OK. I'll admit it, I'm a huge wimp. I've been through two haunted houses in my life and the second time was only to impress my now husband on one of our first dates. I hide my eyes through scary (and even not so scary) parts of movies. It's true. I'm a wimp.
So, it's amusing that I ended up at the North Liberty Jaycees Haunted Barn on Friday the 13th of all days for this week's On The Street. I was worried that it might be a sparse crowd on the opening night of this ghoulish Halloween tradition in the corridor. In the end, organizers said they were pleasantly surprised with the number of people that turned out. But, for me, it wouldn't have mattered. I got the royal treatment from the men and women who work behind the scenes at the haunted barn.
They led me through the barn - with the lights on - to see what it was like before the show started. And, yes, in total light I did scream when one of the monsters caught me unawares. And, yes, my heart was thumping even though I could plainly see that everything was fake and my life was not in peril. I guess that's the sign of either a really good haunted barn or a really wimpy person. I'll let you decide.
My tourguide, who's haunted plenty of houses and barns is his day, said the key to a good scare is timing. People love to have their irrational fears exploited. I guess that's true because when I asked people what scared them, many people answered things like "people jumping out at me." And, that's exactly what they were in store for as soon as they entered the barn.
Of course, I didnt' go in once lights were out. But I heard plenty of screams coming from inside and one group of teenage girls I spoke to were getting ready to go in for a fourth time. Check it out for yourself. The barn is at 2359 Mehaffey Bridge Road in North Liberty. It's open 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 19; 7 p.m. to midnight Oct. 20 and 21; 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 22 and 26; 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Oct. 27 and 28; Kids’ Day, 3 to 5 p.m. Oct. 29; 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 29 to 31. Admission: $6 per body; bring a canned food item and receive $1 off admission beginning Oct. 19. Kids’ Day Admission, 3 to 5 p.m. Oct. 29: $2 children; adults free. For more info, go to www.nljaycees.org/