The words ‘vampire bats’ quickly leads one to images of blood sucking nocturnal flying mammals with furry bodies and membranous wings capturing their prey by echolocation. The exact picture I wanted to conjure in my friends minds. Thus began my elaborate party plans six weeks before Halloween night. Living in the country and socializing infrequently made it all the easier to prepare my setting.

I started by constructing a cave-like entrance to my front door out of cob. A material made from mud, sand, water and straw. Since it would be a temporary structure I decided to forgo the cow manure mixture used as a sealant. Instead, the night before the party I planned to apply random patches of fresh cow dung to awaken the senses.

A week before the party I began lining my long, narrow driveway with a few wooden coffins, some propped open revealing their empty contents. Under some of the tall fir and oak trees, I planted headstones set at different tilts and showcased the graveyard with a few uplights for dramatic effect.

The day before the party I removed the bulb from the porch light. I also smeared ample sections of the cave interior with cow dung and hung spider webs inside at random, along with small, dark chicken feathers hanging from fishing line to tweak more of the senses.

The day of the party I applied a layer of red tinted petroleum jelly on the doorknob. Along with the natural creak of the door, compliments of the hinges needing lubricating, the scratchy sound figured in as an added bonus. I gave the outside water faucet a slight turn to encourage dripping water to echo through and around the cave. Of course Mr. Whiskers would make it his regular mission to lick or stroke the leg of every guest before they reached the darkened door.

With a few hours to spare the interior of my home took little time to prepare. First, I drew all the curtains closed. After the removal of nearly all the light bulbs, a few strategically placed fog machines, petroleum jelly on the hallway walls, and a soundtrack of screams and eerie noises ready to infuse the background, I had set the proper mood.

An hour before the party my three cousins arrived. My meticulous inspection deemed them ready to stalk my graveyard dressed in their dark torn clothing, white painted faces, black lined eyes, and blood red dripping from their lips. As a surprise aimed to please me, their spiked hair styles featured white fiber optics for added fright. I nodded my pleasure and delight before I returned to my house and slipped into my evening attire.

Minutes later my guests began to arrive. Costumes are optional but what fun is a Halloween party if you have an opportunity to push beyond your regular borders and limits and you don’t take it? After my guests fought to calm their overactive imaginations and spirit, in an attempt to restore their dignity while traipsing through the graveyard to reach my front door, the mood shifted again. This time more dark and foreboding. Their screams could be heard once more. I watched many of their faces stretch with fright from the privacy of my bedroom window before they entered my house.

Once everyone was inside some had immediately headed for the warm drinks to add extra fuel to their pumped adrenaline. Others partook of the cold drinks in hopes of halting their adrenaline rush. The refreshment table had few takers. Who wouldn’t want an eyeball cookie, a blood red pudding cup, or pepperoni pizza topped with ants, spiders and flies?

After the final guests arrived my cousins joined the party. I mingled among my friends at length before I broke my silence and spoke in susurrus tones. “Where do the vampire bats gracing your invitation fit in you wonder? Let the first game begin. Look around you. They are hidden amongst us. While they are most often silent, they hold a treasure, fangs of pure gold that glisten when they open their mouths to attack their victim. Who of you is brave enough to seek the gold?”

I flipped a wall switch. Instant darkness flooded the room. Screams and shrieks fought to create an echo in the densely filled space. I locked eyes on each of my frightened guests. For the first time that night I exposed my full face hidden behind my cape. I smiled, exposing my golden fangs.