In the ghastly world of Kitsap Haunted Fairgrounds, there are two kinds of people: those who pay good money to be scared out of their wits and those who are dying to oblige.
Count Megan Jackson, aka Doodles the Clown, among the latter. Her high-pitched wheedle inviting you to "Come, play ..." is impossible to ignore.
Nathan Durig — just call him "dot guy" — disappears into a blacklight background of dots in a room pulsing with eerie sounds. You won't even know he's there ... until it's too late.
Jackson and Durig, veterans of the annual October haunt at Kitsap County Fairgrounds & Events Center, recount their best scares. It's not uncommon for people to wet their pants or fall to the ground in a puddle of terror.
"I haven't been seen as the most intimidating person," Jackson said. "Being able to scare people, it's empowering."
The Haunted Fairgrounds has been a Halloween tradition since 2003, when several slightly twisted families outgrew their garage haunts and partnered with Kitsap County for an event at the fairgrounds that has grown bigger and ever more terrifying, with the addition of new gory props and ever more clever horrors.
In 2013, organizers led by haunting mastermind James Tubberville formed the nonprofit Kitsap Haunted Productions, which has continued to rent space from the county. The haunt takes up 22,000 square feet in three buildings and requires about 3,000 worker hours to set up and tear down.
Attendance last year was more than 10,000 with the addition of Zombie Paintball in Thunderbird Arena & Stadium.
The event runs Fridays and Saturdays and select days near and including Halloween. Younger visitors and the timid at heart can enjoy a "lights on no scare" period each night before the "lights out full scare."
Tubberville, his henchman Todd Josal and other key volunteers begin planning the haunt in January. They went over the top with this year's theme, "Fairy Tales Gone Wrong."
Visitors can follow a suffocating, darkened maze where things slither and scream and slink away to find out how Goldilocks got her revenge on Papa Bear.
Cinderella, on her hands and knees, can't scrub away blood stains in the gloomy kitchen where the tea tray holds not-so-dainty delicacies.
Hansel and Gretel ... well, let's face it, that story was already super creepy. In the Haunted Fairgrounds version, it's just as you imagined in your worst nightmares as a child.
What happened to the seven dwarfs? There are their dwarf-sized headstones, right over there.
Little Red Riding Hood — Brianna Miller, sporting claw-like scars and blood-red lipstick — calls for help. The Big Bad Wolf is somewhere in the gloomy wood, ready to pounce but where? When?
Miller is a lead makeup artist for the crew of about 60 volunteers. One of her specialties is using contact lenses that color the full eyeball for a really disturbing look.
"I love doing makeup and props," said Miller. "I learn something new all the time."
Kelli Donner — who proudly claims a connection to the cannibalistic Donner Party — also helps with make-up and delights in scaring people with her Cheshire Cat impression.
"I have a banshee scream that I do," she said proudly as the crew got ready for their Saturday-night show. "I'm a vocalist in a metal band in my off time, so it helps."
Haunted Fairgrounds actors consider each other family, according to volunteer coordinator Vickie Josal — known to all as the "Haunt Mom." Some start as teens, working to earn community service hours. The camaraderie brings many of them back year after year ... along with the thrill of the haunt.
"They can be a really shy person, but once you put on a costume and makeup, you can be anybody," Josal said. "The kids really come out of their shells."
In the countdown to Saturday's haunt, Tubberville gathered his crew for a pep talk. He encouraged them to improvise and feed off each other's energy — within the event's safety guidelines.
"Get into character," he urged. "People are wanting to see that. They're paying to see it, so let's bring it."
With that, he led the ghastly group in a blood-curdling howl. The lights were dimmed and it was showtime.
A portion of the ticket price goes to support area food banks.
What: "Fairytales Gone Wrong"-themed haunt
When: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., lights on no scare, 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., full scare, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., zombie paintball; Fridays and Saturdays in October plus 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Oct. 25 and Oct. 31; 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Nov. 2 and 3, "frights out."
Where: Kitsap County Fairgrounds & Events Center (paintball in Thunderbird Arena)
Cost: No scare, $5; regular admission (one time through the haunt), $15; zombie paintball, $12; VIP admission (twice through the haunt plus front of line privileges) $20; shooting gallery combo (once through the haunt plus paintball), $25; shooting gallery VIP combo (twice through the haunt, front of the line privileges and once through the paintball gallery) $30.
