CHOCOWINITY — A disease of unknown origins and unclear means of transmission has gripped a small section of woods near Chocowinity. Unexplained disappearances of hikers and nature lovers have been reported in the vicinity of the Black Hollow Woods, and military personnel have been dispatch to investigate the mysterious contagion. According to unconfirmed reports and anonymous sources, the pathogen may have originated in a long-abandoned mine, somewhere in the vicinity of Raised in a Barn Farm on N.C. Highway 33.

The horrors unleashed by the miners in the Black Hollow Woods, and the infection spawned by the long-dormant biohazard that lay buried in the ground, are at the crux of the Black Hollow Run, Raised in a Barn Farm’s fifth annual installment in its Nights of Fright haunted trail experience.

“As they were mining, they hit a gas of some kind and it has created some type of virus,” Raised in a Barn Farm owner Mandie Boahn said. “As none of the miners returned, over the hundreds of years the mine has existed, hikers and wood lovers have gone through the mine and anyone who entered the mine has never returned.”

Opening night for Nights of Fright was Thursday and the event continues through the first weekend of November. The trail is open tonight from 8 p.m. to midnight and five more runs are slated after that. On Thursday, the trail will be open from 8 to 10 p.m. Performances continue from 8 to midnight on Oct. 26-27 and Oct. 31, as well as Nov. 2-3.

“For us, our goal is to be one of the biggest haunts in eastern North Carolina,” Boahn said. “We are working really hard at growing more and more each year.”

All told, the production involves between 60 to 100 staff members, each playing a role in making the production happen. From actors and special effects technicians to videographers and promoters, it takes some serious staffing to make such an event flow smoothly.

While the Black Hollow Run concept came about as a result of conversations between Will and Mandie Boahn, the two have a lot of talent helping make their vision a reality. One of the key partners in making the vision a reality are the folks at Haunted Pamlico, a group which specializes in spooky film productions and special effects.

“We just let all of our creative minds flow together and we create all of these stories and scares,” Boahn said.

The entry fee is $20, cash only, with a $5 discount for military, first responders, teachers and nurses. The trail is recommended for ages 13 and older, and no alcohol or weapons of any kind are permitted on the trail. Child-friendly activities are also available on site for parents who wish to bring children.