MATTOON - Josh Glenney is generally a soft-spoken young man, but that changes every Halloween season when he pulls on a fright mask.

Transformed into a ghoul or monster, Glenney lurks around the corner inside his House of Darkness haunted house, waiting to startle visitors.

"You can cause as much ruckus as you want, and no one knows it's you," Glenney said of being behind the mask.

Glenney, his family and his friends have had a ball for a decade now, scaring people at the House of Darkness, located in the back yard of his parents' house at 3105 Prairie Ave. in Mattoon.

The House of Darkness originated with a haunted house that Glenney's parents, Paul and Kathy, put on in their basement for a private Halloween party while he was still in high school.

During the next two years, the haunted house moved from the basement to the garage and car port as its scary features became more elaborate. Glenney said they then decided to open their Halloween tradition to the general public.

"I figured I might as well let everyone else see it," Glenney said. The haunted house started out with free entry in its early years, but a fee was later established to cover the costs.

Glenney and his cohorts in haunting spend two months every year setting up for the House of Darkness. They take pride in the design of the haunted house, changing the rooms every year.

"There is a lot of artistry in there," said House of Darkness volunteer Sean Collings of Mattoon. "Even the little rooms are a stage to scare people."

Allison Glenney, who grew up with the haunted house in her parents' back yard, said her favorite rooms include one that was turned upside down and another that sported a ghoulish rendition of Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

Visitors will be led through a dozen rooms, including one housing a murderous pirate, plus a graveyard this year.

Former Mattoon resident Pat Croy said he enjoys volunteering at the House of Darkness so much that he travels every year from his Florida home to help. He has many fond memories of scaring people in the house's darkened corridors.

"Every room is all about timing. Rooms have to be timed perfectly so everyone gets a scare," Croy said.

Glenney said the haunted house has attracted many regular visitors over the years, particularly from the surrounding neighborhood. He said the house is also a source of entertainment for some of his parents' neighbors.

"I know a lot of them like to sit out on the porch and listen to people scream and laugh," Glenney said.

Rob Stroud can be reached at rstroud@;jg-tc.com or 348-5734.