Page 2 of All Hallows' Haunt
“Matt B.,” I clarified. The big guy looked around me and at the actors walking around.
“I would say he’s probably in the other open room. Through that door,” he said, pointing to a beige door with a window. “Good luck tonight, kid; don’t fuck it up,” he joked with raised eyebrows and a pointed finger.
“No touching, I’m aware.” I laughed him off and continued my search. I opened the metal door and met the same type of crowd gathered among tables and running around. They created the same chorus of hummed conversations.
I passed a few people who were in the same meeting last week for onboarding. They gave me a nod while tending to their fake fangs and blood. I continued to weave, but my search turned up empty. A long table mostly unoccupied in the corner caught my periphery, and I almost overlooked it, but the pink hair made me stop.
I looked again. Matt sat with another actor, engaged in some heavy lip-locking. I walked up, trying to not cause a direct disruption, but the guy with pink hair looked up and gave me a kind smile.
“You’re Matt’s new haunt project?” he said, holding out his hand. “Elijah, I’m by the water park entrance tonight.”
“Everett, and yeah, I guess so,” I greeted and laughed as I shook his hand. “The haunted houses on that side were some of my favorites last year. Sorry for interrupting.”
“You’re good.” Matt waved me off and stood up, holding Elijah’s hand. “I’ll check in with you later? Grab a bite to eat over break?” Elijah nodded, and Matt bent down and kissed his forehead.
“Bye, guys.”
“See ya, Elijah!” I called before turning to follow Matt.
“Call me Eli!” he yelled after us, and I gave him a thumbs-up before we rounded the tables and were out of view. The air smelled like hairspray and gel as we made it back to the beige metal door. Matt held it open for me.
“Again, sorry about that.” I stepped around him and into the first open section.
“It’s fine. I’ll see him later. I was the one late meeting up with you.” He clapped me on the shoulder before adding on, “But you made it here all the same, so let’s get you ready.” We found our way back to the clown table, and I noticed a few of the actors had left the group already.
“Yeah, it wasn’t difficult at all.” I set my stuff on the table, taking extra caution with my food. I opened the tray and started to eat. Grabbing my phone from my pocket, I opened the photos app and scrolled through my inspirations.
“Is that what you’re thinking?” Matt asked, peeking over my shoulder. “Personally, I think you’d look better combining these two.” His finger moved between the bottom photos. “The girls would get a thrill from the scare, but also the enjoyment of you not looking too gory.”
“Is that a thing for y’all?” I asked, shoveling another forkful into my mouth.
“Oh, absolutely. Big events like Hallows’, there’s always going to be a portion of the crowd that’s going to harass you for that shit. It’s all about how you let it affect you and how you feed into it.” He picked up a set of makeup sponges and started on his face. “Just be careful with how far you allow them to push.”
“Yeah, no touching. I’m not looking to bring the park a ‘suit.’” I slid my food aside. Opening the wipes, I cleaned my face and started layering with a fresh sponge.
“More than that, some people can get obsessive and weird. If anyone is giving you too much trouble, let security know and they can escort them out.”
“You have that happen before?” The sheer white foundation spread across my skin.
“Not exactly, but I’ve helped a few girls out here who had men following them around.” He pulled out the latex and started making his wounds.
“That sucks, but at least the community looks out for each other.” I darkened my eyebrows, altering them into a sharper angle for a more stern appearance.
“We do, so don’t hesitate to find me or someone else if you need help. I’m with you most of the night, so you should be able to reach me easily.” He continued to layer his wound. “Just please don’t touch the others, and if you do, don't let Gretchen hear it from someone else first.”
“That major?” I asked, grabbing the paint pans. Black darkened my eyelids and the general shape of my eye socket. I drew black points upward on both. Instead of matching the top, I replaced the pan for a red color and muddied it around the bottom of my eyes.
“Absolutely, I mean, it’s grounds for termination.”
I let the conversation fade off and focused on creating this character. My lips were coated in the same red and black layering, only I brought the red out in an exaggerated and sinister smile. The fake blood sat in a small container, and I used it to paint bloody streaks from my eyes down my cheeks and chin. After looking over my outfit for anything out of place, I called it ready. It looked simple and far less complicated than some of the more experienced actors walking around. For the first night, I wanted to be comfortable. As time went on and with more practice in my free time, there would be opportunities to do large-scale scares.
I grabbed the pads for safe slides and watched Matt work on his face. He went for more gore at this point. His artistry skills were refined, and I reminded myself to ask him for pointers later.
“Go secure your stuff in my locker,” he instructed as he tossed me a set of keys. “I’ll finish up and then we’ll go make sure the attraction is ready. We’re doing the murder house first, and then we’ll switch and do street scaring until our break.”
“You got it,” I said, walking toward that same door.
Tonight’s gonna be a thrill.
