Awakening the spirits under the fall of darkness

Story and photos by Sharon Harrison
For those who dared to enter, it was a scream as Terror at Macaulay called on the spirits with its fifth such incarnation of this very scary annual event.

Saturday night brought a haunted walk-through of historic Macaulay House and the grounds of Macaulay Heritage Park on Picton’s Church Street where visitors were invited, if they dared, to explore the historic creepy edifice under the fall of complete darkness.

It, of course, meant walking among the spirits and the awakening dead, where only the brave and fearless were encouraged to risk entry.

“Do you believe in the spirits?” came the initial question.

Before entry was allowed, were to seat at the séance table where spirits were reached to ask if the mere human mortals could be allowed to enter their home on this exceptional night. The reply first came as the spirits answered “no”, and it took a few more tries, with promises said humans would be on their best behaviour and would not attempt to touch said spirits.

Entry was eventually permitted with promises made with the affirmative answer allowing the process to continue. It’s unsure what a negative response would have garnered, but it likely would have displeased the spirits in ways most humans would not have appreciated.

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Moving outside, this was a special night for all those who reside on the hallowed and haunted grounds of Macaulay Heritage Park, some important and notable past figures of Picton and the County are buried here. It is the one night of the year where they awaken, at least publicly, to chant, to haunt, to interact, to share offerings, to cause mischief, to follow the humans intrigued by their presence, to creep upon them – and to scare!

As dusk turned rapidly to darkness upon the night, a bright almost-full hunter’s moon illuminated the now dark sky. The big old maple trees acting as natural props casting long shadows on this curated scene of terror, as giant black spiders dangled in twisted webs upon its branches, bats lingering above, skulls staring scarily perched among the dangling detritus amid hauntingly hovering things of no sensible description.

Of the assortment of restless and random wandering spirits and unsavory souls, some were friendly, others wanted to be left alone, one offering the strange visitors to stroke a pet rat, another could be seen stroking a skeletized creature of some kind. Some spirits were timid, other curious, some behaving monstrously, others bloodied and clearly troubled by the human disturbance, and most just lurked around in the shadows.

All were looking forward to the rare human interaction, or so it was said.

A scattering of grave stones saw more emerging spirits, others were being dug up right there and then, disturbed grave sites groaned and steamed, and it’s unclear what the newly-dug graves’ purpose was exactly (humans beware), but the ghosts of bloodied brides may have had something to do with the awaiting gloom.

Some spirits were so evil they remained chained to protect the visiting humans, especially the littlest children (a favourite of some spirits apparently), others were more timid, one or two were even kindly offering small twigs as a gesture of friendship, approaching with friendly demeanour ensuring the interaction was a pleasant one. Others (most) not so much.

And if anybody felt that odd feeling they may be being followed or watched, that feeling that not all was well in this world, their senses were not betraying them in this bone-chilling, blood-curdling, groaning, chanting world before them.

But alas, the gruesome greetings were more of the unpleasant kind, the now awakened spirits defiantly disturbed beyond reproach, hissing and sneering in the dark of the night, lit only by a few scattered lanterns and candles, as well as the fire of a great big cauldron of bubbling something, attended by a large skeleton of distorted and concerning proportions.

For one night only, the haunted house tour revealed friendly spirits, others who were clearly not so friendly, behaving as if they had just been rudely awoken after perhaps a few centuries of rest. There were animals too among them, whether a bad-mannered pig who really insisted on being left alone, to the black cat whose path no one should ever cross.

A frightfully good (and scary) time was had by those who joined the haunting ghosts and ghouls who reside in the house and grounds year-round for the free-admission event. Many braved the lingering and lurching spirits whose duty it was to scare and frighten on this one night of terror as graves came to life with deadly occupants who frankly had seen better days on this moonlit night of terror. For some, time in the stocks was fair punishment.

With the first hint of a chill seeping into the still night air, the impressively dark stage with limited lighting for effect, provided an atmospheric and superbly spirited production, the crunch of the fallen leaves underfoot contributing to the creepy scarily eery feeling, where the full moon only added to the whole horrifying experience of how best to taunt a living being.

Described as a haunted Halloween walk-through and scare zone, the bone-chilling, horrifyingly spooky experience, Terror at Macaulay 5: Call on the spirits, unravelled, where the theme was based on the haunting history and séances of the Fox sisters who originated the spiritualist movement in Prince Edward County way back when.

Warming brews and potions, made in the witch’s apothecary, could be enjoyed around the fire pit (the only safe spot from the terrifying spirits, it was declared, along with marshmallows for warming, melting and consuming ensured a fine yet tortuous evening for those brave visiting humans – most of whom survived the ordeal, as far as is known.