As autumn leaves descended in a poetic dance, the moon hid itself behind a mysterious veil of mist. Bright orange pumpkins were scattered around the SCIE campus, quietly signaling that Halloween was approaching. The sun, usually warm and bright, fled away, leaving eternal darkness behind.
When the clock struck 6:30, people started gathering on the big stairs. The seats, which had been mostly empty, quickly filled up with people who couldn’t wait for the show to start. Warm yellow lights cast a glow on their eager faces. Soon, the Halloween performance started. Beautiful singing and guitar music filled the air, touching everyone’s emotions. The dancers, full of energy, moved passionately like fire, driving the performance to a spellbinding climax.
Walking up the stairs, I saw the first floor was awash with a kaleidoscope of costumes. Even though many wore masks, the masks couldn’t conceal the individuality and creative souls underneath. Someone holding an axe with fake blood splattered on his face walked past me. The fake blood on his face and his icy glare made him look really creepy.
Darth Vader and Stormtroopers marched my way. Soldiers in camouflage enacted striking poses with firearms, their decisive moments captured in stark relief by professional lighting and a Hasselblad X2D camera. Some people were dressed up like famous Japanese anime characters, looking just like them with great costumes and makeup.
The moonlight locked the haunted house. When I held my breath and considered myself brave, I stepped in, greeted by the haunting strains of a melancholic piano accompanied by a bone-chilling breeze. I found myself surrounded by deep, deadly, and drowning darkness. Darkness penetrated my broken heart and empty soul. Broken legs, blood-dripping arms, and roasted bodies were scattered on the floor. Ghostly posters written in a massacred style triggered deep fear within my heart.
People dressed in scary costumes jumped out from the dark, surprising me and then pretending to chase me. Real-life NPCs, dressed in the suits of nightmares, emerged from the shadows—silent but terrifying—raising my increasing pulse and chasing my fleeing soul. Among them, a plague doctor stood out, his long black beak and hollow eyes sending panic signals. The haunted house was not just the home of terror and death but also a feast for both the eyes and the mind.
When the last flickering candlelight was snuffed out by faceless ghosts, darkness penetrated my empty soul. The mysterious aura of that Halloween night slowly faded away, leaving behind memories of a night of a hundred demons. With a mix of creepiness and a feeling of missing it already, we said goodbye to that special celebration. Next Halloween, when shadows would converge once again, we would wait while holding our breath for the demons to return.
- Article / Nemo Yang
- Pictures / Harry, Nemo, Thomas
