Have you ever done something with your friends and then went to The Haunt?  Well, I have, and it all started at lunch.  To start, my friends and I were talking about our free-time on the weekend.  We all were free on Saturday, except Gracie, and decided it would be at Westlawn’s park on Saturday at noon-ish.  When we were home, we would talk to our parents, and if it was a final yes, we would text “it is a go”.  So, in our group chat, we all texted, “it is a go” (except for Gracie, of course).

When it was Saturday, I was at my hockey game.  Once it was done, I rushed home and took a shower.  I was running late so I kept Dodie posted.  I blow-dried my hair and we hustled to Westlawn’s playground.  I saw Dodie and Peyton slipping down a slide.  When they saw me, they started screaming my name and started running towards my car.

We started playing some games on the playground.  Then, Dodie wanted to go home and take a shower twenty minutes into the game.  She kept on saying that she was too cold.  Well, no-wonder she was, she decided to wear a crop-top that was as small as a medium sized book! And she knew that it would be cold since it was Fall.

Peyton and I were left alone with no ride home.  So, we just followed Dodie home out of boredom, when she was riding on her bike.  She beat us by so much that we couldn’t even see her in the distance, yet we still followed her.  It’s not like we could go home or something, it was too short of a time we were there that our parents would be really  mad at us.  Our parents would say, “no”.

We were finally at her house and knocked on her door.  She refused to let us go in.  So, we kept knocking and ringing the doorbell, and she never opened the door unless to tell us to go away.  We walked into the backyard and starting knocking on the porch window.  After fifteen minutes of knocking and ringing the doorbell, she opened the door one last time with popcorn in her hands.

“You guys, my mom said no one can come in.”
“Just for five minutes, please.”
“No, my mom said no.”
“Then call your mom and ask her.”
“No, I have to take a shower.”
“Then why are you watching t.v. and eating popcorn?”
“Because you are bothering me.”
“Then let us in for five minutes.”
“No. Goodbye.”

So Peyton and I starting walking when I thought I could persuade her.  I texted her and said, “If you don’t let us in, then the next time we hang out, you are not invited.”  That persuaded her for sure, because she texted back: “Wait guys, I asked my mom and she said yes, come back.”

So we headed back to her house and stayed for a while.  We watched t.v., ran around, and talked.  Peyton and I would not talk about the time, so we could stay longer (it worked).  Except, when she finally noticed, we tried to persuade her more, but it didn’t work this time.  When we were forced outside, I sat on her chair on the porch.  Since I was already connected to her wi-fi, I Facetimed Gracie.  Peyton asked where she was, and it was at her neighbor’s house (we ran there,since they’re neighbors). 

Ding, Dong

Some answered the door and I said, “Hello, is Gracie here?”
“Yes, let me get her.”
Gracie came up to the door and said, “ You guys, why did you come over?”
“We were bored, and we have no ride home,”  Peyton remarked.  “Come on, let’s go hang.”
“I can’t. I’m at my neighbor’s house.”
“But she waved goodbye to you,”  I said, which she actually did.
“Fine, let me get my shoes on.”
“Okay, but do you want to go to the Haunt?  Dodie said that everyone is going: maybe Caroline, Liv, Rachel, Sky, everyone.”
“Maybe, but I hate being scared though.”
“It is not that scary when you are with your besties.”
“Fine, but let’s ask my parents.”

When we got to the house, I was scared.  Not because of the Haunt, that looked fun, but because I’ve never been in her house or have a conversation that is not small talk with them.  I can’t make a bad impression, or no sleepovers with her.

Gracie went inside her house first to ask if we could come in.  She finally went outside and invited us in.  Her house was huge!  There were higher ceilings than mine, and if you’ve seen my ceiling, you would be surprised.  In the high-ceiling living room, her parents were sitting on the couches.  They greeted us and asked what was the big deal with The Haunt.  After a horrifying discussion, they finally said yes and that we should stay in the basement until Gracie’s parents would give us a ride there.  What we did to pass most of the time was fool around, play charades and operation, and try to get Gracie off the X-box.

Once it was time to go, we were still messing around.  Then, Dodie texted and asked why we weren’t there yet.  We told her that we would be late.  So, once we were twenty minutes minutes late, we finally told Gracie’s parents it was time to leave.  Except, we had to get coats, Peyton needed money, and we had to make sure we had a plan and contact information; we were even more late than before.  When we were driving in the car, my mom said she would be there to find Dodie.  But I think she wanted to talk to Gracie’s parents to see if it was okay to take me.  We got there, and I saw my mom standing with Dodie, waiting for us.  Our parents met, and we ran inside. 

We were waiting in line for our ticket, about to be next in line, when Gracie starts freaking out and starts walking out.  Peyton, Dodie and I started pulling Gracie and persuading her to come with is.  Finally, we dragged her to a bench while Dodie and I got our own tickets.  I stayed in the line so we would not be late for our planned time, while Dodie and Peyton were talking to Gracie about how fun it was here.  To persuade her more, everyone knew her, and saw her there.  So, we said that “If you don’t do this, everyone will know you didn’t, and make fun of you.”  After several tugs and persuasive dialogue, we finally got Gracie to buy her ticket and get in line.

The whole time we had to have a group hug for the hour in line.  We would repeat the same encouragement we did before she bought her ticket.  When we were finally towards the front, a lady came by and asked how many there were in out group.

“We have four, but my friend is scared.”  I said.

“Okay, then why don’t you go in the front with this group.”

She directed us to a group at the very front, with a mother and a child, and another mother and another child.  We gave the woman our tickets and walked through the horse stables.  While we were walking, Gracie and Peyton started crying when someone at one of stables screamed.  Then, we were about to go into one of stables, Gracie and Peyton started walking away and leaving.  Dodie and I never left because our parents would kill us if we wasted the fifteen dollars for entry.  So, we let them walk away after a few attempts to make them stay.  The other part of the group had the same situation.  One of the children was scared, so the mother and child left.  We were left with only four.

When other people came walking by, I said we should say Boo.  So, when another group came by, Dodie and I said Boo, but she used her flashlight!  A man dressed as a clown yelled at Dodie for using her flashlight. (I truly think we weren’t allowed to say Boo either!) 

It was time to leave the stable door, and a man opened it.  We walked a little more until we got to a white door.  We waited, while the same clown-man was making kissing noises in my ears (right next to my face), and stuck out his tongue as well.

The door finally opened, and we walked through a short hallway.  Then, there was another door someone opened.  Inside, there was flashing lights (oh, great).  A clown lady said to find a ticket.  Since it was a maze, we locked arms so no one would get separated.  (The separation of walls of the maze was pieces of wood with about a six-inch space in between.  They were so tall it is the size of a giraffe.)  We found a mailbox that had a free-scanning coupons and candles, but a clown lady said to grab the electric candles instead. We found an exit to a different part of it, but the rest of the time was a blur.  I remember some things, but not the order either. 

I remember that Dodie and I got separated and had to join the group that Dodie scared in the horse stables.  With that group we went through a room with an old-fashioned circus tent, a room with curtains hanging from walls, room with skulls everywhere, and a dark room that would turn on the lights and someone will pop out.  That group and I went through an outside path  with a man dressed up as a 1800 women’s dress saying “you’ll be my next porkchop”, or something like that with an axe in his hands.  But also, I remember using a scan - coupon with a pumpkin stamp on it (on mine) to see which time you go into different things.  Plus, there was another inside of the Haunt, except with a whole board that was about eight feet tall.  Then, we had to pass through the door part, where doors are everywhere in this small closet and people jump out (I’ve heard it is the scariest part if you get stuck, but good thing I didn’t).  I forgot the rest I did with the group, but after the door part, we went together to the end.  The end was where a chainsaw man would chase you, but I got out of the way in time. 

After that, I met with Charlie, Dodie, and Maya outside, and got hot chocolate.  I called Maya’s parents and her dad drove me home first.  When I went inside, I told my dad this whole story and had to ask him Charlie’s address  because Charlie didn’t even know!  One thing I do remember for sure, was that I never was scared of the Haunt, I wanted to go.  But, the scariest thing was when I was with Dodie, and she would jump on me when she saw a clown.  And every time she saw her “worst nightmare”, I almost fell over.  I can’t wait for the next year, and the adventures that lead up to it!