The riddle
Unopened0 of 3 completeYou were expected.
Postmarked 01 November, 2026.
Delivered before you arrive.
Sunday, 1 November 2026
The house is quiet now.
For the first time in a hundred years,
it feels like a beginning.
I asked it to keep one perfect night.
It kept me, too.
Before you arrive, find what I left behind.
The ending will need all of us.
Mara
Three small enclosures. A way into my story.
THE PRIVATE GUESTBOOK
A new name in a house that has remembered the same party for a hundred years.
Leave a portrait. Something the house can remember.
A face still missing
from the frame.
Choose from your photo library or take a picture. Up to 30 MB; we’ll resize it for you.
Your host can review your portrait. Once your place is accepted, your name and portrait appear in the guest register.
The house kept the music. Mara needs to know what can survive when a night ends.
I am made when something ends,
yet I can keep it from ending.
Two people can leave the same room
carrying different versions of me.
I can return without ever coming back.
What am I?
A nudge becomes available after two attempts.
“The night is gone.
But I am still inside it.”
You found the word that opens Mara’s past. Walk through her memory of the cornfield and recover what she left behind.
Walk through Mara’s memory. Recover her locket, her key and the letter she never sent.
Find Mara’s three keepsakes
Stay close to the light. Recovered keepsakes are never lost.
Hold the arrow keys or W A S D to walk. On your phone, hold a direction button, or drag and hold on the field. Find Mara’s locket, the estate key, and her sealed letter, then reach the northeast gate. Scarecrows follow when they see you; turn a corner to lose them. The raven marks the ground before striking. Roots stir before they lash out: cross when they settle, or burn them with a nearby flare. You have only three flares for the entire run. Each briefly stuns close hunters and burns nearby roots. Keepsakes restore one courage and save your return point, but their sound draws the hunters. You can look at the map three times, for five seconds each. The timer counts active play and stops while paused. Flares, map looks, and elapsed time carry over when you resume. A firefly can help if you lose your way.
THREE MEMORIES RECOVERED
You brought her memories back to the door. The originals are waiting at the estate. So is the rest of her story.
“There is a place for you…”
The rest of Mara’s letter was blank.
She never sent her welcome. You still can.
Leave one line for a guest who almost didn’t come.
Your choice is saved with your line. You can change sharing on your story-role page.
Your place is kept in your private guestbook.
An insert from the house
“Bring something dark.
Something warm.
Shoes that will follow you
into the dark.”
Dark autumn layers. A coat you like. Closed-toe shoes you can comfortably walk in.
For the haunted-house outing: no masks, props, or full-face makeup. The exact venue’s rules will be in your final briefing.
“Bring the clothes you keep
waiting for an occasion to wear.
The house has set a place
for them.”
Velvet, lace, satin, deep jewel tones, an antique detail. Wear the evening version of yourself.
A costume or mask is optional for the house evening. No new purchase required. Everyone is invited to dress up.
Bring comfortable daytime clothes or shorts, weather layers, and something you can get a little dusty in. Saturday leaves 5:00–6:30 pm to change for supper.
Your invitation has a little unfinished business.
AN INVITATION FROM ELSEWHERE ESTATE
Mara’s memories are home. Her night is still unfinished. This Halloween, bring your part of the story to Elsewhere Estate.
HALLOWEEN · 30 OCTOBER – 1 NOVEMBER
Near Austin, Texas
Every ending needs someone new. — Mara
THE PART THAT HAPPENS BEYOND THE SCREEN
In 1926, Mara asked the house to keep the night. It kept her, too. A century later, you have brought back what she lost and added something new: your own words.
The locket, ribboned key and sealed letter will be waiting at the estate. Follow the clues together. When the three roles meet, Mara’s story can move forward.
Find the real keepsakes and discover the pieces of Mara’s memory they hold.
Oracles, Vampires and Phantoms each hold a different piece. Share yours with the guests you meet.
Bring the memories, key and living voices together on Halloween night. Help Mara give her party an ending.
YOUR INVITATION
Weekend Stay · $300
A payment lets your host know you mean to come. Your place is confirmed when they’ve matched it in Venmo and welcomed you onto the guest list. Venue, room assignments and final timings will follow.
YOUR PLACE AT ELSEWHERE ESTATE
Finish the correspondence before opening your reservation.
01 · SEND YOUR PAYMENT
Send the amount below to your host on Venmo. Include your payment note, then return here and choose “I’ve sent my payment.”
A PERSONAL REQUEST FROM MARA
You found her memories. You added a living voice.
Now she has a part for you in the night to come.
Three enclosures come before your name.
The house remembers what you brought back.
Every role holds a different piece. When you meet at the estate, the story can move forward.
I’ll be listening. — Mara
Your Saturday night
For Friday’s haunted-house outing: dark layers, a warm coat, and comfortable closed-toe shoes. Save your house look for Saturday.
A part in the story, entrusted to you. Join in as much or as little as you like. No acting experience needed.
The weekend folio · Proposed programme
A Halloween weekend near Austin. Party guests join on Saturday evening; overnight guests follow the full programme. Meals are included only as listed in your chosen offering.
Put your bags down. Find your first familiar face.
Settle into your room. Have something to drink. Meet the first familiar faces from your correspondence.
An easy first conversation, with a small question to carry into the night.
A warm meal and the people whose names you are beginning to remember.
A proposed excursion in small groups, subject to tickets and travel. A quieter house alternative is always available.
Warm drinks and open conversation. Stay up a little, or sleep.
After dark: walkable closed-toe shoes and layers. For the outing, keep masks and props at the house and avoid full-face makeup.
A day outside. An evening the house has been waiting for.
An unhurried start at the house.
Comfortable shoes, layers, and a little daylight.
An autumn outing with paired wandering. Venue and exact activities to be confirmed.
Leave the farm for the house; rest begins on arrival.
Rest, solo time, or a conversation that runs long.
A warm drink and a small-group ritual. Tea is welcome too.
A guided conversation with time to listen. Share only what feels right.
Put on your evening clothes. Portraits are optional.
Find your place. Leave a little room for the unexpected.
Party guests join the story. Collect your role envelope, recognize Mara’s keepsakes, and find the guests holding the other pieces. Exact arrival details will follow.
Optional closeness or a listening circle. A quiet lounge is equally part of the evening.
The locket, key and letter return. Oracles, Vampires and Phantoms bring their pieces together. Mara’s unfinished night meets a new ending.
Celebrate. Stay for the music, talk, or turn in.
For supper: candlelit eveningwear, an antique detail, or a costume you already love. Masks are optional inside the house.
The letter has finally caught up with you.
The house feels different in daylight.
Continue a conversation, or take some quiet time.
Notes of appreciation, offered without expectation.
Another seat beside someone you would like to know.
A walk, a game, a nap, or no plan at all.
A little of the weekend, in your own words.
Unfinished conversations and contact-sharing by mutual choice.
One last meal together.
Take the people and the possibility with you.
The timing is a planning draft. Sunday access, travel, and the final programme depend on the confirmed property and outings.
From the desk of M.
Twelve names. Each arriving in its own time.
Twelve places, held in confidence.
Touch a seal.
Some things are not ready to be read.
Names and portraits appear as soon as the host confirms each guest’s place.
Your house companion · Preview
Your role
Complete the correspondence. The house will name your role.
In the weekend, shared moments awaken the house. No scores. No ranking.
Preview the arrival here. The other echoes remain sealed.
This demo changes only on your device; it is not connected to other guests.
