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‘Epic' haunting in Marysville
WHERE: 301 Fourth St., Marysville.
WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m.-10:30 p.m., Saturday, 6 p.m.- 10:30 p.m. and Halloween Night 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
ADMISSION: $5. All proceeds go to Friday Night Live. Children 12 and under should be accompanied by an adult.
CALL: 742-5483.
It was a little too scary for Drake Ritter.
His father, Marc, took his 4-year-old son out of The Haunting of Smokey Hills Manor haunted house.
"I think he was a little too young for it — but I didn't know it was like that," Marc Ritter said. "They did a really good job in there. It was epic."
Drake and his dad were part of the first groups to explore the Smokey Hills haunted house on Saturday night in Marysville.
Sponsored by Friday Night Live and the Valley of Shadows Paranormal Society, this year's haunted house is a dramatic departure from ghost house attractions in years past.
Written and directed by Joey Presswood and Chris Cockream, the house comes with an original story that propels visitors through the attraction at the old Marysville library on Fourth Street.
The fictional legend begins in 1948 when the Smokey Hills cemetery was moved and a high school built in its place. The schools burned down "mysteriously" nine years later on prom night. Then, in 1965 "Mayor Colin" built a mansion, and he and his wife adopted twins Edgar and Julia. The twins went insane and the parents disappeared as the result of supernatural events.
With that back story, parents and kids are encouraged to "investigate" the haunted house under the supervision of a "ghost hunter" like Brandi Bevis, one of several tour guides.
Linda teen Stephanie Johnson clutched her father's arm as they explored different haunted rooms like the Dungeon of Lost Drifters, the Twisted Doll House — which features the ghost of Julia — and the Crazy Clown Birthday Party, which was the scariest part of Johnson.
"I don't like clowns — that was creepy," Johnson said.
December Gossett, a 10-year-old Yuba City girl was still shaking as she talked about the "Ghostly Prom."
"It was all the screaming," she said.
Meanwhile, outside the house, Drake's buddy, 7-year-old Tino Frias, made it all the way through the spooky Halloween attraction — but just barely.
"The clowns were the most freakiest part," Tino told Drake. "Trust me, if you'd see the clowns, you'd cry and cry."
Drake thought about it and said, "Yeah, I probably would. I almost cried. I almost got scared, but not that scared."
CONTACT Rob Parsons at rparsons@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4785. Find him on Facebook at /ADcrimebeat or on Twitter at @ADcrimebeat.
