Henderson haunted house an annual family affair

By Erin Dostal

Monday, Oct. 19, 2009 | 1:55 a.m.

Blood-curdling screams emanate from the Brekke family’s garage, and there’s good reason why. It’s got a severed head, a vampire and a couple of undead guys in it.

The family, of 400 Crater Court in Henderson, converts its 16.5-by-16.5-foot garage into a haunted house each year for Halloween. Kevin Brekke and his dad, John – who have been creating the house for six years – make sure their haunted creation has more than just run-of-the-mill props and fake cobwebs.

“Kevin talks about this all year,” said his mother, Paula Brekke. “He wants [patrons] to come out screaming.”

This year the house will feature a coffin, a room of mirrors, a severed head and nine other “scares” or illusions. The haunted house costs the family between $700 and $1,000 to build each year.

Holding a small flashlight and standing in a narrow hallway of the haunted house, Kevin glances around at his black, Mylar-covered creation. He hopes this year’s house – he calls it “Sensobia” to indicate fear through the senses – will be the best one yet.

When talking about the house, Kevin’s dad is as giddy as his son.

“You’re going through so many hallways so you’re disconcerted, you don’t know where you are,” John said. Patrons are guided through the displays by being scared, prompted to run in the direction of the exit.

So, why do customers keep coming back?

It’s a small area full of stress and fear, but nothing truly dangerous, the Brekkes said.

“It gives people a thrill but it’s safe,” Kevin said, adding that the patrons’ reaction is the best part of his work. “It’s kind of like a psychological roller coaster.”

Kevin, a 16-year-old junior at Green Valley High School, has never been trick-or-treating, but he usually starts planning the haunted house months after Halloween. John said the haunted house is such a big deal for the family that it can only use the garage for parking 10 months a year.

Ever since Kevin was a baby, the Brekkes have enjoyed Halloween. It’s now their son’s favorite holiday.

His favorite kind of “scare” is anything that’s complex. He likes to use illusion to distract patrons, then spook them with a surprise.

“I try to combine the elements, in a sense,” he said.

The house this year includes a room of mirrors that makes the visitor feel like he or she is trapped and can’t escape – and an actor dropping his head from his shoulders into his hands.

But for Kevin, the converted garage is more than an artistic creation. He’s also getting experience managing a team of actors – about 20 of his buddies from school act in the haunted house.

The haunted house will be open between 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Oct. 24, 30 and 31. Admission is free, but this year the Brekke’s ask that all patrons make a $3 donation toward Green Valley High School’s choir and theatre programs.