RINCON — Bloody footprints don’t usually lead to inviting places. They do at a house on Acorn Street, however.

Ghosts, goblins and a variety of other ghastly figures have attracted people to Don and Shari Floyd’s house for a decade’s worth of Halloweens. The horde of horror has grown in popularity each year.

“It’s just gotten bigger and bigger and bigger,” Shari said Wednesday while preparing to distribute an assortment of sugary treats to costume-clad visitors. “We’ve about gotten too big for our britches.”

Each Halloween, the Floyds pack their yard with inflatable black cats, mummies, spiders, zombies and more. Maniacal laughs and howls constantly echo across their lawn, which also sports a skeleton astride a saddle with no horse.

The annual den of depravity was born out of Shari’s inability to participate in Halloween shenanigans following shoulder surgery.

“I was having a pity party because I wasn’t going to be able to dress up,” she said. “It was a hot day just like today and I talked my husband into setting up one of those little tents like people useor tailgate parties and things. I fixed some Kool-Aid and put out some pitchers of water.”

“It started with just water,” Don added. “Then it went to water and cookies. Then it went to ...”

“It just kept going,” Shari interjected.

Even the Floyds’ pets get into the Halloween spirit. Their two dogs and one cat have their own costume.

It usually takes a month for the Floyds to get everything in place for Halloween. The preparation time was compacted this year because of Hurricane Michael.

“I couldn’t put stuff out like I wanted because we weren’t sure (what kind of weather) we were going to get,” Shari said. “We’re running about a week behind.”

Getting ready always requires considerable hustle because Don insists on adding items to their Halloween collection.

Shari, who dressed as The Cat in the Hat on Wednesday, got experience in putting on Halloween events by working with her sister at her church.

“We just wanted a safe haven for somebody to come — a safe place for kids to get safe candy in a safe atmosphere,” Shari said.

Now the Floyds’ home is a safe Halloween haven and it is a big hit with neighborhood children. Brayden Richards, the Floyds’ nine-year-old grandson, loves it, too. His family lives about five minutes away.

“I did something really cool with a skeleton,” Brayden said while leading a tour through the yard in a zombie outfit. “ It’s a little distance but, trust me, it’s worth it.”

Brayden walked past all sorts of creepy inflatable characters, including a Minion with vampire teeth, before arriving at his bony buddy, which sported a neon green sheen, at the edge of the Floyds’ property.

“I sprayed it with Silly String to make it look like it glows,” he said proudly.

As the tour continued near a deflated pumpkin, Brayden shouted to Shari, “Gammy, we’ve got a dead one!”

The walk around the yard ended in front of a scary backdrop trick-or-treaters used while posing for photographs. The background of it featured a cemetery.

The nearby carport, guarded by three skinny monsters, featured an assembly line of people ready to dish out candy and candied apples. The confections were kept in large colorful tubs.

The Floyds expected to receive trick-or-treaters until 10:30 p.m.

“The teenagers will show up late,” Shari said. “We will shovel what’s left of the candy to them.”

Candy wasn’t the only food available. The Floyds offered barbecue pork, chicken wings and much more.

“All our friends come over and help, and we feed them,” Don said. “(Shari) used to make every candied apple and every mummy finger, which are pigs in a blanket, — everything,” Don said. 

“But it’s gotten a little big,” Shari added with a laugh.

The Floyds’ 2019 reunion of monsters will likely be decidedly different.

“We’re looking at downsizing and moving out of this area,” Shari said. “We want to sell this and find a smaller place (in Effingham County).”

When Acorn Street Halloween tradition dies, it will surely rise from the grave somewhere else.

“We’ll still do something wherever we wind up going,” Shari said. “It just won’t be of this magnitude.”