In each room, the only illumination came from a blazing fire in the fireplace that cast flickering shadows across all the walls. Every hour, the clock would strike, giving a series of loud clangs, like the tolling of a bell. On one of the walls, there was a large black clock with a pendulum that swung slowly to and fro, making a loud and monotonous ticking sound. All of the furniture was upholstered in black velvet. The curtains that hung from the walls were made of black satin.

The walls and ceiling were painted black. The second was pink, the third was green, the fourth was orange, the fifth was white and the sixth was purple. The first room was painted blue, from floor to ceiling. He ordered his servants to redecorate seven rooms, especially for the ball. To keep his guests entertained, Prince Prospero decided to hold a masquerade ball. Inside, the prince and his guests laughed and danced and made merry while outside the walls, the poor people suffered and died as the Red Death raged on. He locked the gates, barred the windows and lowered the portcullis to keep everyone else out. Then, within minutes, blood would start pouring from their eyes, their nose and their mouth until they collapsed, writhing around in unbearable pain and died.Īs the plague drew nearer, the prince invited a hundred of his friends to take refuge in his castle and keep him company. Those who were infected suffered from sudden dizziness and sharp pains and their skin broke out in a red rash. The disease was highly contagious and whole towns had been wiped out in a single night.

The prince heard rumors that there was a terrible plague sweeping across the land. At the entrance, there were were giant iron gates and an enormous portcullis over the door. The castle had high stone walls and was surrounded by a deep moat. His servants and courtiers attended to his every whim. There was a prince named Prospero who lived in a huge castle in the mountains. It is based on a classic short story by Edgar Allan Poe called “The Masque of the Red Death”. The Red Death is a scary story about a prince who hides in his castle while a terrible plague sweeps across the land.

The masque of the red death story