Haunted House Stories Archives - Page 14 of 30

Counting Down the Week before Friday the 13th

Posted by Thrillvania in Haunted House Stories on June 6th, 2014
Tags: Friday the 13th

About a week before every Friday the 13^th we take a lengthy tour of Thrillvania, home to the most haunted house in Dallas, Texas. We search for anything that might attract or cause bad luck, because if it’s unlucky to have it around every other day of the year, you can bet it’s doubly bad luck to have it around on Friday the 13^th. Since we’re exactly one week out, we thought we’d share our checklist so you can be prepared, too.

Mirrors – If they’re nailed to the wall we make sure to cover them with a sheet lest we get a glimpse of the Face of Death. If they’re mirrors that can be picked up, handled and possibly broken, thus ensuring 7 years of doom, we stash them away in a locked closet for the day.

Ladders – All ladders are folded up and stashed in the shed. There’s always one daredevil in the bunch who laughs in the face of Friday the 13^th and takes a walk under a ladder if there’s one standing at the ready. One of these days we’re going to rig up a can of paint so it falls on his head!

Black cats – It’s almost impossible to rid the countryside of cats and black cats are especially difficult to catch. They’re sneaky and hard to see and they seem to disappear when you look directly at them. We do our best though, luring them into one of our outbuildings with a tasty feast of fresh tuna and seasoned chicken gizzards and plenty of warm milk.

Umbrellas – All umbrellas are stashed right along with the ladders and mirrors lest some foolhardy idiot decide he wants to open it up indoors and see what happens. We know what will happen – we don’t need proof.

Beds – While most of our cast and crew sleep in their own homes at night we do have a few beds around for… well… let’s just call them “unwary guests.” In order to ensure they have at least a few moments of good luck before they meet ~~their maker~~ the inhabitants of Thrillvania, we arrange all the beds so our “guests” are able to rise and shine on the right side of the bed.

Spiders – Like black cats, there’s very little we can do to eliminate all the spiders in our haunted park. After all, it’s a pretty big place and we specialize in creating the type of creepy environment that just seems to attract these 8-legged creepizoids. Still, though, it’s bad luck for the rest of the day if you see a spider in the morning. On Friday the 13^th we try not to peep into any dark, dusty corners until after the clock strikes noon.

The menu – On Friday the 13^th we never ever have “the foul fish” on the menu and we never ever serve anything that must be eaten with a knife and fork. Weather permitting we usually fire up the grill and barbecue some… baby back ribs, yes, that’s what we’ll call them, baby back ribs.

This year, we’ll be celebrating the day at Cutting Edge Haunted Park where they promise a Friday the 13^th Event too spectacular to miss. Join us there if you dare and remember to mark your calendars for the season opening of Thrillvania Haunted House Park at 2330 County Road 138, in Terrell, Texas.

13 Things You Should Not Do On Friday the 13th

At Thrillvania Haunted House in Dallas we’re not ashamed to admit that we, too, as brave as we are, take certain precautions on Friday the 13^th. Silly things, like spitting into the wind or crossing paths with a black cat, may or may not bring you bad luck any other day of the year but on Friday the 13^th they’re guaranteed to bring you bad luck in spades. We’ve already told you what you should do on Friday the 13th, now we’re going to tell you what you should avoid.

Don’t go near uncovered mirrors

Everyone knows you’ll have 7 years of bad luck if you break a mirror but did you also know that many people will cover their mirrors on Friday the 13th if they are sick or dying, fearing that if they don’t they’ll see the face of Death in the mirror when they pass by.

Don’t yawn

In ancient times they believed that the Devil made people yawn so he could gain entry into their body and take possession of their soul. If you must yawn remember to cover your mouth to keep the rascal out.

Don’t be the 13^th dinner guest

When you’re the “fifth wheel” at a dinner party you simply feel uncomfortable and out-of-place. When you’re the 13^th dinner guest, that’s another story. Look at what happened to Judas and Jesus when after the 13 guests shared The Last Supper.

Don’t walk under a ladder

Because the typical ladder has 3 points, early Christians believed that walking under a ladder expressed your disbelief in the Holy Trinity and put you in league with the devil. Perhaps the best reason to avoid walking under a ladder on any day of the year is because you never know what might fall on your head!

Don’t save someone who’s drowning

Ancient mariners believed that it was bad luck to save someone who was drowning. They looked upon the sea as a sacred being or a god who demanded a certain number of bodies every year. Pulling a drowning person out of the god’s grasp meant certain death for the savior.

Don’t go looking for spiders

On any other day, if you find a spider in the morning you’re going to have bad luck the rest of the day. Multiply that bad luck by 10 if you find that eight-legged creepy-crawlie on Friday the 13^th.

Don’t use salt

Spilled salt at lunchtime brings bad luck by dinner which you can easily ward off by tossing a pinch of salt over your right shoulder… unless it’s Friday the 13^th., of course. Why tempt fate? Stay away from the popcorn today.

Don’t go on a first date

A medieval superstition holds that any romance begun on a Friday is doomed. If you’re already in a relationship, you’re safe. But if there’s a possibility that Friday the 13^th might be “The Night”, cancel that date and wait until Saturday.

Don’t open an umbrella indoors

My grandmother used to say if you opened an umbrella indoors it would shower you with bad luck, but wouldn’t that be true, then, no matter where you opened it? As far as I can see the only “bad luck” I’ve experienced is getting my open umbrella stuck in the doorway and ripping it to shreds, but why push your luck?

Keep your feet off the table

While it’s bad luck to put your feet on any table, shod or not, because your grandmother will probably whack you with her knitting needles, it’s especially bad luck to put your shoes on a table, whether your feet are in them or not.

Don’t burn your eggshells

Another ancient superstition, it was thought that burning your eggshells would singe the feathers of the hen that laid the eggs. She would then become so angry she’d never lay eggs again. Don’t have any chickens? Don’t tempt Fate. Remember, the fate of your eggs is in the hands of the bag-boy at the grocery store.

Don’t use knives or forks

Crossing your knife and fork on the dinner table is considered bad manners but it’s also said to bring bad luck. A crossed knife and fork symbolizes hard times ahead. It’s also bad luck to present a knife as a gift to someone. If your friend would love a Swiss Army Knife for his birthday, ask him for a penny, just to be on the safe side.

Don’t name that fish

Another ancient mariner superstition deals with what you can call the Fish That Shall Not Be Named. You can call it “the beast,” or “the red fish.” You can call it “the foul fish” or simply “the fish.” But, unless you want to suffer irreversible, horrible bad luck, you may never call it a salmon.

Want to have some fun on Friday the 13^th? Join us as and we’ll all temp Fate together at Cutting Edge Haunted Park for their Friday the 13^th Event. And don’t forget – mark your calendar now and start making plans to bring the gang out to Thrillvania at 2330 County Road 138, in Terrell, Texas for the best Halloween celebration.

Beware The 13th Floor Of This Legendary Haunted House!

Posted by Thrillvania in Haunted House Stories on May 23rd, 2014
Tags: Cutting Edge Haunted Park, Friday the 13th Event

Let’s face it, Thrillvania Haunted House Park in Dallas is one of the scariest places on Earth but you always have the option of escaping the terror via one of our emergency exits. But what about that elusive 13-story haunted house you’ve heard so much about? The one where no one makes it out alive.

Every city purportedly has one, a haunted house so scary that nobody’s ever managed to make it to the 13^th floor or the 5^th floor or the attic. It may be an old, abandoned hospital or insane asylum, or a decrepit hotel or apartment building, but the legends are all the same: Visitors seldom make it all the way to the end and if they do they’re never heard from again.

But does this mythical 13-story haunted house actually exist? And if so, where is it located? And has anyone actually made it to the 13^th floor and vanished from the face of the Earth?

Of course, the very idea that you’ll be scared to death before you make it to the 13^th floor is enough to, well, scare you to death before you reach the 13^th floor. And if you never reach the 13^th floor, how do you know you’re in the right house?

The thought that if you do make it you’ll never get out alive is rather off-putting, too, so most people couldn’t care less where this legendary building might be located.

And, the very fact that anyone who’s ever made it to the 13^th floor has vanished makes it that much more difficult to prove the existence of this fabled haunted house. There are no living witnesses to pass along its location.

But, to a haunted house enthusiast, these points only add fuel to the internal fire that drives them to search from one corner of the country to the other for this elusive 13-story haunt extravaganza. Is it in Ohio? Michigan? Maybe Tennessee? North Carolina?

We believe the legend of this elusive haunted house is simply that – a legend. A legend that originated right here at Thrillvania at 2330 County Road 138, in Terrell, Texas, when our earliest visitors found our attractions so terrifying they had to make use of one of our emergency exits.

Over the years, the legend has grown to include myths and superstitions, as most legends do, but the fact still remains: Our guests rarely make it to the end of our attractions before they run screaming for the exit. And if they do make it to the end, well, we’ll let them tell you all about it… if they come back out.

This year, in honor of the killer 13^th floor, we’ll be celebrating Friday the 13^th in grand style. Why not join us for the terror-filled Friday the 13^th Event at Cutting Edge Haunted Park? While we can’t promise you’ll make it out alive, we do guarantee you’ll have a frightfully happy Friday the 13^th.