ARMOIRE
You carefully swing open the doors of the armoire, revealing a most unsettling scene. Five dolls face you. Their expressions are somewhat soulless, but they appear to be harmless. A doll’s head hangs via a chain from the shelf above, its mouth appears to be stitched shut. An old leather briefcase rests on the top shelf.
A chill runs down your spine as one by one you eye the decrepit dolls before you. Each of them is unsettling enough on their own, but all together they form an eerie gang of uneasiness. You give the dolls a quick pat down, but find nothing. Oddly enough, you find that their heads can be rotated both to the left and to the right, as well as straight, a feature you wouldn’t expect to find on such antique toys.
A chill runs down your spine as one by one you eye the decrepit dolls before you. Each of them is unsettling enough on their own, but all together they form an eerie gang of uneasiness. You give the dolls a quick pat down, but find nothing. Oddly enough, you find that their heads can be rotated both to the left and to the right, as well as straight, a feature you wouldn’t expect to find on such antique toys.
As you inspect the briefcase, the strong smell of the old leather starts to overwhelm you. You rub your hand down your face, and when you look up the apparition of a middle-aged man in a suit and hat appears before you.
“Fancy my wares, do you? I’ll give you quite the deal.”
“You must be the salesman.”
“So, my reputation precedes me? Otto’s the name, at your service. Do you have any children? A daughter perhaps? I’m sure they’d love one of these timeless dolls. They’re all the rage these days you know. Excellent gifts! If you don’t like what you see here, I’ve more in my car just outside! You might not like these dolls anyway, they… have a mind of their own, it seems. Anyway, how many can I put you down for?”
“Are you accusing me of something nefarious? You sound like that madman, Charles McDermott, stomping about the house, tossing allegations every which way, threatening to do something awful with that spellcraft of his! I’m innocent, understand? I’m a victim!”
“Get on with it, Otto.”
“I was on my way out of town. Not a lot of buyers in these neighborhoods and things were getting a little… it was time for me to go. On my way out, I came across the McDermott’s vehicle on the side of the road, engine was busted from the looks of it. Doing the right thing, I offered them a ride back. There was Mrs. McDermott, with her boy, of course, and another lady as well, the Aunt. Also that shady lodger fellow had tagged along. I knew there was a daughter in the family, and thought maybe my good deed would be rewarded with one last sale before heading out. Well, we arrived here just as a storm was settling in overhead. I was invited in for some refreshments, so I grabbed a few bits of merchandise and headed in!”
“Not exactly. I was here the day before, actually, but that lodger, Emmett, was out front and wouldn’t hear my case. Not really his place to be turning away guests, I thought. He was doing the McDermott’s a great disservice, and to be so rude about it as well. No wonder he was dead quiet when I showed up to give them a lift. What a rube!”
“Purely for business reasons, I assure you. “Otto” is a name children can trust when it comes to toys! You wouldn’t want to buy a doll from a man named “Phil” would you? And hey, if I ever decide to sell cars on the side, the name still fits!”
As you inspect the briefcase, the strong smell of the old leather starts to overwhelm you. You rub your hand down your face, and when you look up the apparition of a middle-aged man in a suit and hat appears before you.
“Fancy my wares, do you? I’ll give you quite the deal.”
“You must be the salesman.”
“So, my reputation precedes me? Otto’s the name, at your service. Do you have any children? A daughter perhaps? I’m sure they’d love one of these timeless dolls. They’re all the rage these days you know. Excellent gifts! If you don’t like what you see here, I’ve more in my car just outside! You might not like these dolls anyway, they… have a mind of their own, it seems. Anyway, how many can I put you down for?”
“You must be the salesman.”
“So, my reputation precedes me? Otto’s the name, at your service. Do you have any children? A daughter perhaps? I’m sure they’d love one of these timeless dolls. They’re all the rage these days you know. Excellent gifts! If you don’t like what you see here, I’ve more in my car just outside! You might not like these dolls anyway, they… have a mind of their own, it seems. Anyway, how many can I put you down for?”
“Are you accusing me of something nefarious? You sound like that madman, Charles McDermott, stomping about the house, tossing allegations every which way, threatening to do something awful with that spellcraft of his! I’m innocent, understand? I’m a victim!”
“Get on with it, Otto.”
“I was on my way out of town. Not a lot of buyers in these neighborhoods and things were getting a little… it was time for me to go. On my way out, I came across the McDermott’s vehicle on the side of the road, engine was busted from the looks of it. Doing the right thing, I offered them a ride back. There was Mrs. McDermott, with her boy, of course, and another lady as well, the Aunt. Also that shady lodger fellow had tagged along. I knew there was a daughter in the family, and thought maybe my good deed would be rewarded with one last sale before heading out. Well, we arrived here just as a storm was settling in overhead. I was invited in for some refreshments, so I grabbed a few bits of merchandise and headed in!”
“Get on with it, Otto.”
“I was on my way out of town. Not a lot of buyers in these neighborhoods and things were getting a little… it was time for me to go. On my way out, I came across the McDermott’s vehicle on the side of the road, engine was busted from the looks of it. Doing the right thing, I offered them a ride back. There was Mrs. McDermott, with her boy, of course, and another lady as well, the Aunt. Also that shady lodger fellow had tagged along. I knew there was a daughter in the family, and thought maybe my good deed would be rewarded with one last sale before heading out. Well, we arrived here just as a storm was settling in overhead. I was invited in for some refreshments, so I grabbed a few bits of merchandise and headed in!”
“Not exactly. I was here the day before, actually, but that lodger, Emmett, was out front and wouldn’t hear my case. Not really his place to be turning away guests, I thought. He was doing the McDermott’s a great disservice, and to be so rude about it as well. No wonder he was dead quiet when I showed up to give them a lift. What a rube!”
“Purely for business reasons, I assure you. “Otto” is a name children can trust when it comes to toys! You wouldn’t want to buy a doll from a man named “Phil” would you? And hey, if I ever decide to sell cars on the side, the name still fits!”
The cabinet is suspiciously locked. It looks like you’ll need a key to open it. Once you’ve found it, input the key ID here:
The cabinet is suspiciously locked. It looks like you’ll need a key to open it. Once you’ve found it, input the key ID here:
