I Have A Ticket For The NYC Halloween Haunted House Off-Season Haunt.

At 10:33am, it appeared in my inbox. There it was. The email I had been waiting for for over a month. The final code to the puzzle. The last last piece of information that would allow me to find the website to purchase tickets for the Vortex Theatre's NYC Halloween Haunted House "Spring Off Season" event. I immediately began shaking. This was it. The critical moment. I followed the instructions to write down my code. At the bottom of the e-mail I glanced at the special note:

** special note: as you will all see, we have had to make a large jump in terms of our ticket prices for the off-season event.  although we've always wanted to remain the low-cost option for NYC horror-enthusiasts, we have found it impossible to provide the kind of experience you're expecting on such a limited budget.  our halloween events will continue to keep the prices down, however, these off-season events are now more intricate and elaborate and consequently require a higher price - and trust us, it's worth it.  we understand this means that several of you will not be able to join us, and we hate to see that happen, which is why we've come up with an alternative for you.  if we have any remaining spots that have not been reserved by Monday May 9th, those tickets will be offered to the remaining invitees in an ebay-style bidding option.  you may get a lower price, but you may not.  as always, it's up to you.  see you soon...

 I didn't care. I was going to this event no matter what. I googled the haunt. Within seconds I was looking at the theatermania ticket listing and then the time slot schedule. I blindly clicked the first time slot I saw and then forced my trembling fingers to fill out my billing information. 

Then I saw it. The most beautiful words I've ever seen:

As I tried to calm my nerves a smile spread across my face. I had done it. My mission was complete. I have a "golden ticket." I will experience the exclusive off-season haunt on Saturday, May 21st at 4:30pm. Looking back I wish I had chosen an evening time slot. The dark of night always makes things scarier, but at the time I wasn't capable of thinking about anything other than securing a ticket. Any ticket. It may not be dark out, but I look forward to being one of the first to experience the event.

As of 12:02pm EST, there are only 6 time slots left for the event. Good luck to the rest of the invite list.

**I will, once again, post a detailed walk-through of the event for those who are unable to attend. It will be available after the haunt has officially closed its doors.** 

Afraid of Dolls?

In honor of the Royal Wedding, check out these terrifying Limited Edition Bride & Groom Charms from Juicy Couture. For $88 you can invite them into your home to give you nightmares. Does anyone not find these creepy?

Speaking of Zombies (Shirt.Woot)

Check out Today's Shirt.Woot.com, "If I Only Had A Brain." It's currently sold out, but I'm sure it will be available tomorrow in the reckoning. It better be. I'd like to get one. Zombies and Jane Austin and the Land of Oz.

Click Here to buy it for $15.

*UPDATE: It's back in stock. I just bought mine. Hooray for The Wizard of Oz and Zombies...*

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

The Raven & Black Cat Book Club



This weekend I am finally reading Jane Austin and Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I love the idea of this book. I can't think of anything funnier than the undead descending upon the polite society of classic literature. I'll let you know how it goes. Read it with me. Report back with your thoughts!_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Publisher's Synopsis

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.”

 So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton—and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she’s soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers—and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield. Can Elizabeth vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry? Complete with romance, heartbreak, swordfights, cannibalism, and thousands of rotting corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you’d actually want to read.
 

The Tension Is Mounting...

The tension is mounting for the 62 people invited to the NYC Halloween Haunted House Off-Season Haunt. Every week we have been given a small morsel of information. A reward for getting through the week. With 4 weeks behind us we try to put the pieces together....

• We know it will be in two different locations in Chelsea.
• We know that there are new rules ("No speaking, screaming, or noise of any kind.") and a warning not to have anyone "trailing" you.
• We know that the Haunt will run for only 2 days.
• We know that the nightmare begins on May 21st.
• We know that sometime  in the next week we will be given a code to try to get our hands on one of the twenty available tickets.
• We know that after 4 weeks of obsessive e-mail monitoring and stress we are speaking in the third person.
• We know that we will be devastated if we don't get a ticket.