By Mae Phillips

When I walked into the Hudson Haunted House, ready to interview the actors and take some pictures, I never expected to be put in one of the rooms and become an actor myself; however, I jumped at the opportunity as soon as I was asked.

I was then handed an oversized black sweatshirt and a glow in the dark mask. My job was to stand in a dark room full of similar masks and three other people dressed like me. We blended into the scene, so it was hard to tell which masks were worn by actual people and which were fake. When people walked through the room, we were to stand as still and quiet as possible and then jump out when the people least expected it.

Once I had my costume, I was led through a hidden hallway and screams from all directions rang through my ears. There was even growling and maniacal laughter that followed loud bangs echoing off the walls.

Being an actor was weird, but it was also really fun. Some people are harder to scare than others, and so many different people came through. I learned that it is not always the jump scares and loud noises that scare people the most. You have to work with different situations and be creepy rather than just do the same thing over and over.

I did scare a few people pretty badly, and it was funny not to be the scared one for once. It was a pretty cool experience, and I would love to be a volunteer.

The house has so many different characters and being able to make them come alive is hard work. I will definitely be going back next year.