We were the first to go in. Basically, because we knew we had it in us. Leaving my ability not to fear anything, I actually psyched myself to enjoy while being critical of the whole experience at the same time. And I was successful at it. So this review is bereft of me being a hater of dark forces and how they hate me as well. I went in there for the art side, pretty much how we still watch horror movies.
OK. The Harlequin Haunted Hall 2 organizers had the protection of guests in mind. We were asked to leave our bags with the FOH people and ushers. We did. They thought we might end up too scared that we'd leave our bags in there somewhere. Where it's dark, where there were ghosts,where there might be hands that will grab you anytime, where it's scary.
Then they saw my necklace. "Take that off as well." Then my watch, then my ring, then my pearl earrings. "Guys, I get that you need funds and all, but this far?" They smiled and took my stuff from me. (OK, I wasn't wearing a ring or any earring. I just wanted to feel the feeling of having one.)
The group of the brave: Nki, Stn, Wwo, Ald and Mtn. Minimum of 4 max of 6, to which Ald hopelessly remarked, "Oh, no. 5 na kami! Lilipat tuloy ako!" (Oh no. We're 5 already! I will have to transfer!)
Wwo was the leader. Followed by me and Stn and Ald and Mtn. The arrangement at the back of the line kept on changing because of the running we had to do every so often, but Wwo clearly remained the alpha of the group. I don't know how many hands I've held on to during those gruelling 5 minutes of our lives, but I definitely wanted to convince myself those were from a human being, alive and warm.
In one of the sections (which I cannot say explicitly to avoid spoilers), Wwo, our dear leader with the most courageous blood within him, jerked backward, hit my left eye with his right shoulder, and poof went my left contact lens. I managed to grab on to it, in pure disbelief that it was possible, and wanted to salvage it but it was too dark, the passage was too narrow, the position we had was too awkward and I knew it was the end of my clear left vision for the next remaining minutes.
I was thinking of my lens too much that I failed to enjoy the rest of the sections, but it added to the effect.
Finally, the exit that felt like it was no exit at all, because Mutien Marie is one big haunted building you don't necessarily need a horror booth to make it scary. We went down, I swear my curls went straight for a while, and I whined about my lost lens. The organizers took pity, and when I thought they were looking for it when incoming guests were stopped in queue, I found out it was because we destroyed one of their set. Hehe. Sorry about that.
I asked the organizers if I could go in. JnP went inside with me while I threatened the ghouls that I was there minutes ago, was only there to get my vision back and that in no manner should they, in any chance, try to frighten me. After that I said a mild hello to JnP, who I haven't seen in ages, as I scampered through dark alleys and whoknowswhat shady areas. "This is how we say hello after a long time huh?" "Yeah." "I missed you.""Me too."
I got to go to the shortcuts. Never knew how complex-looking they made the entire second floor. I managed to find my lens, crumpled, soiled and pathetically disfigured. I went down the entrance and slightly raised the lens in a victorious manner. Everyone (well, not all) horrayed in an exasperated way as I have caused a major delay already.
The random brave: Nsh, Krl, Apr, Mrc, Stn, Nki, Eln
We went in again. This time, armed with more bravery than ever, we decided to face our fears again to make sure we see everything there was. Going in the second time made the experience better. They actually improved, like our comments on the comment board were radioed to the guys and they applied it immediately. We were scared to our guts and went out satisfied.
The HTG Haunted Hall/Horror Booth started years ago as a tradition, and with more and more people supporting it, it became a legend. Then it died. I don't know how, but it just did. It was pitched to me before while I was still running the Guild, but we never really worked a way to revive it. Thanks to Crl, it found its way back and is now becoming what it once were. Slowly, pretty much like any ghost stories passed on by word of mouth, the Harlequin Haunted Hall 2 is an experience, running through decades of Lasallian history and folklore, worth going back to over and over again.
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