EntertainmentOctober 22, 2012
During the month of October Butcher's Hollow Haunted Trail will present The Retribution in Cape Girardeau.
Cliff Talley holding a snake at the entrance of The Retribution. Photo by Nathan Hamilton
Cliff Talley holding a snake at the entrance of The Retribution. Photo by Nathan Hamilton

During the month of October Butcher's Hollow Haunted Trail will present The Retribution.

According to the Retribution's website, the storyline for the haunted trail is as follows:

One night three teenagers didn't return from a picture show. The car the teens were driving and the bodies were eventually recovered. They had been beaten, dismembered and put into two burlap sacks in shallow graves along the river. Residents of the town were angry over what had happened looked for someone they could blame and all agreed it had to be someone who was "less than human." A carnival had the unfortunate timing of passing through the town and after one accusation the community had formed an angry mob. They attacked the carnival workers in blind rage and only a few escaped. Sixty years later, members of the group opened their arms to the community, and have invited everyone for a visit.

"I really like how there is a storyline. You know what happened, so you know what you are getting yourself into before you actually get there," Southeast Missouri State University graduate student Jessica Porter said.

Cliff Talley, one of the owners of Butcher's Hollow, said they have around 45-55 people working each night and have put a lot of effort into their decorations. Talley believes that spending around $10,000 on decorations is what sets their haunted house apart.

"There is lots of detail," Talley said. "We acquired the property on June 1 and started working on it that week."

When asked what the scariest part of the experience is, Talley said that patrons tell him it's the maze at the exit, but they also have live snakes and clowns.

"I really don't like clowns," Southeast student Katie Farris said. "So I don't know how well this is going to go."

"It's kind of a 'pick your phobia' kind of thing," Talley said.

The Retribution is located at 211 North Spring St. in Cape Girardeau and is open from 7 p.m. to midnight Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Halloween. The price for admission is $17 per person or $22 for a VIP upgrade, which allows participants to skip the line. A less scary show will be offered for children from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.

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