#srphqevent

If there was one word to describe Ben O’Dell it was messy, and tonight was no exception. Alcohol had taken over the man’s system and he could hardly stand on two feet. He left the party without telling anyone. Hot, tired, and nauseous Ben found himself outside sitting in some grass that had already formed a layer of dew. His fingers brushed through the blades of grass leaving them wet. He was in his own little world before he heard someone approaching. “Hi.” Ben nearly yelled, he had a huge grin on his face as he waved, it was almost childlike. “Come sit with me.” He was totally unaware if the other person outside was approaching him, or something else, he didn’t really care he just wanted someone to talk to. 

Welcome to the DANSE MACABRE  It just might be your last... 

Everyone is dressed to impressed, the booze is flowing and the dance floor hasn’t been empty all night. The early reviews of the evening are a rousing success, but only an hour passes before whispers start to rise that something is amiss.... 

The mansion and grounds are filled with designated ‘Scare Zones’ where one might encounter a ghoulish guest or two, but there’s one figure in particular that is sending ice down people’s spines. The Weeping Woman someone called her in passing and it didn’t take long before the name stuck. Here one minute and gone as soon as your back is turned, she seems almost like a ghost, but the sound of her cries of agony are all too real.  

“A nice touch,” someone commended one of the event coordinators, only to be met with a blank stare. 

“There is no Weeping Woman,” they reply, with terror in their eyes. “Whoever that is, it isn’t us...” 

Is this part of the show? An awful prank? Or is something much more sinister afoot? 

It had been almost two months at this point since Fei’s life had imploded. She’d been living in a sad little Airbnb since she’d been kicked out of her home, and only went to work and back, avoiding eye contact with literally everyone. But she wasn’t thinking about that, tonight. She was dressed in what was somehow the coolest and nerdiest costume she’d ever seen (a rather glitzy Golden Snitch), and she was determined to have fun, and move on, and not think about Nate, or about Lachlan, or about any of her own terrible choices. 

So she left her sad little Airbnb and didn’t look back. The streetlamps reflected off of her costume and drew more attention than she’d allowed herself to attract for months. It was uncomfortable, honestly, but everything worth doing often was. When she arrived at the Danse Macabre - the name always getting the spooky orchestral music stuck in her head - she fit in rather well. Everyone looked about as wild as she did, and if anyone was looking at her now, it was because she looked great. And not because they’d heard the rumors.

Like most people, she made a beeline for the bar, and decided the best course of action for re-entering society was to do a good deed. So she told the bartender she’d pay for whatever the person next to her was ordering. Then, thinking about it, she smirked at them. “You didn’t happen to order the most expensive thing on the menu or anything, did you?”

With a considerable amount of alcohol in his system and his mood on the up and up, Deacon almost seemed like himself again as of late–intoxicated for an occasion and having a good time rather than drinking and indulging in habits until he didn't have to msntally or emotionally face the last four years; he'd deal with it when he was ready—at least that's what he told himself.  it was a change of pace that Deacon welcomed with open arms, and deep down hoped would stick around a while after the alcohol had worn off. but for now, he was going to enjoy himself and lean into whatever tradition his new home seemed so hyped about. 

while he stepped outside, anyone and everyone he passed he spoke to–either just a polite 'hows it going?' as he passed or, 'got a lighter?' before he wandered around a corner and spotted a lit candle. granted, it was mounted high up on the wall, perched in a holder that looked old and fancy and went well with the decor of the event–so of course, a drunk Deacon was going to scale that wall for the flame that danced atop the candle. by the time he reached it he was standing on his tip-toes on top of some decoration, stretching as far as he could with the cigarette dangling from his mouth in an attempt to reach the light, only to catch movement from the corner of his eye. he jumped a little before he turned his head, blinking at the person looking at him like he'd just beamed down from space; still hanging from the fixture on the wall. 

Join us for a month of wicked good fun as we celebrate the month of All Hallow’s Eve. This October, the Salem City Counsel will be hosting a Harvest Festival, with activities and spooks for the entire family! Face-painting, hayrides, pumpkin carving, costume contests, and an art festival are just a few of the attractions waiting for you at Gallows Hills. But make sure you get the young ones home by nightfall! You never know what ghosts and ghouls may be lying in wait...

And for those of you who aren’t too faint of heart, dare to spend All Hallow’s Eve at the House of the Seven Gables for a DANSE MACABRE that is sure to make your hair stand on end. All guests must be 21+ and tickets will be on sale for $40. All the proceeds go to Salem Historical Society. 

Looking into our crystal ball, here’s what we see happening for our Random Pairings during this event:

These pairings were picked randomly, but were inspired by characters we haven’t seen interacting on the dash yet. Please message each other to plot out as much as you need to before starting, and get creative with it! The scenarios are meant to be fun jumping off points; they’re fairly open-ended, so feel free to make your own spin on them - or come up with something different if you’d rather. Just let us know so we can offer the plot up to someone else if it’s needed. 

So, the event is technically over and we'll post a wrap up in the next few days, but that just means we don't want to see any new starters for the event on the dash. You can keep up on your threads for as long as you need! Let's say if you're still doing them by Christmas, they've probably gone on too long, but up until then, you're golden!