Disaster Dollhouse brings dread and darkness

The Disaster Dollhouse Halloween Maze got adrenaline running through students’ veins, made some scream — and caused others to curl up in a fetal position and cry.

University Student Union room 101 at Cal State Long Beach was filled with students lining the hallway, a few dressed as the grim reaper, Lakers girls, Catwoman and even Willy Wonka. Students waited in line Wednesday for this year’s Halloween maze, which was hosted by the USU Program Council and had the theme of “Disaster Dollhouse.”

The council has been holding the Halloween maze since 2007 in correlation with the campus Spooktacular, according to Program Council Coordinator Keya Allen-Littleton.

Littleton said that an estimated 300 or more students walk through the maze on Halloween. “It's a joint effort with all the [Associated Students Inc.] commissioners,” she said. “So, in that room you have some senators dressed as monsters, and I love it.”

Students watched one small group walk into the maze after another as they waited in line. The double door covered in black closed behind them each time. Students heard screaming coming from inside the maze as they looked through the glass door, though they saw nothing but darkness.

Sophomore theatre arts major Melanie Jones was among the students to get thrills and chills from the maze.

“There were a lot of surprises; you didn’t expect anything,” Jones said. “At first I thought it was a cool maze … things popping out on you, and it’s just like, ahhhh! There are people on the ground, and they kind of touch your feet and hold on to you, and that kind of freaked me out.”

Jones said after going through the maze twice in one day, she would definitely come back next year.

As students walked through the short, dark maze, lights flashed on dolls standing in Barbie-like boxes, turning their heads as each person passed by. Four students were so scared they walked out of the maze crying, according to Littleton.

“A young lady crawled out, started crying, balled up and said the dolls eyes were following her,” Littleton said.

Students also came out looking excited as they talked loudly about what they had just experienced, including junior fashion merchandising major Brandi Bertrand.

“It was scary,” Bertrand said. “It was thrilling but more so fun ... You walk in, and they grab your ankles, and there’s dolls standing there. It was scary!”

Students were caught by surprise walking through the maze as they were touched by prosthetic hands covered in blood that came out of nowhere. Freshman aerospace engineering major Sean Tibbals said the element of surprise definitely had him walking with suspense.

“One girl I didn’t even notice just popped out,” Tibbals said. “It was dark and the lights … I couldn’t see anything at all. It was actually really fun; I liked it.”