Halloween 1984: HOUSE OF HORROR!

Every year, the POS of A in Woodward hosted a Halloween party for all the kids of the village. I only ever remember going to it twice.
This is a picture of my costume. I was a witch this year - not a conventional witch, because I doubt my parents could afford a real witch hat at the Rea & Derrick in Mifflinburg - but a benevolent one that wore a scarf and had a fondness for artificial flowers.

The party was your standard 1950s Halloween hokeyness thrust into the hands of middle-aged Woodwardians trying to entertain a bunch of hick kids. OOOH let's put on a blindfold and feel around in Jean's Tupperware bowls! OOOH peeled grapes - no, EYES! EWW, BRAINS! - no, spaghetti.....bobbing for apples in a galvanized trough! Don't breathe in with your head underwater!

I remember the dank coldness of the old building, the ugly colors inside, the bad linoleum (of which you can see here) - but what I distinctly remember is the terrifying sound effects tape. For some reason, the sound effects had me screaming.

TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OFFFF!!!!! and then I burst into tears.

I was one of those bizarre kids who freaked out over sounds. I hated "Romeo & Juliet Suite." I hated "Also Sprach Zarathrustra." and I REALLY hated the moans and creaks of that damn tape. I believe, after my outburst, they turned the tape off to shut me the hell up.