Hiding behind her mother Theresa, Stephanie Richardson cast nervous glances toward the huge black house. Theresa had told her that there was nothing to be afraid of, but the Smithfield seven-year-old wasn’t sure. As screams and other noises echoed from inside the ominous residence, Stephanie tried to psyche herself up for the terror she would soon encounter.

Not far behind, Allison Saunders and her friend Daria Slack, both 12, did all they could to prepare one another (and themselves) for the horrifying experience. What unseen (or at least never-before-seen) creatures would be inside to terrify the youngsters? Would they make it out alive and in one piece? If so, would they ever be the same again?

Eventually, the three girls made there way to the front of the house. Coming down the stairs to greet them was their hostess for the evening, a young woman with eyes like a tiger and a huge scar decorating the side of her face.

The (g)hostess welcomed them into her humble abode. Entering the foyer, the visitors were asked to take a seat on large benches. As they waited, trembling, the benches suddenly vibrated noisily, drawing inadvertent shrieks of surprise from the youths.

Summoning their courage, the group wandered into the shadowy foreground. After a few steps, they were stunned to encounter a young girl, her face pale from lack of sleep.

&uot;I’m about to go to bed,&uot; the youngster whispered to frightened ears. &uot;But first I have to put my baby to away.&uot; Lying in her arms was a deformed baby, lacking arms or legs.

&uot;My baby goes in the closet. But there’s something there that’s really scary,&uot; said the girl. Turning quickly, she opened the closet, and screamed. Her guests did as well.

&uot;Sorry,&uot; she said. &uot;I guess it was just a shadow. Now I have to go to bed.&uot;

As she started to climb into her bed, the lights dimmed. Suddenly, out from behind them darted the evilest of clowns, roaring with hysterical laughter commonly heard in horror film mental hospitals.

Panicked, the group hurried away. But their night was all too far from ending.

They were stunned to find themselves in a morgue. With arms, legs, and other body parts hanging around him, a demonic mortician ripped organs out of a body on his table.

&uot;Welcome to my morgue!&uot; he shrilled, punctuating his statements with maniacal giggling. &uot;I was kicked out of medical school for eating too many bodies.&uot; Unfortunately for the group, there was one body he hadn’t turned into filet mignon: the one that leaped from under the table and tried to make them into its next victim.

Continuing on, they came upon a condemned man. Strapped into an electric chair, the criminal was ready to pay the ultimate price for his sins.

&uot;I regret nothiiiiiiiiiiing!&uot; he screeched, separated by a set of bars. He didn’t have a chance to; a bolt of electricity coursed through his brain, toasting it in an instant.

As mind-boggling as the sight had been, it was over, and the group prepared to continue. But as they turned away, the criminal leaped forward, grasping Stephanie and Allison for a moment before collapsing back into oblivion.

Eventually, and miraculously, the group made its way out of the house and back into reality. After their trip, Stephanie had one simple demand for Theresa: &uot;Can I please go back in?&uot;

They’d just become the latest willing victims of the Spooky Acres Haunted House, in its seventh year of terrifying, horrifying, and generally scaring the bejesus out of locals. Located near the intersection of Godwin Boulevard and Kings Highway in Chuckatuck, the house will be open from 7 to 10 p.m. tonight and Oct. 28-31.

&uot;We just enjoy scaring the ‘yell’ out of people,&uot; said Darren Barton, who runs the house with his wife Paige (the scarred hostess). &uot;We’ve been through a lot of haunted houses that didn’t do anything for us, so we wanted to make one that would really scare people.&uot;

It worked on the girls. &uot;The bench’s vibrating scared me to death!&uot; said Stephanie. &uot;The people in there grabbed my shoes, but I didn’t do anything to them. It was really dark and spooky, but I like being spooked.&uot;

So does Allison. &uot;I was scared, but excited-scared,&uot; said the Nansemond-Suffolk Academy student. &uot;Just the whole atmosphere was great. It’s something that you can laugh about after it happens.&uot;

Daria would be laughing when her voice came back. &uot;I was screaming,&uot; she finally said, &uot;but not any words!&uot;

A portion of the house’s proceeds will go to the March of Dimes.