It’s been a very long time since I spent my Sunday evenings tending bar at the Dupont Circle institution and neighborhood dive bar known as Mr. Eagan’s. In fact, it was on a St. Patrick’s Day many years ago that Jimmy Eagan closed his Irish Pub and left town. Cafe Citron now stands where Mr. Eagan’s stood for 32 years ending with Mr. Eagan’s Last Call at 1:30am, March 18, 1999. That was also the day I retired from bar tending.

When October arrives and the weather begins to feel like fall, my family is always ready for Halloween. We (not so patiently) wait until October 1st and then the tombstones go up and the ghouls make their appearance in the yard. Fog machines are tested and costumes are selected. It’s the most frightening time of year at the Hill House of Horror.