Goosebumps #01: Welcome to Dead House

My love for RL Stine’s Goosebumps series is no secret. I am a Goosebumps geek, and I admit that Bet and I have a massive collection of the series itself; it had been my most-prized possession as far back as I can remember, up until I was twelve years old. And because I already finished sauntering over past issues of WWE Magazine and rereading Charles Dicken’s Great Expectations, I was somehow directed towards the immense Goosebumps collection. I greatly wondered how it would be like to read those little ‘uns again. So read I planned. And read I did.

Goosebumps #01: Welcome to Dead House, the first of the many Goosebumps (originally published in 1992) didn’t let down much. I didn’t expect a great deal when I first decided to read this again, of course. After receiving a letter from a deceased (and never-heard-of) Great-Uncle Charles, Mr. and Mrs. Benson eventually jumped at the thought of permanently moving to their inherited real estate. Well mainly Mr. Benson only though, because he wanted to quit his boring office job and pursue a writing career. But their kids, Amanda and Josh weren’t exactly as fond of the idea. And when they actually get to see this “new-fangled” home, their dislike for it augmented even more.

Amanda appears as a first-person raconteur, and would then describe their new home as a “mansion compared to the old house”. It was rather unusual looking, standing so forlorn within an empty street. The trees bordering the property would bend over the mansion, casting utter darkness towards the house itself. And every time they get closer to the settlement, the wind would blow immensely cold despite having been set in the middle of July. To make the long story short, the house was simply “creepy”. The scariest thing that I first read was Amanda seeing the boy with a blond hair running around her house. By the by, she would see more kids inside, and would even receive nightmares about the house. Josh would reveal the same. And at night, the curtains would flutter even though the windows are closed!

But it wasn’t only the house; the town was rather eerie as well. Dark Falls is a four-hour drive from their old home, and is very, very different from what the kids have grown accustomed to. For instance, they didn’t see anyone in the entire neighborhood when they first arrived. Trees also bend over the other houses and the silence was almost deafening. The few kids who showed up were menacing. Two of them had already told Amanda that they used to live in the Benson’s new home.

The first sign to have shown that something was wrong began with Petey – the terrier. Everything with the dog just literally screams “Let’s get out of here!”. The first time the Bensons got to see the inheritance, Petey began yowling and yapping, even growling at the real estate officer. Mr. Dawes however wasn’t the only one who got barked at; everyone Petey saw in the neighborhood was daunting to the dog. And that was very odd because Petey was usually behaved. It even ran off the first day, directing the Bensons to Cemetery Drive. Petey's demise was as sad as it was spine-tingling. And this was no ordinary death either; it's the least I had imagined, actually. This incident would eventually lead to a chain of events that surprised me even more.

I never really thought that I would ever be held in suspense anymore when I decided to read this. But I admit I received a few goosebumps (:D) nonetheless. There actually were sequences that I had not remember, and most of them chilled me to my core. I had problems with the ending though, because it seemed a bit rushed. I mean, a yellow gas from a factory killed all those people? What factory? How random indeed! And why do the inhabitants need fresh blood every year? And at any rate, why the Bensons? Ah well. At least I gave it a try. I think people would still enjoy reading this book. It may be a bit cliché (it’s an old book, for heaven’s sake!), but it still hasn’t lost its spark. Also make an effort of looking at the cover illustration (by the very artistic Tim Jacobus) while you’re at it. I just noticed that there is a man looking out the bay window. Hands-down spine-chilling.

3 out of 5.