On the Brighter Side

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Welcome to the Spook House

Halloween was almost here and, once again, plans were being made by the “big kids” for a spooky adventure in the basement of St. Joe school.  This was the highlight of the annual Halloween carnival which was a little money maker for some extra things for art and other projects offered besides the regular school classes.  

The kids were getting ready with a cast that included a “corpse” in an old casket stored in a dark part of the basement.  Visitors were sure to scream when the corpse came to life, sat up and howled and moaned, then returned to its resting place.  Ghosts clawed at visitors as they passed through to the laboratory of the “mad scientist” who offered bowls of cooked and slimy pasta which were brains, peeled grapes said to be eyeballs, and red sticky liquid said to be blood of his last victim.  A real skull was displayed as the finale of the mad scientists tour of his laboratory.

Screams from visitors in the spook house aroused the curiosity of those waiting in line for the next tour.  They clutched a few coins to give to the witch who guarded the door.  Fake bats swung down and flew around on strings and fake spiders and webs welcomed them with as a spooky voice said “Come in, dearie”.

Upstairs we would find a cake walk circle with folks slowly stepping from number to number until the music stopped.  A number was drawn and the lucky winner selected a cake from the side table.

In another room were games such as a ring toss, bean bag toss into the clown’s open mouth,  a dart game to break balloons, blackboard games such as hangman and a penny toss into miscellaneous glasses covering a table top….winner was awarded the glass.

Everyone including teachers were in costumes which added to the fun.

Too soon the afternoon ended.  Refreshments were served and treat bags offered, then clean up time before everyone left and the building was silent.

The school is gone now and and the spook house in the basement is filled in and forgotten, but at Halloween time  memories remain of fun at the annual St. Joe Halloween carnival.   

BOO!

-MG

Contributed by Marilyn Goodwin