And when the female scientist I said this too shouted out her line, "Blood! I need blood!" I went over and rolled up my sleeves while she called me a smart aleck!

The next night I was in a different room: I was the mad scientist who needed blood.

When I got there they did not have anyone around that could do my make up.
So I improvised.

I put my fingers on some "blood" on a table and put it on my face with fingers. Later I used a paper towel to first move the "blood around" and then put it in my shirt pocket. I was hoping a visitor coming through would sneeze or sniffle so I can offer them my bloody tissue.

Anyway I switched shirts - putting on the pre-bloodied one I'm wearing in the picture - after I almost got a bloody ring around my collar.

So I'd hold the syringe and point at test tubes full of blood and say, "I need blood! Can I have your blood!?" and while some adults and teens just laughed a few younger ones got scared.

This was the setup:

I had that arm there and so when an adult would be unfazed by my presentation I'd tap them on the back with the arm.

One guide that would walk kids through had a running gag where she'd say, "I'm looking for my mommy."

"Is this her arm?" I asked one time.

Another time when she asked that question I said, "Is this her blood? If so I drank her last nite."

And so it went.

To some I offered a drink - after taking a swig myself - of this "blood" in a bottle.

To others this move in their direction was enough to freak them out:

So I don't know if I look scary but I made a few people scream.

And that made me happy.

Yes, I cackled myself to sleep that night.