CHRISTINA EICHELKRAUT / PVT Gruesome ghoulish greeter -- all right, so that's alliterative overkill, and we mean “kill” -- welcomes grim guests to the Haunted Castle. Advertisement

Trick-or-treating isn't always easy in Pahrump.

Being a rural community, the houses are often times spread thin, meaning that not only kids miss out on the fun (and more importantly the candy) the holiday offers, but grown-ups who still love the holiday miss out too.

This year, however, Ray and Peggy Elam have decided to tackle the problem head-on and bring the kids (and adults) to them by turning their house into a Haunted Mansion.

"Because we don't get trick-or-treaters, we're missing out on our favorite holiday," Ray explained. "This way we can see the kids' expressions and hear their screams and stuff."

And there will be screaming, of that you can be sure.

Although haunted houses are meant to be scary, more often than not they turn out to be just a lot of fun. But the Elams are determined to give people a reason to shriek, so much so that they're offering a "toned down" version of the house for younger kids before "letting the real monsters" out later in the night.

And it's a good thing, because Ray and Peggy have successfully created a maze of fright where spook-seekers literally don't know who (or what) is waiting around the corner...or creeping up from behind.

Of course, that's if you even find the corner to turn in the first place, which, given the smoke machines and midnight black that shroud the narrow corridors, might be more difficult than you imagine.

"You won't even be able to see your hand in front of your face," Ray promised, walking through a corridor that even in broad daylight gave no hint of the sun outside.

To further disorient fright seekers, sounds of creaking doors and a grown man hopelessly sobbing waft through the chambers.

Friends of the Elams have volunteered to lurk about and give guests at the mansion a ghoulish surprise or two.

Throughout all of this, fiendish, bloody, evil spectators, ranging from vampires to werewolves, watch as daring travelers make their way through the labyrinth, a frightening task Ray estimates will take about 15 to 20 minutes.

On the bright side, guests will get candy for surviving ... if they get through at all.

But the last part of the maze (this reporter was sworn to secrecy) is enough to make even the most stalwart and courageous of adults contemplate their fate.

Since the Elams want everyone of all ages to have fun, however, they've made sure the mansion is accessible to both kids and adults.

The mansion will be open early at 5 p.m. both Oct. 26 and 27 as well as Halloween itself, when the maze will be scaled down a bit.

So no scary monsters will pop out at you and there will be some lighting to help the little ghouls and goblins get through the maze.

From 7 until 11 p.m. on those days, however, "that's when the real monsters will come out," Ray said.

In short, it won't matter how old you are if you chose to enter the mansion during the latter hours.

The mansion will also be open Oct. 29 and 30 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Also on Halloween (weather permitting), an inflatable haunted house separate from the mansion will be put up all night for the kids.

Admission is free, because all the Elams wanted was to celebrate their favorite Halloween and give the town a way to celebrate it too.

And thanks to the help of Jerry Kendrick (known to locals as the man who paints holiday decorations on local business windows) who painted the massive façade outside the house, that wish is coming true.

Local businesses such as Keifer & Sons Grading, D & D Tire, Big-O Tires, and Snowden Landscaping and Fencing, as well as many others also contributed to make sure Pahrumpians were duly terrified on the scariest night of the year.

Elam was, however, disappointed by the lack of community support he received when attempting to solicit donations for the project.

After approaching a long list of businesses, Elam discovered to his disappointment that a lot of them "couldn't even find it in their heart to donate $20 for candy to hand out to kids."

But even though the Haunted Mansion is running as a mostly out-of-pocket expense for the Elams, they're not giving it up.

To find the Haunted Mansion, located at 2821 Zephyr Ave., take Calvada Boulevard west until it "dead" ends.

Turn left on Zephyr Ave. and look for the first (and only) castle on your left.

You won't be able to miss it, because you'll hear it before you even see it.