As a young girl, Jessica Rockwood refused to go into the basement of her father’s home during Halloween.
At the bottom of the 25 steps was a Michael Myers doll with a chainsaw in its hands – its white face and black eyes stared up at her.
“I would look from afar, but I would not go in the basement – there was no way you were getting me down there.”
For Rockwood, that’s what Halloween is all about.
A self-described thrill-seeker, Rockwood now decorates her own house to scare children — all while fundraising for a different cause each year.
The tradition began four years ago when she bought her house on Donovan Street in Mount Pearl.
Her father helped her decorate, and the first prop she made was, of course, a Mike Myers dummy because “it meant something” to her.
That first year, she decorated just her living room.
Fifty children went through the “haunted” room that year — mostly friends and family.
“After I finished that year, I was like, there’s got to be more — it’s not enough.”
One woman who brought her child during the first year asked what it cost to go through the haunted room.
“I was kind of shocked. I was like, ‘No, this is for Halloween.’”
But she got an idea.
“I could do something good with this,” she said.
The next year, Rockwood decorated her entire house and the number of trick-or-treaters doubled to about 100 children – and she raised a little over $100 for the SPCA.
Donovan Street is comprised of mostly retired couples and empty nesters, so trick-or-treaters were few and far between – until Rockwood moved in.
“The second year, I had neighbours come down and thank me.
“Weeks after Halloween, I had one woman come close to Christmas and she said, ‘I’ve been meaning to come down ever since Halloween.’ She said they never get kids down here anymore,” said Rockwood.
“There’s a woman who lives up on the other end of Donovan and she has grandchildren, so she had all these candies in her house, and that’s what she was giving kids because she had nothing left because she wasn’t expecting so many – she was giving them Rice Krispies squares and Pop-Tarts and everything she had in her house. She came down and she thanked me for it because a lot of the people here miss it.”
Last year, Rockwood’s haunted house had over 300 visitors and she raised $500 for the Canadian Veteran Freedom Riders.
“It’s been overwhelming – I did not expect it to get this big this fast,” she said.
“I remember the first year, I thought everyone is going to hate it, they’re going to think it’s cheesy and corny, and I was so down and out on myself, but then the reactions we got from people who loved it – it gave me that much more confidence to hear how people enjoyed it.
“It inspires me to do more and better things, so I’m excited about this year – it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
This year, Rockwood will donate to Iris Kirby House, and hopes to at least match last year’s amount of $500.
She has a scary and non-scary version of the haunted house, so it’s appropriate for all ages. People can make a donation of any amount to go through the house.
Bringing people through in groups, they wind through “hallways” created with black curtains draped from the ceiling.
It goes through her living room and dining room, out onto the back deck and yard, and then around the side of the house, where Rockwood’s parents wait with treats for the children.
Rockwood’s next-door-neighbour, Margaret Crocker, said it’s the most effort she’s ever seen anyone put into an event.
“And it’s not Christmas, it’s Halloween – one day.”
Rockwood said she starts decorating the inside of her home in September, but saves the exterior decorations for a couple of days before Halloween because wind and rain have wreaked havoc on her props in the past.
Crocker and her husband are retired, but even they couldn’t resist walking through the haunted house one year.
“Oh my golly, what an experience,” she said.
“There was someone jumping out of closets at you, and when you went out the back door, there was a casket down there and there was a lot of creepy sounds.”
Crocker’s two grandchildren are eight and 10 years old and look forward to it every year.
“It’s a very quiet neighbourhood, and there’s not very many small children around here at all, but when Jessica puts her Halloween house on display, it attracts people – mostly children, of course, and adults – from all around.”
Rockwood’s younger sister, Taylor, helps with decorating and is one of the people delivering scares inside the house each year.
“I get a lot of jumps, screams and even curse words,” she laughed.
Rockwood said about 10 people – mostly her cousins – will be hidden throughout the house.
She has new props and won’t repeat anything this year.
“Kids don’t forget,” she said, so she made sure to change everything to ensure return visitors are just as scared as new ones.
Rockwood said the only downside to her haunted house is that she doesn’t get scared because she created it.
“For me, it’s the entertainment of other people getting to feel that thrill.”
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Twitter: @juanitamercer_
