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I Watch People in Cages (Part 4)

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So I came into work today, and T.D. was in a panic. Why? #8's skin was found in his cage. Not his body. Just his skin. As for the doll, it's still with Lisa in her cage. I wanted to tell him about it, but one thing at a time ya know?

Today's transfer day, and in a few hours one of the caged will be leaving. Who? I have no idea. But, some of you suggested I attempt to talk to the current Mary about her religion. Maybe she knows something we don't. So that's what I'm gonna do.

I sat in front of the cage, in an old wooden chair. Mary, as usual, was deep in prayer. She spoke some language I didn't understand. I cleared my throat and she looked up.

"Have you seen the yellow sign?" She asked, smiling ear to ear. She was a native woman, with an accent that seemed a mix of Australian, and American. Aboriginal maybe?

I shook my head. "Why don't you tell me about it?"

Only pausing for breaths, Mary went into great detail about her patron entity. Otherwise known as the King in Yellow, and in some places, simply the Yellow, Hastur was a patron of shepherds to some, to other an unfathomable darkness. I nodded, as if understanding, but truthfully I was more confused than I was previously.

Finally, I asked.

"Why are you here? Why are you in" I pointed to the cage "there."

"I don't know." She said, her voice faltering for the first time. This Mary was a regular chatterbox and this was the first time she had fell silent.

"What about that doll? The one the little girl has?"

She eyed the doll warily. Lisa was nose deep in a coloring book, but the doll looked right at her.

"I do not know. I thought at first it to be a vessel of Hastur, but.." she trailed off.

"What that crazy bitch is saying, is that doll is something else." Earl spoke up, for the first time in what seemed like ages.

"Why are you here then?" I asked, turning my attention to the mustachioed man. He shrugged. "Jaywalking." He replied, going back to his newspaper.

Mary spoke again. "The doll. It has a darkness. Similar to the king. But not quite." She said.

It was as she said this, the doors opened. They wheeled in the new captive. And as they approached Mary's cage, her eyes widened in fear. They shoved me aside roughly, and unlocked her cage.

They drug Mary out, as she drug her nails in to the ground with such force that it left a mark in the floor beneath her. They strapped her in, and as she cursed in that unknown language, they wheeled her away. Her replace, a nun, came soon after. Well, so much for that lead.

Security had been on extra high alert since the old man, we're guessing anyway, shed his skin. I was reprimanded by T.D. for talking to the pagan Mary about her religion. He didn't punish me or anything but let me.off with a warning.

She said that doll had a darkness. And I believed her. I also talked to Lisa a bit today. Asked about "Mr. Abba." She said his full name is Donald Abba the third. Never heard of an imaginary friend having a first and last name.

I don't know. I have to focus on the job, so I'll update you guys later.

Update: So I told T.D. about Lisa's doll. What he said worries me. Alot. He said he didn't see any doll. That's unnerving. So not only is there a possibly sentient doll, but now I'm the only one who can see it besides the caged.

Ive conducted interviews with the rest of the caged since Mary's transfer. Besides Cassie and Chad, because well they can't really speak.

Fred was up first. He said he was there for simply being him. This particular Fred was so overweight, he was tired from standing for too long. So as he sat on the floor of his cage, I finally asked.

"What do you know about that doll?" Gesturing to Lisa's cage.

"About as much as you do I suppose. Showed up in her cage one day."

"Showed up?" How did I miss that on the monitors?

"Yes sir. The woman, the one that was moved today, well she wouldn't shut up about it. For a few hours at least. Then she avoided it like it pissed on her shoe or something." He snorted.

"Where did you come from?"

"Thurmond, West Virginia originally." He stated matter of factly. Moving on.

Earl didn't provide much more info then Fred, but what he did tell me caught my ear. He claimed to be from Nazareth, originally.  He also mentioned a woman named Delilah who "stabbed him in the back a long time ago."

The new Mary was too frightened to be talked to, due to the circumstances of her surroundings. And Lisa, well, I'm not talking to her again. Kind of pointless considering she's technically six.

That just left Bob. Bob, still claiming to be a investment banker from New York, didn't provide much information on the doll. So I changed the subject.

"What's with the coins?"

"Oh these?" He pointed to his bloodied sockets. "They're my lucky coins!" 

Mmhmm. Yeah what ever you say Bob.

I returned to my office, and poured a cup of coffee. I nearly had a heart attack when I turned around and saw that fucking doll sitting on my desk. It was not there when I came in.

Pinned to it's chest, was a note scribbled in crayon.

It read simply

"LOOK UP"

I do not know why but I followed it's instruction. On the ceiling, looking down at me was….me?

The person was duct taped to the ceiling. His eyes were gouged out, and carved into his forehead was another message.

"STOP." 

I blinked, and the corpse and doll were gone. I ran to the monitors, and saw the doll back in Lisa's cage. Looking directly at the camera.

I'm starting to think this isn't worth $500 a day. 

---

Credits

 

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