On Halloween night this year, threats of tornadoes, rain, and heavy winds berated the town of Mocksville. Although the night’s festivities were nearly canceled, trick-or-treaters put on their costumes and braved the storm. Even with the weather against them, Davie Junior Civitans worked to get their haunted trail up and running in the Brock Gymnasium that evening. Going through the attraction together, we noticed members from both Davie High school and the Davie Early College acting in each room and guiding guests through the establishment.
The journey began with a tour guide giving us a quick summary of the tale behind the trail. After listening to the summary, we were guided to the first room where Little Brock was enjoying dinner with his family. Suddenly, a thief burst through the door and stole a watch, which was an heirloom passed down in the family for generations.
Little Brock then cursed the thief and anyone who dared to steal after. The second room consisted of people who stole from the family draped in chains; the curse was keeping them alive as zombies. As we exited the room, those who were cursed began shrieking. The thief from the first room appeared once more in the third where he was being tortured for his actions. We were asked repeatedly if we were going to stay and then chased from the room to frantic shouts of “Get Out!”
The fourth room was full of the undead who had been punished by the family for their misbehavior. At the end of the trail, we were escorted to the hallway by a security guard who was chased out after attempting to help us. We crept forward into a dark hallway where hands reached out into the darkness and screams came from behind a curtain. After watching various groups, some were chased out of the trail by another guard with a chainsaw. This chainsaw scared the children who, already traumatized, ran screaming in circles.
After going through the haunted trail, we waited at the end to observe others exiting and interview them. Trick-or-treaters of all ages attended. Some were laughing but many young children left with tears staining their cheeks and terror in their eyes. Eight-year-old Rachel Beale, who experienced the attraction with her father, said “[the trail] was fun… a little bit scary.” Mother Candace Tyler exclaimed, “I think my anxiety had anxiety.” “It’s okay. I enjoyed it,” her indifferent son, Noah Tyler, stated.
Davie High students, who came out to support their friends, had positive experiences with the trail as well. “If this was all organized by high schoolers, then it was really good,” freshman Drew Gledhill said. “I would probably bring people next year.” Sophomore Melanie Espitia said, “I thought [the trail] was really good. I kept pushing my friend in front of me the whole time ‘cause I get scared easy.”
Some Davie High teachers waited in line to support their students involved in the project as well. Director of Bands Andrew Jimeson brought his children, Maddox and Ryland, in their costumes in the midst of trick-or-treating chaos to support band members such as freshman Eryn Smith, a french horn player in concert band, and junior Erin Engstrom, a clarinet player in the wind ensemble. “The first room was really special,” Jimeson said, referring to his students that he recognized there. As Mr. Jimeson exited the trail, he could hear giggling from behind the curtains, likely from more students of his recognizing him as he passed through.
Though the storm nearly put an end to Mocksville’s annual Halloween celebration, the weather cleared up just enough to allow children to dress up and stop downtown for a night of tricks and treats. The joint effort of the Davie Junior Civitan and their dedication to making Halloween night enjoyable was much appreciated in the eyes of many who attended.
