Jeannie-with-a-chainsaw gag couldn't be topped, but it was.

Two words: chainsaw Elmo!

When he burst into our room, I was laughing so hard I couldn't scare people.   One male guest collapsed against a doorway in a fit of belly laughs.   His wife/girlfriend kept trying to make him walk on but he couldn't!

This public service is covered every year in Whispers, but I'll go ahead and repeat it for guests: pay attention all you men out there!  If you want us to scare your wife/girlfriend, for God's sake don't ASK us to do it when she's right next to you!  And don't point at her either, genius - she has eyes, she can SEE you!  She knows all guys try to set up their girls for a scare, and that's why she's looking for the obvious signs.  You THINK jabbing your thumb right at her is being very subtle and clever?  Nope.  Not even close.

In the end, you look like a big dork, she slaps your arm (for trying to scare her AND reminding her you're such a big dork) and we monsters are NOT going to scare her.  Not 'cause we're lazy, but because you just RUINED the scare, pal!  You want to ruin our scare more?  Ask us using a bullhorn next time!

We know how to scare wives and girlfriends.  We do it 100 times a night without your help.  Just pretend you don't see us and walk on; we'll take care of business, man.  Then while you're laughing your ass off at her, we'll scare you too while your guard is down.  That's the stuff we live for!

Here endeth the lesson, and my entry.  Time to sleep away the aching knees and back, to do it all again tomorrow.  Friday night, extra scare hour.  Hell yeah!

Whisper from San Francisco:

I have been biting my tongue on this for two weeks now, but feel that something should be said to the monsters (and any Knott's staff reading this) from a fan's point of view.

When I first heard about this new "point system" that management has put into play to single out the best maze, etc. at Haunt, my stomach rolled.  Halloween Haunt is a very delicate, intricate mix of individuals from all walks of life.  Some employees are teens fresh out of school, just learning their way in the world.  Other monsters are professionals, who have worked Halloween Haunt longer than many Haunt rookies and fans have been alive.  98% of people working Haunt all have one thing in common - they love the event and they love the Haunt family and being part of the experience.  It's most definitely not a money issue - because anyone working Haunt will tell you they end up either breaking even or in the red with their paychecks.

It ain't about the cash, people - it's about the family.

That said, I cannot think of a worse way to start creating fractures in the Haunt foundation than suddenly make employees compete for title of "best."  Sure, Theme Park Adventure has an annual Screamy Award nod that we aim at people and various shows and mazes.  There are even internal awards given to people for working their asses off throughout the run.  However, having Knott's Management suddenly walking through the mazes and scare zones with the intent of awarding nightly points, etc. - that is a perfect recipe for clusterf*ck pie, in my opinion.

Most people that work the Scary Farm do it with their all.  Some people have better nights than others and some people are more comfortable working Haunt than others.  I would venture to guess however, that most people at least try out there.  Now you have management TELLING you who's the best nightly and who sucks each night?  Bad, BAD decision.

I cannot think of a faster way to dampen rookie enthusiasm or royally piss off vets who have worked the event for years and years.  The result will be downed morale, vets either quitting or sure as hell not returning next year and in the end, it's the fans and ironically, Knott's that will lose.

Is a Haunt Cup or special jacket at the end of the month really worth undermining the decades of love and brotherhood that Haunt has become?  Anyone answering "yes" should go work at Disney corporate where tradition and the human touch have long ago left the building.

TPA had a blast at Haunt this year - so much so that I am bringing my wife to the event once more at the end of the month so she can witness it.  Yeah, there were some mazes that weren't as fired up as others and there are always monsters roaming the streets that are different than others.  Not everyone can be a Bride or Outlaw.  And at the same time, we fans don't expect everyone at Haunt to be the same.  Haunt is a massive collection of individuals.  They shouldn't be put down as a group and they shouldn't all be made to compete with one another - that is not what Halloween Haunt is.

I could go on forever about this, because I hate this type of corporate shit with every fiber of my being personally.  The harsh reality is, I know plenty of vets (and rookies, actually) who are already blowing the whole point thing off.  They're there to scare and have a good time.  If Knott's persists and really wants to cram this whole competition thing down everyone's throat, the landscape of Haunt will be much different in the future - as early as next year, folks.  Why?  Because people don't need this added pressure.  They're already straining marriages and relationships - not to mention their studies and day jobs - so they can work Haunt.  Now, on top of that, they have to worry about nightly lectures or someone from management telling them they suck and need to work harder.

Unnecessary.  Unwanted.  Ultimately, a mess.

If someone in a maze or zone has a problem, pull him or her aside.  Deal with it like it always has been and move on.  We fans don't give a rat's ass about points or who won the Haunt Cup the previous night.  We're there to see mazes, be entertained and hopefully, get scared a few times.  That's it.  Nothing more, nothing less.  It's not rocket science, nor should it be taken so seriously.

Anyone who can work the whole run and have a blast doing it is a winner, in our opinion.  The number of guests flocking to the Haunt each year are a great indication that you all are doing something right, because if the event truly sucked or the monsters didn't care - the money and guests would seek out other venues.

You guys keep the faith, keep the fire going and remember that the fans appreciate and adore you guys.

Whisper from The Gauntlet:

So today I slept and got nothing really accomplished for Haunt.  I found a picture frame though on the side of the road and grabbed it to take; who knows what I'll do with it!

I did manage to get there early today.  One of the first things I saw today was the monster I mentioned in closing last night.  He was back but not going to be working that night.  It was good to know he was all right.  Many were still a bit freaked by it and worried for themselves and for others.

On the streets, it was another slow night I broke out a two-foot doll with a clown mask on and chased people for a while with that, which was amusing.  Later, I passed it on to a friend in CarnEVIL.

Then, when I started getting tired of seeing the same people and needed something different, I went to the frame.  I walked around with it on my head, sticking my head out of it, telling people I was innocent and had been framed.  It was a bit amusing.

Well, off to sleep only to go to real work then to Haunt tomorrow.  Yay for the Mouse.

Whisper from Carnival of Carnivorous Clowns From Outer Space:

A slow night that went quickly.  Lots of shoves and smacks today.   It seemed that everyone tied one on before coming in our maze, as we had a lot of the drunkies walking through doing the, "I'm not scared" bit and a few that would simply greet your scare with an upward pointed middle finger.  I mean, why bother , people?  If you're going to be angry when we attempt a scare, just go home, eat your Fritos and watch Conan.

There were good scares tonight, though.  A few of the clowns taunted one guest into a fit of almost puking, which is always entertaining, but she bailed out an exit so the job was never finished.

We sent people out of the maze again promising to say "fishy" to every monster they see; I am sure the rest of the park loves that...

Time to nurse a sore ankle and attempt sleep; another day awaits and it should be a busy one!

Whisper from Hatchet High:

I’m finally starting to feel better!

Tonight was really fun.  The crowds were light, but it was a really good group for the most part.  I’m finally starting to feel back into the groove of things and am having a total blast!  I’m already starting to think about the end of Haunt, though it is far off.   But I’m already feeling like I don’t want it to end.

Hatchet is really kicking some ass this year; I’m so proud!  I see everyone working together on scares, which was pretty non-existent last year.

And to you Clowns... how was your night?  Was it "fishy" again?  Hmmm... all this little Hatcheteer can say is... paybacks are a bitch.  *evil grin*

Whisper from Lore of the Vampire:

Boredom again set in tonight.  Though the crowds were a bit thicker and there were more people in tears tonight, that brilliant hunger for the insanity of a busy night was insatiable.  After the worn-down mood I sported leaving Knott's yesterday, I woke up this morning with the firm resolution that to be disheartened while at Haunt, if even for the most flickering of moments, was something I just could not do.  I have dreamt of these nights, crouched in the shadows, the sounds of my breathing thundering through my mask; I have wanted this for so many years, to fail myself and not appreciate every moment was treacherous.   Thus, I walked to Lore with determination in my breast.  I was going to make tonight awesome no matter what.  And bored or not, it was wonderful.

Tonight Lore saw some great scares.  There were people on the ground, crying screaming, running, tearing at their clothes, tearing at their hair, at their friends.  And I noticed several of the people I tortured came through again and again.  We got them every time.

The crowds being as light as they were tonight, I felt the freedom to experiment once again.  I feel as if I am pulling my character up to another level.  Every time I relax, every time I let myself go and see where I am taken, I find another shred of the monster inside me.   The facets and endless depth, we as humans know so intimately about ourselves, I am beginning to find in my monster self.  And the more I know who I am with inside my mask, the better my scares become.  I am losing myself in the passion and story lines of Haunt and finding my true personality more and more everyday.  I am anxious to see myself at the end of this year, even more so the next!

Sometimes I feel the confines of the walls around me.  I become acutely aware of the limits to my abilities in my area.  I look a guest in the eye, I see the most effective way to scare them and then I feel a pang in my chest, a gentle tug that pushes me to be creative to find some new way to use my surroundings.  Perhaps I do not have the space, or the environment that I often want, but I do have an amazing canvas to work with and amazing people scaring at my side.  Every day, some new scare reveals itself to me.  Every day I am getting better and more confident.  And every day, I go to sleep waiting for the sun once again to set, so I can come out and play!

Whisper from Curse of the Spider:

Tonight was better than last at least.  I don't think they had to shut down any of the other mazes, but I had a lot of fun tonight.

I got bored; straight-up bored, so I did what any other person would do when they are confronted with this situation.  I told people to give me their shoes, and they did.

I got 11 shoes all together!  I gave them back of course, but I got 11, one to four at a time!  I walked someone through the maze and was scaring her the whole time.  I had a blast, although at the end of the night, I was told by the "talent captain" that I needed to dream about what it is like being a fly.  Okay, I have wings so I guess that means I'm now a fly.  I move around a lot; that is what flies do, right?  Now, if she wants me eatin' shit, then that person has another thing coming!

Haunt has been a blast, although slow to this date.  It will probably pick up.

Whisper from Blood Bayou:

Sorry folks, but I was not allowed to work tonight, so I have nothing for you to read.

I will be back in costume on Friday, so I will have something for you then.

Have a good night, all...

Whisper from The Swamp:

Woo hah!  Got you all in check!

I gotta be honest.  I got to Haunt tonight and I was not ready to rock.  I was still real tired and just kind of out of it.  So, the first half of my night tonight was nothing special...

The second half, after lunch... BLAMMO!  It was like I had a second wind that lasted the rest of the night.  I was all over the place.   It makes me wish I had that much energy every second I was out there.  It has a lot to do with the crowd, too.

The crowd tonight was awesome.  They were all having a good time and they were very reactive.  Monsters literally feed off the energy that the crowd lets off.  If the crowd is full of ass clowns, it's going to be a shitty night.  If it's full of fun people who are enjoying their night, it's going to be a killer night.  Tonight was a killer.

Whisper from TerrorVision:

Tonight started hot and heavy right out of the gate.  Scaring guests was like shooting fish in a black light barrel!  Strings and chains of people ready to have the hell scared out of them!  It was a beautiful thing to see... guests too afraid to move forward but shrieking when cornered by our TV fiends!  A lot of "floor time" for other petrified peeps, too.

Things settled down a bit in the middle of the night; not quite as crowded, but still plenty of screams to be had.  It was hotter tonight, so breaks for water and a breather were welcome, but at the same time you were eager to get back inside and scare some more.

The new rotation in our room is working well now - probably since we finally have the number of monsters we were designed to use.  I think we're keeping our focus better between shift "hand-offs" now too, it's more seamless and easier to pick up right where you left off.

A couple of security issues in our maze tonight - an unfortunate first for our run.  One was just plain "stupidity" on the party's part, the other was directed against one of our monsters, which plain sucks.  Everyone was okay though.

Last, I offer this insight into our team: WE know we're scaring people, as there was ample evidence of it tonight.  I know we're scaring in my area for certain because I see, hear and do it with my partners.   Monster high-fives for tag-team scaring guests are not given lightly in our maze, but tonight had them.

I even tried to walk through the rest of the maze (forward and back) on my way to breaks to see if other rooms were working as well.  From what I saw, they were.  Whatever else goes on outside, so be it.   We'll keep scaring patrons as our talented cast knows how, and then some.

Now, off to put these aching knees to bed and rest up for more terror Saturday night.

Whisper from Lore of the Vampire:

I know I've said this over and over, but yet I I am still marveling at how much I grow every day of Haunt.  I was all over my area of Lore today.  The past few nights have seen me working the same small portion of my room, and though I get amazing scares working there, I felt the urge to move around a lot this evening.  One minute I scared from behind this corner, the next minute I slunk along that wall.  I was anywhere and everywhere, and I got successful scares every time I turned around.

As drained and exhausted as I am right now, jabbing away at my keyboard in the dark, the adrenaline from this evening still has a smile plastered on my face.  I had a blast tonight, even with all the little punk kids who, half the size of me, had attitudes ten-fold.  Tomorrow I hear we are sold-out again.  I wonder what the night has in store for those who pass my way.

Whisper from Carnival of Carnivorous Clowns From Outer Space:

Short entry about kids with bad attitudes...

There were so many brats in the maze tonight - poking touching, smacking and yes, hitting us clowns.

I was personally hit several times.  Come on people; if you don't want to be scared, GO HOME!

We are there to entertain you by making you and your girlfriend cower in a corner.  This is our job and we are the best in the world at it.  If you don' t like it go to Six Flags!

On a lighter note, the C3 family is getting tighter and closer.  We have lost most of our blackouts at this point, and so we are watching each other's backs pretty close now.  As far as scares, there were some of the best tonight with the first group of guests hitting the floor in fear and this continuing through the night.

Tomorrow is the big day - huge crowds and tons of scares!  It will be grand!

Whisper from Hatchet High:

Holy crap, tonight was fun!  It was really busy and the crowd was pumped up and super easy to scare.  This one old guy and I were having a blast... he actually laid down on the ground and acted like I was stabbing him!  It was a great effect and really freaked out a lot of people!

We also had a very eager blackout take a monster position last night.  This kid is freaking awesome!  I had the pleasure of informing him that in his first hour as a monster, he made a chick pee her pants!  She was walking by my area saying, "I f*cking pissed!"  I crept through a curtain to get confirmation and sure enough, the dam had let loose!  Our blackout-turned-monster was proud, to say the least!

We also lost our best cheerleader last night.  She was stolen by Curse of the Spider to become a Black Widow.  My understanding of the character is that it will be girls dancing in Spider wearing black wedding gowns.   It’s a cool idea and all, but I’m really sad to lose one of our best talents.

I’m already pumped up for tomorrow; it won’t come soon enough!  Damn, I love this job!

Until next time...

Whisper from Jaguar - Temple of Sacrifice:

Tonight was pretty awesome.  It started out slow, and I was beginning to get agitated - then we just had this sudden influx of people.  I have noticed that I get lethargic and grouchy when it is slow, and I don't want to be there.  But, the second traffic picks up, I have this rush of energy.  I felt as though when they walked through to grade us for points, we were really not at the top of our game.  I fear that we shall drop from first place, which we have held for the last two nights.

I followed these twin girls, Grace and Laura, through the entire line - they were screaming the WHOLE time (about 30 minutes).  That was funny.  I actually started laughing at one point, because the people around me - minus the twins - were laughing *so* hard.

Hopefully, our slacking didn't set us back score-wise - but I shall know tonight!

Whisper from Curse of the Spider:

Tonight was awesome.  I got one kid that we don't think could hold his bladder very well when we popped around the corner.

Lots of great scares and everyone had a fun time for the most part.  On the other hand, lots of touchy A-hole guests.  I got punched a couple times and pushed quite a bit.  Why?  I'm just gonna leave it at that.

Fun night; we will be moving up on the point rankings even more after tonight.

Whisper from Red Moon Massacre:

Well, tonight was a pretty busy one.  Unfortunately, I was still hurting pretty good and was not able to scare as well as I wanted to.  I feel horrible about not being able to hunt and run some of you down.  I did the best I could, and still managed to get some pretty good scares.

The crowds were a bit rude tonight.  Some pushed, pulled, poked, yelled and even wanted a confrontation.  It's all part of the job.  If you can't just laugh at them and walk away, then you won't make it as a monster.

Toward the end of the night, my talent captain noticed I was hoping along a bit and sent me home a little early.  I really didn't want to go.  I feel I have an obligation to make our guest soil themselves.  I reluctantly went home.  I am hoping to recoup and recover quickly.   I feel like I am letting my team down.  By the way, we did bring home the trophy for having the best score.  I am very proud of my family of monsters.

I will be keeping my eye out for you prey very soon!

Whisper from The Gauntlet:

So today was like every day so far; went to work for the Mouse then broke my neck to get to Knott's.

I grabbed my costume and was about to eat some yummy chicken tortilla soup when our King of the Gauntlet approached me to let me know it was one of our monsters' birthday.

The one thing about it was his own wife forgot and he was feeling pretty down.  I was sent on a mission to retrieve a cake for him.  I managed to find a cake and we kept it hidden 'till about 8:30 p.m. when we marched to the backstage, where after a group photo and a few announcements, we sprung the cake on him.   He was really happy and touched which made me and the rest of us feel very good.  But that's the kind of family we tend to have; though dysfunctional, we still watch out for our own.

As for scaring, I discovered the joys of carrying an axe along with my head, Buddy, around.  Lots of people were freaking out over just a plastic axe, so i think it may become a staple with me.

Whisper from Blood Bayou:

Tonight is Friday night and it was a very busy night.  I am not feeling well, due to the injury I sustained on Wednesday night at Haunt.   I was only able to work a limited shift, which in my book, is unacceptable for me.

Everyone seems adamant on the fact that if I try to hard, they will kick my ass.  But for some reason, that didn't stop me.  I told everyone I would take it easy, but every monster that is here to work will never take it easy; we always go out and give it our all.  And if we hurt in the morning, well, then we will take some pain killers and keep on going; it's only for a month...

Whisper from Red Beard's Revenge:

I encountered a rare crowd tonight.

It was a violent crowd without the violence.

It was a very lippy and talk-backy type of crowd.

Which still made for a fun night.  Made for fun guests and fun exchanges.   My shit-talking far outweighed my actual scaring tonight.

Some of the better lines...

8 Year-Old:  "This is what happens when you're on PCP!"

Me:  "What?  You get short and annoying?  Go away."

Teenage Girl:  "Where's your mask?"

Me:  "You're wearing it.  Give it back."

Sometimes it strikes me as weird that people are actually willing to pay me to abuse guests!

Whisper from Malice in Wunderland:

I had class this morning, but I missed it.  Have been putting way more than 100% into my scaring this year.  I am so physically exhausted that I never seem to be able to catch up on my sleep.

Nothing terribly exciting happened tonight.  There were good scares to be had, but we had to look for them in between the void of people.   This season seems to be a little slower that previous seasons.   Perhaps it will pick up.

Whisper from TerrorVision:

Long night, busy night.  Almost a steady stream of guests the entire evening, which meant abundant scares.  Breaks were welcome when they came, but at the same time, you wanted to get right back into the screamfest too.  I heard our line stretched all the way out into Camp Snoopy, somewhere near Red Beard's Revenge.  And more repeat visitors endured the long wait just to tune into TerrorVision a second time - we thank you for your support, friends!

Pot luck night, and our crew overdid it for sure.  We successfully avoided "chip overload" this week, but went insane with all the candy and desserts brought.  Definitely, many scares were credited to sugar highs!  And props to our blackout who brought two different kinds of fudge; that rocked!

A couple more security calls to our maze tonight, one targeting the same monster as Friday night, which totally blows!  Look, people, if you're going to come to Haunt to cause crap, just don't bother.  Security is on your ass before you can even find the exit.  After they finish with you, your fun is OVER for the night (if not longer).  If you can't hang with that simple rule, just stay home; we'd all appreciate it.  Not ONE of these punks have ever looked happy staring into the flashlights of security or the police, so don't sign up for that payoff.

We don't like having guests thrown out, but we don't hesitate to do it when the safety of our talented team is EVER put in jeopardy.  Your last view of Haunt will be over the shoulder of some very serious dudes in uniforms and they're carrying more "punch" than you could ever throw.  So cool it, fools!

On the flip side: tonight I noticed many guests who DO know how to get their wives/girlfriends/buddies scared.  You play it cool, give me the look and leave the rest up to the monster.  Odds are, I saw the scare opening before you saw me, but still you know how to play it when YOU see the chance.  And what happens next?  I scare the hell out of your girlfriend!  I'm glad to take "requests" when asked the right way, and the results are happy guests - well, except for the one shivering and cowering!  But hey, everyone wins!  So a monster's salute to you, Mr. I'm-Smart-Enough-To-Get-My-Main-Squeeze-Scared-At-Knott's Haunt Guest... you help us put the FUN back in dysFUNctional!

Alas, no more fun tonight.  I'm bone tired, legs throbbing; must sleep now.  Sunday is here, probably a lighter night ahead, then haunters' weekend to recover and heal.  Peace.

Whisper from The Swamp:

Tonight was half and half.  It was slow, and then later on, it got a bit better.

The crowd was a somewhat punch happy group, so we were avoiding fights about once an hour.

Sorry; I'm reeeeeeeeally f*cking tired.  This is short.  I'll be back with a better one next week.

Sweet dreams...

Whisper from The Gauntlet:

Today, I booked my room for Vegas after Haunt tomorrow night.  Several of us are heading up, then coming back Wednesday before Haunt!

Today was a bit rough.  I took my car to a mechanic and they took forever, so I had to rush to Knott's only to get to La Palma and Western, where an accident had happened and the cops directed me everywhere I didn't want to go.  Needless to say, I was an hour late to work by the time it was all said and done.

I rushed to get ready 'cause I was told I'd be doing Sharp Shooters at 7:00 p.m.  Also, I was informed it was Inner City Night.  Yay.

So I get out there and start working the photos.   About 7:30 p.m. or so, I start after this group and one girl breaks off from the rest and heads for the turnstiles.  She runs into the crowds coming in and tries to hide behind a group of people, not realizing I watched her the whole time.  She's now about 10 feet away, and I take a step toward her and she sees me.  She turns, bolts towards the gate, jumps over it, catching it with her foot and slams it open and is gone past the ticket booths!  So there is my first scare out of the park this year; wasn't trying to do it, but it happened anyway!  It's funny at the time but it sucks for the person trying to get back in.

Moving on, maybe 20 minutes later, I am chasing another group and one girl in particular is freaked.  She falls, gets up, runs for the turnstiles (here we go again) and I notice her shoe on the ground.  So I pick it up, walk slowly toward her holding it in front of me and she tries to bolt out the gate.  Luckily for her, security was around this time and stopped her from getting too far.

I played with the axe some more tonight.  I walked back and forth from the back to the front of Snoopy on my knees wielding the axe and freaking people out 'cause they thought I was small of stature!  Not to mention they never see you coming; you'd be surprised by how many more guys than girls jump.

I also chased a guy into the men's bathroom when I tossed on my clown mask the last half hour.

Well, off to sleep and then pack for Vegas!

Whispers from Hatchet High:

Well, tonight started off badly and just never seemed to get better.  During my first half hour in the maze, some punk kid decided to punch me in the ribs as I was walking by him.  I wasn’t even going in to scare him; I was just passing by to get back into my position after chasing someone.  He hurt me really bad and knocked the wind out of me.  I sat out for about two hours before my talent captain made me go to First Aid because it hurt when I breathed.

I did go back into the maze but my heart just wasn’t in it after getting hurt like that.

After being in the maze for about 20 - 30 minutes, two more monsters got hurt.   One was punched, one was choked; both were women.

I really don’t know what the f*ck is wrong with these people.  Why would someone act like that?  Regardless, it totally ruined my night.  Tonight was probably my worst Haunt night ever.  I know tomorrow will be better though.

Whisper from Carnival of Carnivorous Clowns From Outer Space:

A great night of bumps and bruises.

The clowns were in rare form, getting multiple scares and teaming up on the guests.

No one was majorly hurt last night; just bumps and shoulders in the ribs.

We did have an incident that caused us to have to shut down the maze right before closing.  But it was still a good night.  I am tired and sore again and looking forward to my two non-Haunt nights, but I will miss it soon and want to go back.

Whisper from Lore of the Vampire:

Tonight was my hardest night by far.  I got hit hard tonight a couple times and it really drained all my energy.  The last few hours were near-to-impossible for me to finish.  I was really woozy, dizzy and tired.  It was the first time I could not wait to go home.  I know that getting beat up is an unfortunate side effect of the job, but it still angers me that guests walk into Haunt, knowing full well what type of experience they are getting themselves into, and get angry at me for doing my job.   Then they take out this aggression on me and the other monsters.   Though we monsters tease guests and their inherent stupidity every chance we can, it's the punks that punch us that give everyone attending Haunt a bad name.

And now, I sleep.  I think I earned it tonight.

Whisper from Blood Bayou:

Well, it is now Saturday night, and somehow, I seem to feel worse tonight than I did last night.

I'm not sure if I am going to work on Sunday, but as of now, I might.   Tonight was a little hectic.  Tickets were almost sold-out, from what I heard.

I had a fun night, but I think I worked too hard.  My back is hurting so bad I just want to take my pain pills and go to sleep for a week.  I have to go to bed; have a good night, and I will whisper at you all tomorrow...

Whisper from Curse of the Spider:

Tonight was a blast; I mean that in a good and a bad way.

Lots of people, lots of fun, lots of scares and lots of moody, touchy people.  I got hit three times tonight.  One of the times I got hit, I told the blackout and he just walked with the people through the maze.  I don't really have much to say about tonight other than that.

Whisper from Jaguar - Temple of Sacrifice:

I went to a pre-Haunt barbeque.  I got Saran-Wrapped alongside a few others; darn rookie status.  We then took one of the girls, still in Saran Wrap and duct tape to Warehouse P - on a dolly.  It was funny.

Tonight was packed!  I absolutely LOVE it when it is busy.   Although, business causes trouble.  Tonight, I was hit for the first time - by a six year-old.

I walk up to this kid, and he is in a fighting stance with his fists up in the air.  Jokingly, I open my hands to show my gloves and say, "I got metal, who's gonna win?"  The kid just flat out punches me in the forehead.  And... it HURT!  I had the blackouts throw him and his parents out, who then said that the kid never hit me, and I was making threatening gestures at him.  Whatever.

About 30 seconds after that happened, I scared a girl who jumped back, accidentally elbowing me in the jaw.

AND, about 30 seconds after that, I had a mother cuss me out for making her daughter cry.

But nothing compares to one of the monsters in my maze... who got punched in the eye by a drunken black midget with gold teeth and cornrows.  How many monsters can say that?

I made a good number of children cry.  I stalked a few people.  I have begun talking a bit more - being very sarcastic and loud - especially when I am following the same person for a long period of time.  It entertains everyone around us waiting in line.  I say things like, "Oh yes!  Maybe if you turn your back, I will disappear," or, after hitting a trash can for the 20th time and them screaming for the 20th time, "OHHHH!  Scary trash can!"  It may not seem too funny written out here, but I assure you, everyone around the stalkee is laughing.

Afterward, we all went out for broomball - a good time was had by all.

Whisper from Red Beard's Revenge:

Tonight marked the first Haunt event of the season.

Every year, we have events to help fund private a Haunt function at the end of the month.  Tonight was broomball.  Every year, CS and Ghost Town meets on the ice to kick each other's asses - complete with blood this year!  One spunky little trooper got busted in the mouth and got some teeth rattled, only to go back out and finish the game... after the blood was all cleaned up, of course!

Haunt events.  Yet another reason our little family never sleeps.

Whisper from Malice in Wunderland:

WHY DO PEOPLE FEEL THE NEED TO PUNCH ME???  I got punched in the nose twice tonight.  I was popping in and out of a curtain saying obnoxious things and chasing people around my maze with a spoon.  I popped out from the curtain and this guy shouted something at me and swung.  Then the next guy who hit me just sucker-punched me for no reason.  ::sigh::

I am tired and my nose area is a little swollen.  Off to bed to try to recapture my sleep I am missing.

Whisper from Red Moon Massacre:

Hello, everyone.  I am sorry I haven't been able to write.  I have had an injury and have not been able to work Haunt.  I am so disappointed.

I look forward all year to Haunt, to scaring all of you, and I have an injury.  I am going to the hospital tomorrow to see what can be done so I can hopefully continue Haunt soon.  I apologize to everyone.   I have every intention on trying to continue Whispers.  Unfortunately, injuries are a part of Haunt life.  Most of the time, we can just take a little time off and continue.  That's what I am hoping for in this case.

I will be looking for you in the fog soon!

Whisper from Carnival of Carnivorous Clowns From Outer Space:

What a week!

Even though some things went not entirely good over the past several days, in general, it was a good week.

There were a few bad hits and some minor injuries, but thousands of people ran from our maze screaming.

And that's what counts!

Regarding the incident last night, we were commended for our quick response in killing the lights and clearing the maze out (this happened last year so some of us were experienced in the procedure).  And our talent captain had good things to say about us over the last week.

Tonight was a bit weird; it seems tomorrow is some kind of federal holiday so even though it was a Sunday, it was a bit busy; that helped keep the energy up and the screams coming.  All the monsters were tired and just run down, so it was hard to keep going those last few hours - but we really did well and even the last guest through was screaming.

We have lost most of our blackouts and that makes it tough, as we're doing double-duty sometimes, watching doors, guiding guests and watching each other's backs.  But with a tight group like this, that is not really a problem.  Our tag team scares are really starting to shape up as we learn how each of us moves and reacts to guests.  We are really becoming a team.

One thing that is really bugging me is the way guests react when they see you waiting for a scare.  They point at you.  Now, I was always taught it isn't polite to point, but it really sucks when every moron guest decides to point at you allowing the guests behind him to identify the hiding clown.  It ruins scares and it seems most of 'em do it with an "I see you, you can't scare me; I am better than you" attitude.  DUDE!  That is my job!  Knott's PAYS me to scare you!  If you want to come in and be Mr. Or Mrs. Macho and not be scared, go home and watch Barney on TV!  Don't prove how bad-assed you are!  Smile, enjoy the show we put on and have a little fun.

That is what Haunt is - FUN!  Not a place to show your girlfriend how tough you are in the face of a masked and costumed freak show.  If you don't get scared, fine.  I am rarely scared at Haunt.  But most of use can still enjoy the people in front or behind us crawling on the floor...

With only three weeks to go, it seems Haunt is going by too fast.  Hopefully, I wont lose that feeling.  I don't want to want it to end.

Remember... FISHY!

Scare ya later!

Whisper from TerrorVision:

What is lurking?

What is here?

What is lurking?

What you FEAR.

Lyrics courtesy of Rob Zombie, screams brought to you by the friendly fiends at TerrorVision!  Another good night of scares; lighter crowds than Saturday, but still good for a Sunday night.

No security calls tonight that I'm aware of; hurray!  But another premature "call of nature" in a guest's pants tonight!

Speaking of laundry, thank God monster weekend is here so those costumes can get cleaned!  Things had gotten a bit ripe in spots.  Poor Elmo's costume simply doesn't dry overnight, which makes Elmo very grumpy and makes him take out his grumpiness with a chainsaw.  We look forward to clean, dry Elmo on Wednesday!

I heard word at Warehouse P before starting tonight that one of our monsters is really sick and may have pneumonia - he hasn't worked since Friday night.  He's a great guy; a Haunt vet and has been my unofficial mentor since I showed up for orientation night, so he's missed by one and all.  The thoughts of all Haunt monsters and your TV crew go to our friend for a quick recovery.  Get well soon, pal!

See you and everyone else on Wednesday.  Rest, recover and enjoy the weekend.  Now we end our broadcast day.  Good night.

Whisper from CarnEVIL:

My days have blurred together lately.  I've not slept much this week.  That looming over my head as I go to and from Knott's has been a major deal for me.

The crowd was very Fickle tonight.  I won't go into to it too much.   But here is what I wanna tell you:

Tonight a guest was about to throw away a stuffed red bear that she didn't want to carry.  She asked me if I wanted it.  Well, I took it.   Management saw me take it, stopped me and asked me what I was doing taking gifts from a guest.  I told him what the deal was; he just looked at me funny for a second as I explained it, then I told him I was on the hunt for a little child to give it to.

So, off I went.  I did scare with it as I walked up and down all of CarnEVIL looking for a small child.  You figure any other time, I would of found one really quick.  But I actually had problems with this task.  Then I spied a little girl near the air brushed tattoo stand getting tattooed.  She looked at me like I was gonna eat her 'till she saw the bear.  I asked her father how old she was.  I guess he didn't understand why I was asking him at first until he saw his little girl smiling at me.  She was seven, and had big, bright blue eyes.  I waited for her to get down and then got down on my knees and motioned for her to come over.  Timidly, she came over and in the most child-like voice I said, "Hello, little girl.  I have a lost bear and I can't take care of him.  We monsters don't know how.  But could you take care for him for me?"

she shook her head yes and took the bear and gave it a big hug and told me thank you.  Her dad shook my hand and said thank you to me for making her night.  I then went off and went back to my job of being scary to punks who roamed CarnEVIL tonight.

Say whatever you want about it, but this was the best thing to happen to me all weekend long.  I don't know her name - never will - but I will remember her and her big smile.

It's not always about the scare; it's about entertaining people.  It's why I do this year after year.

Whisper from Blood Bayou:

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday.

Tonight started off slow, but it picked up really quick.  You know, I was tell you all about the Golden Jacket Award.  Well, with this award on the table, it seems that Knott's is doing some funny things like putting a chainsaw in Ghost Town.  I'm sorry, but what the f*ck is that all about?  How are people going to have a chainsaw in the good old West?  Maybe they would have had a steam-powered one, but not a two-stroke!  I wonder what goes through the heads of these people sometimes.

Whisper from Curse of the Spider:

Tonight was a hell of a lot better than last night.

People weren't quite as pushy, although I did catch a punch to my throat, which was unintentional.

Got some really funny scares; one lady said she pooped herself and another said she pissed herself.  That was pretty much the highlight of my night!  The maze was packed all night and people were dropping left and right.

I started singing to people tonight when they were just standing there.   I think it scared them, or at least scarred them.  I also started telling them that this is the secret entrance to Silver Bullet.   You should have seen the looks on their faces when they started telling everyone else in "the line!"  I wish I could have seen their faces when they walked out of the maze!  HA!

We had a good night as a whole, but one of the talent captains in particular needs to change their ways a little bit; people are getting tired of him/her.

Jaguar - Temple of Sacrifice:

Shortly after arriving at work, I realized that Monday is Columbus Day and, as a result, we were packed.

My throat and voice are all scratchy, because I took that sarcastic talking thing to a whole new level.  I will sometimes just sit and insult people.  Not horrible insults or anything - just things like, "Hey ugly!  Whatcha looking at?  Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, you'll look like this when you're dead too!"

I got kneepads.  Tried to slide when nobody was around.  I ate it.  Hard.  Now, I am just using them for protection when I kneel for extended periods of time.

The annoying person that was in Jag that nobody liked got moved.  WEEEEE!

I did not get hit at all tonight; still made children cry though.

We all went out to Norm's afterward.  We talked about old Haunt stories and other general nonsense.

A streets friend of mine says that my Saran-Wrapping on Saturday means nothing to him, and that I can look forward to a good duct-taping in the near future.  Uh oh.

I am looking forward to these next two days of rest.

Whisper from Red Beard's Revenge:

Tired, tired, tired and more tired.

And I doubt I'm alone here.

The schedule this weekend was as follows...

Friday... wake up and go to Knott's.  Work Haunt, go home and sleep.   Saturday... wake up and go to work.  Go straight from work to Haunt.  Work Haunt, Haunt event, sleep (at 7:30 Sunday morning).   Today... wake up and go to Knott's; work Haunt, go home and sleep.

And think about this: when I wake up tomorrow, I have school from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and work from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.  I'm not the only one who punishes himself like this; we're all crazy, I tell you!

So to all you potential rooks out there... ask yourself if you're really up to it.  This is what you have to deal with, besides the sweat and getting hit.  On top of it all, you're not afforded much time for sleep.  Check your life at the door, 'cause you won't be able to hang.  We've already lost plenty of noobs this year.

Whisper from Malice in Wunderland:

Okay.  When I woke up, my face was still pretty swollen.  I iced it for a while.

Arriving at my make-up time tonight I was notified that I would have another new artist.  This makes my fifth and sixth make-up artists.  There are now two girls who share me.  I feel like the bastard child of the make-up department.

Scares were great tonight.  Despite all of us busting our asses, we are still in sixth place for the mazes.  I have decided that the contest is not important to me.  I am there to have fun, NOT to win some trophy and a jacket.  Until next week...

Whisper from The Gauntlet:

So tonight is Sunday - supposedly a nice, easy, slow night... wrong.

Being that tomorrow is Columbus Day, the park was a bit more crowded than normal.  Last night was one of our after-Haunt events; broomball, I believe.  I was way too tired to go, so just headed home, but it seems we tied with Ghost Town.  Lots of people look worn out and bruised up from playing broomball, and apparently someone got clocked in the face with one of the brooms.  Her lip and gums looked really bad.  The top of her lip was all swollen and kinda purple; it looked really nasty.  The person who hit her was really feeling bad and couldn't even look at her.  Later on, before we went out though, I looked over and the swelling and discoloration had gone from her lip.   Apparently, she decided to play a joke on the guy responsible and her makeup artist helped!  That helped raise everyone's spirits a bit!

Fast forward to about 8:30 p.m.  Tonight, we had our Monster of the Week award and our winner is (drum roll) Big John, our very own executioner!

After that, we did our sliding show and started jumping monsters.  Last week, three was my limit.  Bizkit managed to hit five.  This week after three, I was ready to call it quits.  However, when Bizkit went for four, no one else was going to try it.  So I watched his jump then went for it and made it; however, my pad slipped as I went up and I had to hit the ground on the other side with my elbow and opposite knee.  After that, I figured I should stop, but he went for five with no one going against him again.  So, I sucked it up and went for the five, but again, my pad slipped and I hit the same way on the other side.  I ended up reopening some scrapes on my left elbow, which now were about five times worse, and managed to kinda hurt my right knee, but I made it!  Bizkit went for six, but by then, though I wanted to, my pads were just sucking and I was hurt.

I managed through the night, sliding here and there, though I shouldn't have.  But I was unwilling to slack off and not give the guests what they came for.

Well, two days off, then back on Wednesday.