The train moved with a fluid motion across the triple width tracks. The front steam engine was a large monstrous amalgamation of steel, cast iron,and wood, the boiler stretched half a mile and stood just as tall, adorned in a mix between Victorian and Gothic architecture. The train pulled up next to a large dead forest. The trees stood impossibly tall with their leafless limbs sprawling in all directions.
The conductor stepped down from the large steam engine to the edge of a large forest, trees that held jack-o’-lantern like faces creaked and cracked to turn to him.
He was dressed in a long black and gold great coat, black leather gloves and matching black boots. Where a head would be, was an oval of glass, inside a cosmic dance was being played between galaxies of dark purple, black and red. Upon the theater of galaxies was a conductor hat, black as well, a leather knock at each side and a line coming across the bill, in the middle was an emblem of a ghost which shined of gold and silver. He brought his right hand outstretched, palm facing up, to head level and waited.
The trees stared as the conductor stood frozen, they could not understand yet, but soon they heard the wings. Through the tops of the trees a raven dipped and dodged branches and slowly descended to the conductors waiting hand.
The raven, as it descended, grew larger and larger. High above it looked to be normals sized, but as it came upon the conductor and flapped its wings to slow its self to a stand still, the wing span was several feet and the talons could engulf a persons head. In its right talon it held a parchment of rolled up paper which it dropped onto the conductors open hand.
With a mighty call the raven leapt back into the air and flew into the forest. The trees groaned in anticipation as the conductor took the parchment. It glowed a ghostly green and as he unrolled it, light emitted from it.
Written in the finest script, inked in shimmering multicolored black, were the following.
A story from beyond. For those that wish to listen please take the following story for your entertainment and expansion of imagination. I hope it finds you well. To the Midnight Tales.
Below that was a story.
The conductor rolled the parchment back up and returned to the train. The trees grinned wider and shook their mighty dead branches, the sky darkened and train let out a howl as steam burst forth from its might boiler and into the air.
The ghostly hotel had received another story.
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