Reid Hall hosted Hell on the Hill, a haunted house for students, and the turn out was scary good.

When I arrived, about 50 students were lined up outside Reid Hall’s front doors, eager and waiting to be scared. Some students dressed in costumes as witches, celebrities or even Winnie the Pooh.

After swiping their ID cards, students were escorted into the haunted house. First, they passed a witchcraft magic circle conjuring spells and smearing what looked like blood around a pentagram. Once inside, there were headless figures and a demented surgeon screaming while chopping body parts off a patient.

Walking between rooms, there was caution tape and cobwebs to pass through, accompanied by people grabbing at our feet. It felt like an authentic haunted house because of the surprise element and total darkness.

At one point, groups had the option to choose a “Very Scary” or “Not Scary” maze path, which was freshman Yocum Hall resident Zhari Harris’s favorite part, she said.

“I came to Hell on the Hill because Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I like being scared,” Harris said.

Finally, there was an “It” themed room with Pennywise in the middle, eerily saying that he would “see us again.”

After the haunted house in Reid, students were invited to trick-or-treat through the Maple Hall neighborhood’s outer area where they received various goodies. The event ended in Hotz Hall, where they played some Halloween games.

Reid resident assistants and Lead Hogs mainly organized the event, with the help of Maddie DeBucce, a coordinator for residence education.

“I definitely think [the haunted house] is scary,” DeBucce said. “I got creeped out just setting it up,” DeBucce said.

Last year, 180 students attended the Hell on the Hill event. This year yielded a much bigger turnout, with 315 students attending the haunted house Wednesday evening.

Hell on the Hill happened Wednesday, Oct. 23 in Reid Hall.