Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 75195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Dimly lit black chandeliers cast a soft, amber glow over the space.
Plush velvet curtains in deep crimson hung by the tall windows, allowing only filtered light to seep through.
The air buzzed with the sound of people chatting, punctuated by clanking of plates and a grand piano playing softly in the corner.
Each table had been painted like a book cover from one of Poe’s stories.
We passed one table with a huge, black raven decorated on it, for The Raven.
A table towards the back was enshrouded in a macabre darkness, the surface adorned with an illustration of a catacomb and a cask, a clear homage to The Cask of Amontillado. For some reason, that one crept me out the most.
Then, there was a table cloaked in rich velvet with gold trim, with miniature pendulums hanging above, swinging ever so slightly—an eerie tribute to The Pit and the Pendulum.
A corner table held an illustration of a forlorn woman, her beauty captured in the soft moonlight, representing the melancholy poem Annabel Lee.
Yet another featured an intricate illustration of a palace with seven tall windows, embodying the mysterious and symbolic The Haunted Palace.
There was even a table bearing the image of an old man’s pale blue eye, surrounded by a gilded frame, paying tribute to the terror of The Tell-Tale Heart.
However, we rushed straight to my favorite table, showing love to one of Poe’s most-celebrated stories, The Masque of the Red Death.
The surface glowed a deep, rich crimson red. At its center sat an ornate clock, its face decorated with Gothic numerals, and its hands frozen at the midnight hour.
Around the edge of the table were seven panels, each one representing a different colored chamber from the story—the eerie blue to the violent scarlet.
Even the chairs around the table had been carefully crafted to match the theme, with plush red velvet cushions and intricate black ironwork.
To sit at this table was to be delivered into the world of Poe’s creation. Every time I was here, I could almost hear the masqueraders dancing in the seven colored rooms, and feel the presence of the mysterious and inexorable Red Death. All of this with the ticking of the clock echoing in the background.
The host placed the menus down and gave us another bow. “Enjoy.”
“Thank you.”
Soon as Scarlett lowered into her seat, she chuckled. “Girl, I am getting a library card to this library in the North.”
“Oh God.” I yanked off my jacket, hung it over the back of my chair, and picked up the menu. “But, that library card won’t get you into the Vault.”
“Doesn’t matter. I like the idea of borrowing books on top of a freak nest.” She perused her menu. “So, you’re inside this place, walking by orgies and where is Tristan?”
“Of course he sneaks up behind me, all dark and seducing.”
Scarlett shrieked, grabbing the attention of a couple next to us. “Girl, I cannot with this guy!”
“Shhh.”
“How can I keep my excitement down? I am living for this.”
Our waitress showed up. She was a young Black woman with sparkling hazel eyes and dressed in an elegant Victorian gown. “Welcome back.”
We nodded at her.
She set two glasses of water down. “The usual, ladies?”
“No. No.” Scarlett shook her head. “Due to my bestie’s nastiness, I am going to be naughty this morning and do a brunch sort of thing.”
The waitress quirked her brows at me.
I waved my head. “I don’t know what she is talking about. Ignore her.”
“Trust me. She was naughty, and I love it.” Scarlett went back to the menu. “So, I’m about to get crazy too. Let’s go right to dessert with the Masque of the Red Velvet Cake. I need the biggest slice in this place.”
The waitress scribbled in her pad.
Scarlett raised her finger. “But also I can’t forget nutrients, so bring over the Pendulum Sliced Duck Breast, but after the cake. I’m eating dessert first today.”
I scowled at her. “That is unnecessary.”
“Don’t be judging me.” Scarlett snapped. “And then let’s add a nice cup of Raven’s Dark Roast Coffee.”
The waitress nodded. “Cream and sugar?”
“All of the cream and sugar.” Scarlett handed her menu over. “I’ll be up all day researching this whole murder of the girl being set on fire.”
The waitress widened her eyes.
“Have you heard of it?”
The waitress shook her head. “No. I’ve been working a lot of double shifts and sleeping in between—”
“Even my professor didn’t know. That’s so crazy. One would think people don’t watch the news or anything. People dying and—”
“Scarlett.” I held up my hand. “Can you let her get our order and stop terrifying her?”
“Oh.” Scarlett shrugged. “I forget stuff like this creeps people out.”
“Yeah. No one wants to hear about that.” I went to my menu. “I’m going to be a bit naughty too—”
“You’ve already been naughty enough this weekend,” Scarlett murmured.
I cleared my throat. “I would love a small cup of Annabel Lee’s Seafood Bisque along with Golden Bug Pancakes.”