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Haunted trail offers plenty of frights for free

Staff photo by Pat Auckerman Josh Fraser, 17, plays a scary clown at the Deadwood Haunt haunted trail in Mason.

Staff photo by Pat Auckerman Cady Meece, left, and Kelsey Hairston, both 17, play witches at the Deadwood Haunt haunted trail in Mason.

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Staff photo by Pat Auckerman Ryan Hoffman, 17, plays a scare crow at the Deadwood Haunt haunted trail in Mason.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Photos: Deadwood Haunt

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By Eric Schwartzberg, Staff Writer Updated 10:53 AM Thursday, October 21, 2010

MASON — Cady Meece is looking to scare up interest in a custom-made haunted trail.

The 17-year-old Mason High School senior recruited 15 of her friends this summer to mount “Deadwood Haunt” behind her home at 6315 Tracy Place in Mason.

The large wooded area behind the residence provided plenty of space and spookiness for teens looking to take their ideas to extremes.

That’s why the attraction quickly grew from a slight fright into a 500-foot haunted trail with a 40-foot tunnel of terror, seven themed areas, evil clowns, dozens of surprise props and 13 actors prepared to scare the daylights out of participants.

The haunted trail will be open from 9 p.m. to midnight Oct. 23, 24, 30 and 31. Admission is free, but voluntary donations will be accepted.

Meece said she and 15 of her friends invested hundreds of hours to make the terrifying trail a reality.

“It’s all of my friends’ senior year and we just wanted to do something that was our last big thing,” she said. “We’ve all been really close since second grade and we just wanted to do something that kept us all together.”

Matt Benton, 17, who plays villain Michael Myers in the trail, said those seeking a scary time should look no further than Deadwood Haunt.

“It’s pretty dark back here in the woods, so just with that it’s pretty scary,” Benton said. “When you add all of us in there, it’s going to get even scarier.”

Even as she helps make final preparations for things that go bump in the night, Meece has a chilling confession to make: “I’m actually not big on haunted trails myself but the fact that I’m in one, it helps me get over the fear, I guess,” she said.

Cady’s mother Tammy, who acted as project manager for the trail, said she impressed by the determination displayed by the teens and their excitement to do a good job.

“Whether we have one person or a thousand people, the haunted trail has been an amazing experience for the kids and myself included and I hope for a good turnout to make their efforts worth the hard work,” she said.

For more information, visit www.deadwoodhaunt.com.

Looking for more Halloween fun?

Western-Star.com/go/halloween

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