Your Journey
Friday, October 30 · Departed Paris 7:45 PM · Line obstructed · Roll call at the house 9:30 PM sharp
Your invitation spoke of boarding. Forgive the Conductor: the train has already left Paris, and on this line one boards wherever it happens to stop. Tonight, that is a house.
You have been invited aboard a very special journey. On Halloween night the Midnight Express runs its once-a-year night service, the same route it has kept since the gaslight years: out of Paris after dark, east through Vienna, and on toward Constantinople by morning.
Most people believe Edgar Allan Poe invented C. Auguste Dupin, the Paris gentleman who solved the murders in the Rue Morgue. He did not. He wrote about a real man, and took a few liberties. On this journey his great-grand-nephew, Monsieur Vincent Dupin, joins us as guest of honor, added at the last minute thanks to a fortunate rescheduling. An accomplished detective in his own right, he is delighted to honor his great-grand-uncle, and has promised to do nothing more strenuous than enjoy the scenery.
Among your fellow passengers is Mr. Rufus Griswold, a gentleman with a remarkable talent for making enemies.
Alas, a fallen tree has blocked the line, and a storm has closed the roads behind it. While the crew clears the tracks, passengers will shelter at a grand private house nearby, where your conductor will see to your every comfort.
Rest assured, this journey will be nothing like the one in the famous story. Probably.
Once you cross the threshold, the experience begins.
Welcome Aboard
Before the Conductor can confirm your berth, she would like a few words about you. Just be yourself. There's nothing to invent and no wrong answers.
Takes about two minutes. Your answers are used only for this evening's journey and are deleted afterward.
Boarding Closed
This journey has concluded. The Midnight Express will run again; the next departure will be announced.