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The towering creature makes an eery sound as it lumbers toward the living seeking out souls to steal. Its rotting flesh and hollow eyes make even grown men cower as the beast, known as the Soul Taker, comes calling for all who enter his hallowed ground.

Known as the Soul Taker’s Acres, the otherwise placid Kosciusko County Community Fairgrounds becomes a frightful place to be on the days and weeks leading up to Halloween. It is the time when Wanetawqua, meaning the taker of life, comes in search for mortal souls to drag back to the depths of his evil underworld. The haunting at the lake takes place every Friday and Saturday night in October, but begins a special haunting next weekend for those anxious to meet their doom early.

Made possible by Dark Star Haunted Entertainment, Mavron, D&D Maintenance, Dental Solutions, Kosciusko County 4-H Horse & Pony Club, the Kosciusko County Community Fair and the Dr. Dane and Mary Louise Miller Foundation, Soul Taker’s Acres opens Friday and Saturday, Sept. 27-28, for all who dare to enter.

The Beef Barn has been transformed into a haunting amusement of a blackened maze filled with twists and turns, moving floors, hanging obstacles and frightening ghouls that linger at nearly every turn. It is a frightening 25-minute journey filled with freakish shocks and the terrifyingly unexpected.

Admission is $8 per person while the hauntings happen from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays.

Instrumental in creating the haunted characters of the Soul Taker’s Acres are the Horse & Pony Club members. The club members produced the haunted house to learn some life skills for later work in life. The kids, ages kindergarten through high school seniors, learn the art of list making, careful planning, following work schedules, working with others, being creative, set construction and they even get to practice their acting skills. The kids also take turns with food service and engage their money skills while working with the visitors to the haunted house.

Soul Taker’s Acres haunted house is open every Friday and Saturday beginning next week, and running through Oct. 26. Friday night hours are 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday hours are 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Tickets for Soul Taker’s Acres are available at the gate each night of the event. Anyone interested in volunteering can call Charity Trump at 574-551-6113.