Paige Lavoie: I was a teenage vampire.

Hello Halloweenies, <3

It's storytime!

I remember very
vividly, being
ecstatic as a kid,
when Universal's
special a about
Halloween Horror
Nights would come on
the t.v during October.

My eyes would be glued to the screen as they walked you through the
haunted houses, Showed behind the scenes footage, and make-up
for the caretaker. I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to hangout with
the rat lady, wear fangs, and run around scaring the living daylights
out of people. And I did.

I had just turned 18 when I went to the audition.
I wore my dramatic black bob slightly teased, striped stockings,
and blood red lips. Offering not-so-subtle hints that I'd make an
amazing vampire. I had never gone to an audition before,
I was terrified. We filed into a small trailer, and we were told,
"Do something to scare us"
. . . What? The first girl laughed menacingly, the next yelled "Bah!"
I had to do better, I had to think outside of the box. . But what?

My body was shaking. So many nerves. Without thinking, I gave into the way
i was convulsing, I tapped my umbrella on the ground as a cane, and cocked
my head, back and forth, staring at the panel, walking down the line.
My pupils shook, and I made a lunging motion at the last judge.

My purse fell on the ground.

"She actually scared me" I heard him whisper. 'Thats a good thing right,
Did i do well?" the others finished up, and we gathered around outside
to wait to see if our numbers we called.

I got in. I actually did it. My heart was fluttering, the whole time
we took pictures for our universal I.d's , fingerprints, and filled out
tons of paperwork. I was an undead trick or treater, who wore a
white angel costume, and spooky mask. I'd skip around the street
singing nursery rhymes, and taunt "I'm gonna kill you" In my
sweetest sing-song voice.

All and all, Was it everything I had dreamed up? Sometimes yes,
and sometimes no. It was hot, exhausting, and one of the most
physically taxing jobs I've ever done. Nothing will ever be as
glamorous as it looks in the t.v specials. It may have had its
ups and downs. But during my experience at halloween horror
nights, I made a few amazing friends, and got to do something
I had always dreamed about. I even got to be a vampire in 2009. :)