At this time, the haunt is safely ensconced in my garage where it has been since I brought it home.
One of the least enjoyable things about living in Oregon, at least during late Fall/early Winter, is the weather. Lots of rain which is pretty much the norm for the season right through to late Spring. This Winter, however, it's been unusually cold. December saw record snowfalls in our part of Oregon which didn't help matters any, though it was fun for the kids. The cold also makes it exceptionally difficult to do anything in the garage. I'm a California boy and space-heaters only go so far up here. Not to mention the fact that most prop work (i.e. the use of adhesives, paints, etc.) doesn't exactly mix well with closed doors and space heaters. And, as I don't own stock in PGE, I can't exactly leave the doors open. So, suffice it to say, not much has or can be done during the Winter months. At least in the garage.
I'm still debating trying to negotiate for some workspace inside the house. I could probably swing it, but there's not that much room and far too many distractions to work comfortably upstairs. So, I'm relatively OK with waiting until March or April to start working in the garage. At least during the day. Nights still get pretty cold during Spring here.
But enough about what hasn't been done yet or why. Let's move on to the meat of it.
The Story of Miss Rose:
As heard on the Hauntcast episode or, better still, seen in
SkullAndBone's haunt video, "The Story of Miss Rose", the theme of the haunt is essentially a ghost story. To paraphase...a lot, Miss Rose is a young school-teacher awaiting the arrival of her beau. She becomes lost and, distraught and forlorn, collapses in a dark forest. The local townspeople come across her body and, believing her dead, entomb her in a crypt with her locket and bell. And, as the story goes...
But just as the latch
Of the stone crypt door fell
No one heard the faint tinkling
Or the weak muffled yell
The sound was too slight
Lost in the mourners cries
Aghast in the darkness
Miss Rose opened her eyes
Her deep forlorn slumber
Alas sealed her doom
Awake now in horror
Interred in a tomb
She rang her bell screaming
Yet no help did 'rive
Her worst nightmare realized
To be buried... ALIVE
On nights just like this one
So the townspeople say
When the fall air is crisp
And the wind blows this way
If you quiet your breathing
And listen a spell
You can still hear the sound
Of Miss Rose and her bell
And so, each Halloween the 'ghost' of Miss Rose, as played by Rob's wife, would haunt the cemetery while a recorded narration played in the background. Rob himself, as well as some friends, would play the ghosts of the 'townspeople/mourners'. All this among the beautiful props, lighting and atmosphere that Rob so wonderfully created.
In my opinion it was a spooky ghost story and, at it's heart, a tragic love story that echoed, though wonderfully twisted, the real-life love story of Rob and his wife. Hence, her playing Miss Rose. It's a beautifully crafted tale and beautifully executed with all the elements that make a really great haunt. A good story and excellent presentation. Which is why it was so highly regarded. This was art. It was tasteful, well thought out and, above all, eerie and atmospheric.
And now it's come to me. (Insert doom music here)
More in the next post.
