ARMOIRE
You pull open the doors of the armoire, revealing another unsettling scene. Five dolls are lined up facing you. Their blank gazes keep you frozen for a moment, but you don’t feel any sort of presence or intent coming from them. A doll’s head hangs from the shelf above on a chain and, most disturbing of all, its mouth is stitched shut. Thankfully, an old leather briefcase catches your eye on the top shelf.
You lean in to study the dolls. Though you don’t feel any presence attached to them, the way all five seem to be staring at you makes your skin crawl. Then, as if seeing an after-image, you see an overlay of the scene before you, but with the dolls’ heads turning back and forth. The image fades, and you can’t help but reach out to the dolls. Sure enough, you find that their heads can be rotated both to the left and to the right, as well as straight, just like in the vision.
You lean in to study the dolls. Though you don’t feel any presence attached to them, the way all five seem to be staring at you makes your skin crawl. Then, as if seeing an after-image, you see an overlay of the scene before you, but with the dolls’ heads turning back and forth. The image fades, and you can’t help but reach out to the dolls. Sure enough, you find that their heads can be rotated both to the left and to the right, as well as straight, just like in the vision.
As you run your hands across the worn surface, 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.”
“Are you, perhaps, a 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?”
“Chance! I had stopped by before, hoping the young girl might be interested in some of the dolls I sell. That quiet guy seemed to be the only one there and shooed me off, and him not even part of the family. Well, I was going to stop in one more time on my way outta town, and wouldn’t you know it, I passed the McDermotts and their broke-down car. I gave them a lift back, like a good samaritan, you know? That and I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to show off my goods. Lookin’ back, maybe I should’ve just kept right on driving…”
“Geez, how should I know? Don’t you think I’d leave if I could? That whole “go to the light” schtick? Nah, I think it’s old man McDermott. Not a moment of his life wasn’t directed at figuring out what happened that night. He was convinced that someone in the house was responsible. He built that altar, and since then it hasn’t been a moment’s peace. I should have never come in for that cup of cocoa. I should’ve just kept driving.“
“The little girl? Nah. The first time I stopped by, that tall quiet guy seemed to be the only one home. That last night, I was invited in for cocoa to get out of the storm. I never even got the chance to make my pitch before… Well, you know.“
As you run your hands across the worn surface, 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.”
“Are you, perhaps, a 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, perhaps, a 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?”
“Chance! I had stopped by before, hoping the young girl might be interested in some of the dolls I sell. That quiet guy seemed to be the only one there and shooed me off, and him not even part of the family. Well, I was going to stop in one more time on my way outta town, and wouldn’t you know it, I passed the McDermotts and their broke-down car. I gave them a lift back, like a good samaritan, you know? That and I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to show off my goods. Lookin’ back, maybe I should’ve just kept right on driving…”
“Geez, how should I know? Don’t you think I’d leave if I could? That whole “go to the light” schtick? Nah, I think it’s old man McDermott. Not a moment of his life wasn’t directed at figuring out what happened that night. He was convinced that someone in the house was responsible. He built that altar, and since then it hasn’t been a moment’s peace. I should have never come in for that cup of cocoa. I should’ve just kept driving.“
“The little girl? Nah. The first time I stopped by, that tall quiet guy seemed to be the only one home. That last night, I was invited in for cocoa to get out of the storm. I never even got the chance to make my pitch before… Well, you know.“
The cabinet is frustratingly 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 frustratingly locked. It looks like you’ll need a key to open it. Once you’ve found it, input the key ID here:
