It was a dark and stormy night. The people of Oak Harbor were wandering around, arms dragging and eyes glazed like the undead. They yearned for something to see and found themselves in search of a fright. At the Boys And Girls Club it was found — the most fiendish of sights.

Tuesday, the Oak Harbor Boys and Girls Club will unleash the wrath of Frightville III, a collection of sights, sounds, slime and fear.

Lead designer Dustin Bozer said he has seen grown men jump and yell in fright.

“We’ve actually had people wet their pants,” Bozer said.

The addition of two new rooms only gives the group of approximately 35 actors a better chance to show their skills. The haunted house opens Tuesday at 6 p.m. Admission is $5 per person, but a discount can be earned if a can of food is brought for Oak Harbor’s Help House. A special day for younger kids will happen Saturday, Oct. 30, at noon. The price will drop to $3 for children under 12.

Walking through the maze of shrieking ghouls and sights that tap into subconscious fears evokes shivers, even in broad daylight. The black drapes and random slime hanging from the ceiling tickles just enough to make an already terrified visitor jump.

“My wife came through once, and she won’t do it again,” Bozer said.

One of the key features of the haunted house is the emergency exit door. Bozer said that approximately 25 percent of the people use the emergency exit.

“Most of the kids under 8 end up crying,” Bozer said.

This is not to say the intent is to terrify, but rather to entertain. Bozer said that younger children are escorted by a guide who uses a secret code to notify the actors to tone down the level of terror.

“The suspense is what gets you,” Bozer said. “You round a corner and the next thing is a guy jumping out at you.”

Wade through a Haunted Swamp

Not to be out done, John Vanderzicht Memorial Pool will turn into a haunted swamp the night before Halloween.

Starting at 5:30 p.m., people can board a raft for a tour of the most haunted swamp in Oak Harbor.

“For people who want to partake in the adventure, the pool is set up to be a haunted swamp,” Pool Director Craig Carlson said.

For $3 per person or $6.75 for the whole family, this is an easy way to get cheap thrills.

“You won’t get wet,” Carlson said. “At least we try not to get you wet, but you might get wet.”

Approximately 300 people turned out last year, which was the first for the swamp. Guests board a raft for a tour around the edge of a pool filled with monsters, swamp things and other possessed animals, which are all also known as the swim team, Carlson said.

This is a more tame version of a haunted house. It is scary, however, Carlson said.

“There definitely is a startling experience,” he said. “All of a sudden the lights come on or something brushes against you.”

You can reach News-Times reporter Eric Berto at eberto@whidbeynewstimes.com