I knew I was going into the deranged Delta Epsilon Delta house on my own. I knew there would be cameras to catch my every move. I didn't know they would want me.
"C'mon, Amy," a sister hissed as she inched toward me. "Time to pledge."
That — more than the well-crafted element of surprise or the labyrinthine path of the house — was the scariest part. They knew who I was and I couldn't escape.
I ventured into one of two new houses this year at Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens in Tampa. (The other is the Nightshade Toy Factory, with, gulp, dolls.) Here is what I found:
Scariest aspects: This haunted house had people jumping out from dark corners as usual, but with a twist. These girls didn't want me to leave, pleading with me as they crept closer and tried to block my way. Some areas are surprisingly well lit, but don't be fooled; that's just a way to distract the victim.
Not so scary: At one point in the DED house, two sisters had a boy chained to the wall and were smacking him with pillows. He screamed to me, "Help me! Get me out of here!" Dude, you've got two beautiful girls having a pillow fight across your chest. I have a hard time believing you really want to leave. Maybe if those girls had chains instead of pillows, I'd be more understanding.
Gore level: Minimum. Some girls had some disheveled hair and ripped clothing, but no worse than I look when I wake up after laundry day. A little more gore could have helped the deranged look of the house, but part of me liked it low-key. It let me forget I was in a haunted house at times. That is, until someone sneaked up behind me and shrieked.
Surprise level: Off the Richter scale. I only scream when I'm surprised. I didn't stop screaming. In addition to plenty of dark corners, there are beds, tanning beds, doors and many other structures to hide behind. Screaming girls leaped out from everywhere.
Creativity points: Not many. With the emergence of the Twilight movies and HBO's True Blood, the vampire theme is played out. Throwing the sorority theme into the mix doesn't help the cliche.
The verdict: I recommend it for a good shriek. Buy your tickets in advance and go on a Thursday for the cheapest price.
Amy Mariani can be reached at (813) 226-3374 or amariani@sptimes.com.
Howl-O-Scream
Details:Busch Gardens has seven haunted houses, two of which are new this year, four scare zones, two live shows and roller coasters in the dark. The park is at 3605 Bougainvillea Ave., Tampa. Not recommended for children.
Dates:Runs Thursdays through Sundays through Oct. 31.
Hours: 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Thursdays and 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Prices:General admission is $69.95, but you can save big bucks if you buy in advance online, especially if you're a Florida resident. Check houseofvayne.com for ticket options, or call toll-free 1-888-800-5447.
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