A dark presence oozes from the walls of the North Westside home, sending trills of terror through the dense forest that encompasses the area.
The zombie apocalypse is in full swing as the Killiney Beach Haunted House gears up for their third annual exhibit which runs Friday, Saturday, Tuesday and Nov. 4.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like a zombie compound,鈥� said Candace Campbell, creator of the fright alongside her husband Chris. 鈥淭here will be lots of acting, smoke machines, lighting effects and more. It鈥檚 pretty spooky.鈥�
The germ of the independently-operated haunted house was born when the Campbells had friends visiting from out of town.
鈥淲e just did it because we had a lot of friends coming up for Halloween,鈥� Campbell said of their inaugural haunted house. 鈥淎nd the community asked if we were going to keep doing it.鈥�
Last year, over the two-night run, Campbell said they saw roughly 100 people pass through their gates. This year, however, the run is extended to four dates, with Tuesday, Oct. 31, as the least frightening and Saturday, Oct. 28, as the most, and Campbell hopes to see 100 people per night.
鈥淲e originally put it on for our community,鈥� Campbell said, adding that prior to their haunted house, North Westside had little to no Halloween offerings. 鈥淏ut this year we鈥檙e opening up for more communities.鈥�
And for Campbell, the opportunity to frighten more people, in a friendly manner she added, is what it鈥檚 all about.
鈥淲e love doing it because of the response we get from the community,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fun to scare people in a fun way, and they really love it.鈥�
After the two-minute tour through terror, complete with extreme low visibility, strobes, fog, damp conditions and moving floors, there will be a bonfire with hot chocolate served.
The Killiney Beach Haunted House, at 665 Udell Rd., runs Friday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.; Tuesday,Oct. 31 at 6:30 p.m.; and Saturday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. Entrance is $5 for adults and free for children ages 12-and-under, though the house is not recommended for kids under the age of eight. Any profits exceeding costs go towards community events through the North Westside Communities Association.
Due to the frightening nature of the event, Campbell advises discretion for those with asthma, heart conditions and those who suffer from seizures.
