There are only two signs on the old lumber mill announcing that you have arrived at Dr. Pain's Haunted Asylum.
But even if they were missing, it would still be eerie. From the faded, peeling red shingles to the chain-linked-fence-covered windows, there really isn't much that could make it scarier. That is, until you step inside.
After purchasing your tickets, there is entertainment for the wait. They've taken an old ambulance and put speakers in it to broadcast WXLK-K92 and WROV 96.3, the two stations sponsoring the Haunted Asylum.
Expect a visit from a dead-on Beetlejuice impersonator. He comes with a foghorn, two snakes draped around his arms, one real and one rubber, and the infamous white-and-black-striped suit. The maximum wait time is about two hours.
While in line, screams can be heard inside the house. Tour guides make colorful entrances. One was wearing a black pinstriped trench coat, white button-up shirt, top hat and six-inch platform boots. There are four to five tour guides who rotate throughout the night.
The first room, as the rest of the house, is dimly lit. The guide will go over the rules of conduct and may give creative reasons for them. The rules include: No drugs or alcohol ("these people are crazy enough without it"), no cameras, no touching ("if you touch them, the price is your arm"), and food, drinks, weapons and lighters are also prohibited.
The guide will lead everyone through 12 rooms with each getting progressively scarier. The first room features a hypnotist who predicted that the journey of the group will be ill-fated as another patient, with no eyes, crept up behind and stared. Upon entering the next room, everyone was greeted with a scream.
One of the final rooms in the first leg of the tour was home to a scientist with a scale that predicted death. He then brandished a bottle of neon green liquid and told everyone to drink from it.
The tour guide ushered the group out after this. Halfway through, there's an exit. If the first part of the house was too intense, you might want to leave because it gets worse. If you leave early, your money will not be refunded.
The remaining hallways were scariest. Some are pitch black and things "touch" you. One such hallway contained a display case that held a character who was spewing a liquid, and then you walk through something wet. This hallway is lit solely by a red light that goes on intermittently.
One room was lit by a strobe light, and a doctor told each group member that their bodies would be placed in the oven or fridge. The last room contained a stage where one performer sang "The House of the Rising Sun," replacing the original lyrics with his own, before everyone was chased out by screaming asylum patients and clowns.
All of the Dr. Pain's actors are volunteers and the show changes constantly. There are 12 to 25 actors each show, and it's unscripted. This year's theme is twisted carnival.
"If you go to a haunted house where all the actors are paid, you'll get a good show. But if you're going to one where all the actors are doing this for free, they're a bunch of freaks. And that's the d--- truth," said Leisa Mundy, sponsorship/event coordinator.
Third year tour guide Jeremy Ratliff knows the satisfaction of scaring someone.
"We had one guy in here who kept saying 'you can't scare me,' but I just stared at him. I didn't move, I didn't budge, and he leaves before he goes inside. That's fulfilling," said Ratliff. The 23-years-old works at a daycare and encourages kids to come to the Dayscare on Oct. 27.
According to Scott Dickinson, a 33-year-old who works in information technology, the key to scaring someone is misdirection and knowing how to size up a group.Eleven-year-old Jayce Taylor has been scaring for four years and has developed a signature scream.
"I creep up on people and have a screaming laugh and high-pitched scream. It's fun to see someone scared. The hardest thing is to not laugh," said Taylor. In four years, he has made 15 or 16 people leave Dr. Pain's with wet pants.
Dr. Pain's Haunted Asylum will be open every weekend in October, and daily from Oct. 24-31. It is also open the first weekend in November. It is located on 17 Seventh St. in Salem, Va. Tickets are $10 and sold in the Asylum Store, which is attached to the building, but can also be purchased in advance. There is a discount for groups of 10 or more, but only if tickets are purchased ahead of time. The house opens at 8 p.m. and closes when the line has "died." Last year, Dr. Pain attended to about 5,000 patients. This year, they expect upwards of 7,000 people.