…into pitch darkness.  You swallowed; you couldn’t see a thing.  Carefully, you put down your niece, and took her by the hand–you didn’t want to trip with her in your arms.  Soft moans, groans, bubbling noises, and the clinking of chains drifted through the air.  

Eunji whimpered.

“Close your eyes, Eunjiya,” you whispered.  “Keep them closed, and count to 100.  When you open them after that, you’ll be able to see.  You could hear her slowly counting to 100 beside you, and you smiled.  Eunji had stolen your heart as soon as she was born, and she showed no signs of letting go, anytime soon.

As for you, you kept your eyes open, and gradually, they adjusted enough for you to see that a completely enclosed path had been created out of black trash bags, covered here and there with glow-in the dark webbing.  You smiled.  Cute.  “How are you doing down there?  Can you see?”

She nodded.  “Let’s go,” she said softly, cheeks dimpling.  

Slowly, you shuffled forward and had to turn immediately to your right, where you found–

Nothing.  Just more black tunnel, though this one was longer, and had the addition of glow in the dark skeletons scattered here and there along the sides of the path.  Then, you noticed a soft, moon-like glow emanating from your right, just ahead, indicating an open room.  Approaching slowly, you pulled Eunji slightly behind you, as you peeked around the corner.  Eunji crept around you to peek, and you both saw that the glow was coming from a boy standing in the middle of the room, his back to you.  

Well, to be entirely exact, the glow wasn’t coming from the man, but from his nine fox tails that gently swayed to and fro.  Slowly, he turned, and you saw his sharp little face, dominated by large, dark catlike eyes.  He lifted a hand, and beckoned to you both.  “Come in…please, come in…I think that it would be liverly to have the two of you…for dinner!”  

Eunji squeaked, and ran ahead.  

Glancing at the boy apologetically, you have him a thumbs up.  “Great gumiho costume!” you whispered, before scurrying off after your runaway niece.  

You found her quickly around the next corner, as she had paused before crossing the open threshold of the next door on the left, from which a bright blue light emanated.  She seemed to gather strength as you approached, and took the final step, standing in front of the doorway to see what was inside.  Whatever it was impressed her, as her jaw dropped, and her eyes grew three sizes.  

When you reached her and looked yourself, you laughed in delight.  It appeared as if the brothers had splurged and rented a 3D projector.  Dominating the majority of the already large room was a large pale blue feilong, fluidly undulating through the air.  Seemingly noticing you, it opened its mouth, and issued a white cloud of mist.  

Eunji laughed, and clapped her hands, and you did the same.  “This is great!” you couldn’t help saying.  “This is really awesome!  It looks so cool!”  

The dragon, seemed to hear your words as it came forward, and bowed its head, first to Eunji, then to you.  

You saw Eunji start to reach for it out of the corner of your eye, and wrapped your hand around her reaching little paw.  “Come on, Eunjiya, let’s see what else is here.”  You didn’t want the magic to be ruined for her.  

The black corridor took another left, and the sound of bubbling grew louder, along with the sudden peal of maniacal laughter.  This time, a stark white light shone from the next room, and when you entered, you were in the middle of a Victorian steampunk laboratory.  Bubbling beakers full of murky, coloured liquids, sharp, shining implements, and jars full of unidentified body parts surrounded you, and you had to pull back Eunji from reaching out to touch what looked to be a bone saw.  

Another crack of insane laughter rang through the room, and you both turned to see that the room opened up to the side beside the door.  In that section of the room was a handsome young man, dressed in Victorian garb–who looked as if he needed more than a little sleep, with dark purple circles having taken up residence under his eyes, and deep, dark hollows carving the spaces under his cheekbones.  He smiled, the tips of his mouth curled up like a satisfied cat, and came forward to energetically shake both of your hands.

“Welcome!  Welcome, both of you!  Do you realize that you are about to witness history in the making?  Of course you don’t, please, come forward, let me show you!”  He ushered you both to where he had been standing, before a large platform that held something even larger, covered by a sheet.  “Stay, but a moment, dear ladies, and you will see life!  Yes!  I, Dr. Frankenkim will give life to this pathetic collection of dead bone, muscle, and viscera!”

You giggled.  Every one of his sentences seemed to end in an exclamation point.  

“Ah, why?!  You don’t believe me?  Just watch!  All I need…is lightning!”  With that pronouncement, he lifted a hand dramatically and what appeared to be a bolt of lightning came down and struck the form under the sheet on the table, which slowly began to rise.  

The sheet slowly fell to reveal Frankenstein–ah…Frankenkim’s monster.  

You and Eunji clapped enthusiastically as Dr. Frankenkim bowed.  

“Thank you!  Thank you, dear, gentle ladies!  And now, tell me, do you have any maladies that need curing?  I’m sure that I have something here–” here he waved an arm, indicating the gleaming, razor-keen instruments, and what appeared to be bowls full of various innards, “–that would be just the thing!”  

“Oh, no, thank you, sir!” you laughed, nudging Eunji toward to the door.  “Perhaps some other time!”  

“Of course!  Of course!” he nodded, waving absentmindedly as you edged out of the room.  “Anytime!” he called after you, as you both giggled down the hall.

A sudden, piercing howl made you jump, and Eunji pressed against your legs.  Before you could even reach the next room, two hairy claw- hands had emerged to grip the sides of the doorway, and a long furred snout emerged, sniffing loudly.  

With a shriek, Eunji made a break for it, and you ran after her.  Darn, that kid was fast.  Hearing a snuffling, you looked behind you to see the tall wolf-man loping behind you, his shirtless chest and arms covered in dark brown fur.  

When he saw you turn and look, he smirked (how the heck could you decipher a smirk on that face?) gave you a wink, threw back his head, and released another long mournful howl before resuming the chase.  

He chased you both down long dark corridors, with countless twists and turns, until you saw a soft white mist emerging from a room up ahead.  Grabbing Eunji in your arms, you run into the room, and slammed the door.  A moment later, your body momentarily levitated off of the door with the force of his body slamming into it.  Frantic scrabbling, scratching noises followed, along with another lilting howl.

Then, there was silence.

Eunji had her face buried in your neck, her arms wrapped around you.  “I’m scared,” she whispered.

“It’s alright,” you whispered back.  “You have to protect me, remember?”

She seemed to gather courage from that, nodding, and then wriggling to get down.  Taking your hand firmly, she nodded up at you.  “I will!  I will protect you, imo.”

“Oh…will you?” a soft, husky, deep voice queried politely.  

You looked up to see a jeoseun saja, dressed all in black, his face pale, his eyes dark.  You put your hands on Eunji’s shoulders, and silently shook your head at him, indicating that he shouldn’t be too scary.  

His large eyes widened, and you saw him nod imperceptibly, the brim of his gat dipping.  He crouched before Eunji, reaching into the folds of his black hanbok, and producing a handful of mini-chocolate bars.  “Would you like to have some candy, aein?” He asked, his mouth curving into a heart-shaped smile.  

“I’m not supposed to take candy from strangers,” Eunji pronounced stoically.  

You coughed.  “It’s okay, Eunjiya, just this once.  The candy is part of the haunted house.”

She turned and looked up at you.  “Really?”

Nodding, you indicated the chocolate.   “Just for tonight.  Any other time, what do you say?”

“No!” she yelled.  

The boy winced at her volume, then looked up at you, smiling conspiratorially.  “Very good, Eunjiya.  You remember that, as soon as you leave, if a stranger offers you candy, you yell, ‘No!’, just like that, okay?”

She nodded, but was already distracted by the chocolate, having stuffed her pockets with most of what he offered, and was studiously unwrapping the last piece.

“Thank you!” you mouthed to him.  “Eunjiya, what do you say?”

“Thank you,” she mumbled, mouth already full of chocolate.

He stood, looking down at both of you.  “You’re welcome.  Now, are you ready to proceed?”

“You ready?” you directed downward toward the silent child already in her own little chocolate wasted haze.  

She nodded, her lips, and looking for all the world as if she were considering just sitting down, and eating the entire handful of candy, the rest of the haunted house be darned.  

Cracking open the door, you looked to the left, and to the right, but the coast was clear.  You crept out, but paused.  After all that running, you were all turned around, and had no idea where to go.  

“To the right,” a voice intoned deeply behind you.  

“Thanks!” you whispered over your shoulder, and started walking.  

After a while, you sensed something walking beside you in the dark.  Turning, you saw what appeared to be lion-shaped, but with a dragon’s head with antlers, and a horse’s body with wings folded on the sides.  A pixiu!

When he saw that you had noticed him, he threw back his head and roared, causing Eunji to run behind you, awkwardly pressing her little face into your bottom.  

You tried your best not to laugh.  “Hey, boy!” you said, your voice high.  “They got you in on this too, huh?”  Reaching out a hand, you scratched him behind the ears.  “Wow!  My dog would never sit still enough for me to dress him up this realistically!” you said.  “It’s okay, Eunjiya.  It’s just a dog.  Come on, don’t you want to give it a scratch?”

The dog looked almost offended at your baby voice.  That is, until Eunji came forward, and began scratching him under the belly.  Soon, he was flat on his back, wings spread, panting joyously as you both scratched everywhere that you could reach.  

“Tao!” you heard a voice scold.  “You’re supposed to be scary!”  A boy walked up, but as he emerged from the shadows, you saw that he had the head of a horse. Ma Mian.  At the sound of his voice, the dog flipped back onto its feet, and whined.  

“Oh, hi!” you greeted awkwardly, trying to figure out just how his prosthetics were attached.  

He took a hold of the pixiu, and pulled him back.  “Hey. Don’t mind him.  He’s a er for a belly-rub.  Just pretend that he was really scary, okay?”

You nodded.  “Oh, he was!  Totally scary!  Right, Eunji?  Eunji?  Eunjiya?”  Looking around, you saw that she had cornered Tao, and was now studiously scratching him behind the ears.  “Right,” you deadpanned.  “She’s terrified.”

The boy frustratedly ran a hand over his face.  It took a while.  “Tao!” he growled.  

The dog slunk over to him, head hung low.  

“Alright, ladies,” the said.  “Enjoy the rest of the house!”

You nodded, and started to turn.  

“Ah, and one more thing…”

You turned, and he opened his mouth and roared.  The sound was almost deafening, and it touched some deep atavistic part of you that whispered, “Run!”  So, you did.

Grabbing Eunji, you pulled her into your arms, turned tail, and ran off, to the sound of laughter.  

Turning yet another one of the ubiquitous corners, you almost ran into a tall, handsome boy.  

He reached out his hands to catch you.  “Hey!  Be careful!  You don’t want to hurt yourself running in the dark!”  

The sound of his voice, and really, just the fact that he was there, looking normal, allayed your fear.  Stopping, you dropped Eunji to the ground.  

For her part, she looked exhilarated.  “Imo!  That was so much fun!  Do it again!”  

You shook your head breathlessly.  “Eunjiya…after tonight…maybe lay off t