Welcome to the Radio Reading Room, Stories of Americana Podcast, Special, Halloween Classics. It's that time of year when we conjure up images of ghosts and goblins and things that go bump in the night. In this episode we feature the classic Edgar Allen Poe Story, The Masque of the Red Death. "The Masque of the Red Death," first published in 1842, follows Prince Prospero, who seeks to avoid a devastating plague known as the Red Death by secluding himself and a thousand of his wealthy friends in a fortified abbey. The Red Death is characterized by gruesome symptoms, including sharp pains, dizziness, and profuse bleeding, leading to death within half an hour of infection. To distract themselves from the horrors outside, Prospero and his guests indulge in a lavish masquerade ball, held in a series of seven rooms, each decorated in a different color. The final room, however, is draped in black and illuminated by a scarlet light, creating a foreboding atmosphere. As the festivities continue, a mysterious figure appears, dressed as a victim of the Red Death. Read by Myron Hieronymous Thomas.