The art of storytelling might be dead. Still, in the city of Chicago, the art of telling stories about the dead seems to be quite alive.

In the basement of a nightclub called Excalibur, spooky tales are the substance of the show titled Supernatural Chicago. The show began on Friday the 13th, 2003. Since then, it has run each Friday evening, year-round, with additional shows leading up to Halloween.

On one typical night, the audience gathered in the uncertainty of a candlelit basement and took their seats as an unsure, unacquainted group. Silently, a man descended the winding stairs, his face solemn. The room grew still and eyes strained to catch the first glimpse of the storyteller. There in the center of the room, he held his audience’s attention.