The old house certainly looked haunted – something of a Munsters/Addams Family hybrid, complete with withered trees in the front yard and overgrown bushes that were perfect spotsfor jump-scares.
It was the latest abode targeted by the You’ve Been Spooked! crew, who had become internet sensations thanks to their coast-to-coast ghost hunting escapades.
This Halloween, however, the YBS gang was trying something different; inviting a fan to a haunted house sleepover with a $10,000 prize if they could “survive the night.”
The winner of the contest was 44-year-old Jasper Nelson, who lived in Santa Cruz, California, where the online series originated.
“I work in a morgue,” he wrote on his entry form. “I spend most of my nights around dead people, and they can’t hurt you.”
Nelson traveled to the site in the You’ve Been Spooked! van along with co-hosts Marley Ridgway and Zack Corona.
“Welcome ghouls and boys to our special Halloween episode!” Ridgway screamed into the microphone as the stream went live at 10:55 p.m. on All Hallows Eve. “You’ve seen Zack and I come face to face with evil things that go bump in the night, and this time we’re giving one of our biggest fans the chance to do the same. Jasper … come over here.”
Nelson moved into the stationary camera’s line of sight and grinned.
“Are you excited, Jasper?” Ridgway asked.
“I am,” he said. “I’m real excited. It’s not even about the money … I just want to show people there’s no reason to be scared of dead people.”
Ridgway laughed.
“Well, we’ll see. Now Zack, tell our viewers how things are gonna play out this evening.”
Corona – a good six inches taller than Nelson – stood behind the contestant and put his hands on his shoulders. His slender build, accentuated by a well-worn tuxedo jacket and top hat, helped him give off a goofy (and slightly creepy) vibe.
“OK, you heathens, I’ve patted down my man Jasper here, and he has no phone and no communication devices of any kind,” Corona explained. “We’ve got cameras situated throughout the house to make sure Jasper plays by the rules, and of course we have our EMF meters and temperature gauges to detect spirits. Once Jasper goes in, he has to stay in until dawn. If he steps outside the house for any reason – any reason at all – then the contest is over.”
Corona leaned in and gave Nelson a serious look.
“You got all that, Jasper?”
Nelson nodded.
“Got it,” he said. “Take me inside, and I’ll see you when I see you.”
Once Nelson was ensconced and the door securely closed behind him, Ridgway let the audience in on a little secret.
“We’ve been telling you ever since we started this contest that tonight would be a special night, and you’re not gonna be disappointed,” he gushed. “We’ve got the house wired so that Jasper is gonna be hearing some unsettling noises throughout the evening. Better yet, though, we’ve hired five great performers from the Santa Cruz Mansion of Mayhem on Main Street. As the night progresses each one will “haunt” Jasper, and we’ve got a feeling it won’t be long until he comes running through the door.
“I know, I know … we’re cheating a bit. But Jasper still won’t go home empty-handed because we’ll give him $1,000 just for being a good sport. Now, let’s take a look at our cameras and see what Jasper is up to.”
Black-and-white feeds were coming from the dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms and what appeared to be an attic.
Jasper was standing in the middle of the floor in the dining room, holding a candle and looking around.
“Looks like ol’ Jasper is a crafty son of a gun,” Corona said. “It didn’t take him long to find matches and make some light for himself.”
Suddenly, the candle went out and the feed from the dining room was lost.
Moments later, the camera showing the kitchen went dark. Bedroom one, bedroom two, bedroom three … all were out of order in short order.
“Damn, folks,” Ridgway said. “It looks like we’re having some technical difficulties here. Not sure what’s going on …”
Ridgway was interrupted by a bloodcurdling scream – one that was so loud it could be easily heard outside.
Corona laughed.
“We’ might have’ve lost video but it wouldn’t surprise me if we see Jasper come bolting through that door any minute now,” he said. “Something sure scared him.”
Seconds later there was another scream – although different from the first.
“Hmmm,” Ridgway said. “Sounds like we have multiple screamers. I guess one of our Mansion of Mayhem actors must be really getting into their part. Sucks we can’t see what’s going on, though.”
Every two or three minutes there was a new shriek, and with each one Ridgway and Corona grew less jovial and more irritated. With the cameras out, the viewers who had logged on to this “very special episode” were seeing nothing but empty screens and hearing muffled screams.
“Folks,” Corona said. “We apologize for this. Our guys in the truck say the cameras have been disconnected from inside the house, so apparently somebody has sabotaged us. We’re gonna get to the bottom of this ASAP.”
As the hosts turned to each other – wondering what to say next to keep the few remaining viewers from abandoning the show – the door to the house swung open, and a figure slowly emerged.
It was Nelson, holding a bloody baluster and covered in blood himself … his glassy eyes staring straight ahead. Ridgway and Corona looked on in horror as Nelson approached, and Ridgway dropped the microphone as he and his partner stumbled toward the safety of the van.
Nelson looked down, picked up the mic, and then smiled for the camera.
“Like I tried to tell you,” Nelson said, “dead people can’t hurt you. It’s the live ones you need to worry about.”
