"Don't You Know That House Is Haunted?"

Ah, how I love October. That crisp Autumn air, that pumpkin flavoring in...well, everything, and things that go bump in the night. But don't be afraid! Take my hand and let's explore together one of the spookier places on the Mainland, DarkDharma HaUnTeD MaNoR and HaUnTeD FoReSt in Benten. As you approach, you are instructed to turn off your music and turn on sounds, and you are given a warning that damage is enabled in the graveyard and forest behind the mansion. I found that it was enabled in some parts of the house too, so just watch out! Let's peek inside, shall we?

Inside the mansion are sixteen rooms decorated with exquisitely ghoulish detail, so make sure to explore every nook and cranny! A notecard obtained at the front gate also mentions prizes: "Click around everywhere to find the 10 GHOULS who hold the HAUNTED PRIZES. Ghouls can be found from first floor to top of the house! Be careful! These ghouls will get pushy and come after you, just click on them and they will surrender the prize. But BEWARE there are other evil dangers that lurk all around!" I also found at least one prize hiding in the forest.

Once you make it out alive (and hopefully you will!), return to the road by the front gate and turn right. In front of you, at the end of the road, you'll spy the two flickering eyes of the guardian of the DarkDharma Caverns (pictured below). No visit to Benten is complete without venturing into these caves through the terrifying mouth of their guardian. I spoke with the creator of these spooky marvels, DarkDharma Daguerre, who had this to say: "What separates DarkDharma Haunted Manor from other similar sites? The total immersion in the theme, from the specialized sky settings and specialized outside and inside soundtracks to all the little details everywhere. When I was new in Second Life back in 2004, I would go to other attractions of all kinds, and was always disappointed to go inside the buildings and find empty rooms. When I created my first haunted manor in '05, I was sure to make it different and fill up the rooms! What are my favorite features of my haunted manor? I love how the soundtrack and the setting I've created all meld together to really pull you into the spooky, haunted mood. I've had many people tell me they were really scared and got goosebumps from going through my house. When I hear that, it makes it all worthwhile!  MUWAHAHAHAHA!"

So come visit, if you dare! But before you do, listen to the tale of the "Skeleton In The Closet" by Louis Armstrong. Sure sounds like he's visited someplace similar!

"Boy, don't you go in there
Come outta there, boy
Don't you know that house is haunted?
There's an old deserted mansion on an old forgotten road
Where the better ghosts and goblins always hang out
One night they threw a party in a manner a la mode
And they cordially invited all the gang out"