Thread: A Fundamental Truth to Scaring

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I got a reminder of one of the Laws of Haunting last night while helping the local Campfire campground with their Haunted Forest.

If people are expecting scares, like in a Haunt,
It doesn't matter what you wear, how you act, or what you say.

It does NOT matter.

What matters is an instantaneous appearance close to the visitors, accompanied by a significant noise. Not always a loud noise, but a noise none the less.

I was in a high-crowned hat with a really wide brim, like Van Helsings hat in the recent movie "Van Helsing", long black coat and a rather disturbing full head mask - a one-eyed withered old man with a deviant grin from ear to ear. People told me it was the freakiest, most frightening mask in the place.
It looked a bit like the face of my avatar.

I jumped out of a shed - the crowd looked.
I stepped out from trees within arms reach - the crowd turned and looked.
I jumped up from behind a sign - the crowd looked.

Once they saw me, they ooed and awwed at the mask, and some made comments it was creepy. They didn't like me following them, so I was able to keep their attention until the next scare caught them unawares, but I got two screams in two hours.

I honestly believe I could have been wearing no mask, a snazzy blazer and a pair of jeans if I had been hiding behind a barrier right near the trail and I'd used an airhorn...

BLAAAP! Hi!

Also, they couldn't suspect there was a hiding place. They were looking for something to happen near any structure, be it the shed, large trees near the trail, the large sign, what have you.
They scouted and squinted those locales in the dark, watched them for any movement. The hiding place needs to be unseen and unexpected.

Now, for those of you who haunt your yards and the tricksters have no idea you plan to give them a show, these rules are very flexible.

However, if you run a haunt and people enter it expecting to be scared, You have to trump their expectations, and that can be a real challenge.

Add a low growl as you appear, and they'll scream. That was my experience when I was the hayride hostess at a local haunt. Also, sometimes when I would scream, the visitors would scream even louder.