The Holders Volume 6 (51-60)

(NOTE: All 545 Object entries in the Holders series aren't credited to any authors so I'll just link to the official website)

## The Holder of the Illusion

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask the worker there if "The Holder of Illusion" is housed here.

If the worker nods, you are doomed. The Holder has anticipated your arrival and you will feel your body slowly begin to fade out of existence. It is not a pleasant experience.

If the worker answers no, be thankful. She will hand you a sheet of paper with directions on getting to the proper asylum and ask you to leave. Do so, turn left, and throw away the paper. You don't want to alert this Holder to your coming before it is necessary.

Walk four blocks down the road in the direction you're heading, then turn right and walk one, then left and walk two, then stop, scratch your chin, and turn around. The street has changed- all the color has drained from the world in front of you. A huge crater gapes from the center of the street. Not a pane of glass remains intact, and all the people you might have passed on that block lie horribly dead.

Take a step back. There should be a red paint-pen on the ground beside you- grab it and stuff it into your pocket. As you watch, the discoloration effect slowly spreads, revealing what looks like the aftermath of a military attack on a black-and-white world: smashed buildings, blasted streets, and dead people everywhere.

Quickly cover your eyes with your hands and shout, "I deny the truth! Let the path remain!" If the Holder deems you unworthy, you will suffer the same fate as the block, and the effect you saw will continue to spread, wiping the illusion clean from our world.

But if you pass, a slight tingle will shoot through your legs, just barely powerful enough to be felt. Open your eyes. The effect is still spreading, but you stand fully as you were in the middle of its ruin. Walk straight down the block until you come to a warehouse. The main doors, though bent and dinged, still stand strong. Next to the doors is a building name-plate, like the ones you see on firehouses and the like, but completely blank.

Take out the paint-pen and write on the plate, as small as you can while still writing legibly, "Who survived to tell of it?"

The ink will pool into a dot, and then begin to drip- much like blood- down the plate. It will describe the survivor, telling his tale of horror and sadness, and the ends to which he fell in an attempt to get the tale out, to try to ensure that it would not happen again. Slowly, you will get the horrible feeling that the Holder himself was the survivor spoken of.

He will assure you that this is not true, however, and end the tale with "His fate bears not for the telling, but his legacy lives on."

The paint-pen will melt in your hand, and the side door to the warehouse will crash open. Run inside- do not walk- and enter the manager's office. It will be completely dark, but dare you not light it up in any way, lest you awaken the guardian from his dreams. Instead, grope around on the desk until you feel an object, round and smooth in your hands.

The office will flash out of sight, and you will get a brief glimpse of the massacred street, in full color, before everything goes black.

You will wake up two days later sitting at the kitchen table in your home. A newspaper nearby screams of a terrorist attack. Sit up, and you'll realize that you still hold the object. Set it on the table.

The object you see before you is a steel ball, about the size of a walnut, and is Object 51 out of 538. The survivor now knows of you, and you of him. This jealous secret will bind for all time.

## The Holder of Disgust

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of Disgust". The worker's face will turn a bit green and he will excuse himself and then walk to the nearest toilet. A female warden will appear beside you and ask you to follow her. Obey her, for now.

She will lead you to a simple door with a number on it; you might remember it from somewhere else. Almost as if you've been here a long time ago. I will not tell you what the number on the door will be, but if it is not the right one, your fate will be one of eternal pain and nausea. Should the number be the right one, you will find yourself in a room that looks much like a person's stomach. You will see food being digested, wandering into the lower tracts of the digestive cycle. It will look much more horrible than you've ever imagined.

Simply wait until you see a door falling into the room, then enter it. If you can not enter it then you will slowly be digested, just like everything else in here.

Should you have managed to enter the door, you will find yourself in a room with pure, white walls. Those are one of the few things that do not drive this Holder mad. You are not one of these things, however, so be prepared to run as fast as you can if necessary. Approach the girl in the middle of the room and ask her: "What do you consider pure?" She will stare at you and open her mouth, trying to speak. But she will be unable to, and instead vomit onto the floor. Close your eyes for as long as you hear her emptying her stomach.

When you no longer hear anything, open your eyes again and walk to where the girl was. Take the pills at your feet.

These pills are Object 52 of 538. Eating one will cause you to vanish as the girl did. In any city, in any country in the world, go to any mental institution or hospital and tell the attendant that you wish to see the "Holder of the Anvil". A moment, an hour, an eon will pass as you see the world's every failure reflected in his eyes. You will see the ending of things - daughters tearing strips of flesh from their mothers with hooks of steel and bone, fathers feasting on the eyes of their sons â€“ and you will know that you have given them their torment. Their anguish will be your own and the only way to escape is to let your cry join theirs, but give no sign that you know this or the attendant will turn away and all hope with him.

An eon, an hour, a moment will pass and the attendant will drop his eyes in defeat, turn, and open the door behind him. Follow him with care; he is treacherous and will leave you in dark places where your screams will never be heard, your bones never found. At the end of this path, when the skulls of infants crunch beneath your feet, you will find a young man chained to a ragged iron slab. Your guide will turn and offer you a hammer in one hand, a blade in the other. If you take the blade, you will abandon your search and you should beg for a quick end. It will not be given. You should take the hammer, and when you do, drive it into the young man's head with all the strength you have and more. Although he is innocent, allow no mercy, for mercy has abandoned you. Cover the skulls at your feet in the gore and the blood. When their debt has been paid you will be delivered back to your world outside of the asylum. The hammer will still be in your hand; the blood will never wash off. Its thirst has been satisfied for now.

That hammer is Object 53 of 538. It will only be used once more, to split the world and find the secret heart that beats within. Pray that yours will not be the hand that wields it.

## The Holder of The Anvil

In any city, in any country in the world, go to any mental institution or hospital and tell the attendant that you wish to see the "Holder of the Anvil". A moment, an hour, an eon will pass as you see the world's every failure reflected in his eyes. You will see the ending of things - daughters tearing strips of flesh from their mothers with hooks of steel and bone, fathers feasting on the eyes of their sons â€“ and you will know that you have given them their torment. Their anguish will be your own and the only way to escape is to let your cry join theirs, but give no sign that you know this or the attendant will turn away and all hope with him.

An eon, an hour, a moment will pass and the attendant will drop his eyes in defeat, turn, and open the door behind him. Follow him with care; he is treacherous and will leave you in dark places where your screams will never be heard, your bones never found. At the end of this path, when the skulls of infants crunch beneath your feet, you will find a young man chained to a ragged iron slab. Your guide will turn and offer you a hammer in one hand, a blade in the other. If you take the blade, you will abandon your search and you should beg for a quick end. It will not be given. You should take the hammer, and when you do, drive it into the young man's head with all the strength you have and more. Although he is innocent, allow no mercy, for mercy has abandoned you. Cover the skulls at your feet in the gore and the blood. When their debt has been paid you will be delivered back to your world outside of the asylum. The hammer will still be in your hand; the blood will never wash off. Its thirst has been satisfied for now.

That hammer is Object 53 of 538. It will only be used once more, to split the world and find the secret heart that beats within. Pray that yours will not be the hand that wields it.

## The Holder of The File

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of The File". Should a look of pain and worry come over the face of the worker, you will be taken deep within the facility.

Beyond a myriad of twists and turns, far more than there should be in a building of this size, you will be taken to an old-style jail cell. Within will be darkness, and one single noise. The rasp of a file against metal. Should at any time the rasping stop, quickly turn and run. Run as far and as fast as you possibly can, and don't worry about taking the wrong path. Getting lost in the depths of this facility will be the least of your worries.

Should the rasping continue unabated, however, walk up to the bars and stick a hand into the darkness. You will feel an object placed into your hand. If it feels warm, drop it and fall to your knees in prayer. Pray you were fast enough, so that when you look up you will still be outside this cell. If you were too slow, an eternity of filing will never get you past those bars again.

Should the item feel cold, however, voice one question aloud into the cell and pull back your hand. The only question to receive an answer will be, "Which side are they on?"

You will feel the file in your hand begin to move. As it shreds your skin and wears through your bones, you must concentrate not on the pain but on your question. The file will rasp away your flesh and bone until nothing left of your hand remains. Should you make it through this ordeal without giving in to the pain, you will find the answer to your question in your mind. Your hand will be whole, and once more you will be outside the facility, a cold and rusty file clutched in your hand.

Many go mad with this knowledge; some use the file to repeat the process in an attempt to remove the words from their heads. If you manage to endure, you will find yourself among those at the reunion.

That file is Object 54 of 538. It will smooth your way to the reunion, but cannot help you from there beyond.

## The Holder of Cruelty

In a location where dark omens gather and where death has cursed, call to the starless sky for counsel with "The Holder of Cruelty". Before the tainted earth which you stand will rise a black, ancient pedestal with a deep bowl carved into the crumbling skull mounted atop.

At this point, there is no return. The eyes of the decaying skull will glow with a color of blood, and in your head, a wicked yet hoarse voice will drone:

"Mors ultima linea rerum est"

Blackening until the night defeated, in that bowl must you gather the beating hearts of the ones you hold dearest to you. Should the hearts cease to beat, you will Blacken. Should you fail the request, you will Blacken. Should suicide become the final escape, you will Blacken.

With the fresh, organic beating hearts gathered in the dark bowl, the Blackening will cease. As the hearts liquefy, a deep, impenetrable black forms. The voices of those offered will speak to you in an unfamiliar tongue. Though incomprehensible, do not fall prey to the command of the deceiving ones.

Instead, gather the corpses of five of your most hated enemies, and bring them to the pedestal. Down their throats must the tainted fluid pour. Not a drop must reach the soil of Earth. The five corpses will re-animate, rising as wicked puppets hailing to their cursed master, shapeshifting to twisted Blackened beings.

To Them you must feed five young, living children. Remorse of the slightest will not be tolerated in Their eyes. As the fresh blood of the children is drunk from their coursing veins, you must watch through the agony, screams, tears, and fear as they are devoured nearly whole. They will endure the pain of a century of torture as they are consumed.

When the ordeal has ended, They will surround you. They demand only one more relic: your own heart. Be hasteful - They do not feel pain as mortals do. As the unholy offering passes hands, it too will be consumed. The meal finished, the figures will merge and dissipate in a brilliant black aura, eclipsing the dark sky.

The silent whispers that consume your mind form Object 55. When all has Blackened, they will guide you to Him.

## The Holder of Realty

In any city, in any country, go into any mental institution or halfway house you can get into. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of Reality." The receptionist will lead you up a flight of stairs that run much higher than it seems the building should be, before finally coming to a top floor, where you will find nothing more than a single door. As you approach the door, the receptionist will make herself scarce. At this point, you could turn around and look for said receptionist, but doing so will only get you lost in the halls of the mental institution forever. Instead, open the door, and continue inwards.

Inside that door, you will find a man sitting on an office chair, playing a game on a game console that you have never seen before. The console is a bizarre design, with a case made out of wrought iron, etched and painted in twisted, demonic designs. In the game, he is torturing a person with methods too horrifying for words. Once you come to the inevitable realization that his unwitting victim is in fact you, you will become your avatar in the game, and be forced to endure any torture his mind may devise, until the game finally ends.

The game can only end in one of two ways. You probably will go insane, in which case he will tear your very soul apart purely for his own delight. However, you might successfully endure the torture, and be granted the privilege of asking him a single question. If you ask him why you are in the game, he will force you to relive the entire game, in its entirety, repeatedly, for all eternity. Instead, you should ask him: "Why do you play?"

With that question, he will scream in agony, and the console will reset. You will now be sitting on the office chair, the game console and controller resting on the floor next to you. He will be staring at you through the T.V. screen, a look of unspeakable fear on his face. However tempting it may be, do not play the game. It probably is best to not even touch the game controller. Simply switch the console off, remove the game cartridge, and take it with you, leaving the console behind.

That cartridge contains Object 56 of 538. You were in it once; remember that before you think of playing.

## The Holder of The Truth

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask politely to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of the Truth". The worker will nod slightly, then turn back to what he was doing. He will not respond if you ask him again, but do not dare ask him a third time, for if you do he will show his true form to you and rend you into strips of flesh on the spot.

Turn to leave. The door has vanished, but there is a trapdoor in the floor that did not exist before. Open it. Preferably with something long; that gives you a better chance of escape should they be waiting for you on the other side. If they are, run; run as far into the asylum as you can. Find a window and jump out, for all the doors are barred or banished. Once you get out of the window, flee as far as you can, preferably crossing as much water as possible, for while it will not stop them, it will slow them. And you will require each second to make peace with your god.

If they are not waiting, jump through the trapdoor. You will land in a splendid library. People in exquisite and elaborate dress are everywhere, chatting, reading, and relaxing. Do not touch any of them or attempt to choose a book, for that is the trigger, and you do not want to pull it.

Look around- you have all the time you need. Eventually you will find a gray-haired man sitting at a desk, stamping an endless pile of books with an old "returned" stamp. Do not attempt to touch him or the books, for if you do all the pleasant people will reveal what they really look like, and if you are driven mad in an instant by what you see then, consider yourself lucky, for you will not feel the pain as they set upon you in a vehement rage.

Instead, ask the librarian one question, and one question only. "Which one holds His law?"

The librarian will look up. His eyes are a color not native to this Earth or even this galaxy; they are a color so impossible that you may be driven mad simply by their gaze. Steel yourself, and stare directly into his eyes. Do not break eye contact, or he will look back down, not wanting to view the scene as the other patrons set upon you. He will tell you a name. It is a long one, but he will give you a card to help remember it. Before you turn to look for the book, ask if he will check it out in advance. He will nod, and stamp the card.

Do not bother looking for the book. It has already been stolen from the library, and you must find it. Close your eyes and say three words: "Find the thief."

Do not open your eyes for ten seconds, for if the prior adventures have not driven you mad, what you see then will.

After ten seconds have passed, open your eyes. You will be across the street from the asylum, still holding the card.

That card is Object 57 of 538. You have checked out the book; it is now your duty to return it.

## The Holder of Lies

In any city, in any country, go to any insane asylum or halfway house you can get yourself to. When you get there, walk up to the front desk and ask to see someone who calls himself "The Holder of Lies". The worker will nod cheerily, then get up and gesture for you to follow him. So will about seven other people in the area. Ignore them all - they strayed from the True Path, and now their only want is to bring others to join them.

Walk up to the desk and look under it. There will be a button, flashing rescue orange, labeled "In Case of Emergency". Press it twice, then jam the stool the worker was sitting on underneath it - this button is all that holds the door open, and you do not want it to slam shut on you.

Get up and turn around. There will be a brushed-steel door labeled "The True Path" in front of you. It is the one truth in this place. Ignore all the others; only the True Path leads to the liar.

Go through the door. You may well be driven insane by your position: walking on the roof of a hallway that leads in an impossible direction, on its side, painted in an eye-jarring and impossible color. Ignore the visions - the only thing that is true is the path beneath your feet.

You can not shut your eyes at all here, lest you never manage to open them again. Endure the madness of your position, to say nothing of the sights that will come in a moment, and start walking. The hall's ceiling is tiled in red and white. Keep your feet on the red tiles or you will fall through, straight into the madness beyond, and from then on you will only have one purpose: to bring others to join you.

Eventually, after what seems like an eternity, you will find yourself in front of a plain wooden door. Open it and walk in.

You will find yourself in a 30's style office. A man in a black trench coat and a fedora hat is hunched over a pile of papers on the desk, muttering and scribbling. A gun sits on top of a paper-loaded bin labeled "In". Pictures line the back wall, showing the man in a number of places, but you'll notice some things common about all the photos: one, the man never shows his face; and two, everyone in the photos other than the man appears to be in unimaginable agony.

Edge your hand towards the gun, but touch nothing - this man does not enjoy being disturbed. Steel yourself, then ask into the air, "Where was He when they gathered last?"

Grab the gun quickly, then fire at the man until you run out of ammo. If you don't, or if you miss, he will grab you and show you what his face really looks like. You do not want to see that - when you do, you will appear among the photos on the wall, and you will see why the others there were in agony.

However, if you succeeded, the man will slump over his desk in mid-lunge, dead. A single envelope will flutter to the floor. If you honestly want to know where He was, grab this envelope - the message inside will tell you. But the contents are extremely volatile, and you may find that your mind can not handle the knowledge. For, while the envelope will tell you where, it will not tell you why. This is more than most can handle.

Don't try and read it now - you have no time. Drop the useless gun and run. Run as fast as you can manage, for without its guardian, the True Path is beginning to stray, and you do not want to be there when that happens.

When you see the steel door, lunge for it. If you were too slow, you will be trapped as a confused worker removes the stool, and you will be tortured endlessly until you agree to replace the man you killed. However, if you were fast enough, you will appear in the lobby, on one of the couches in the rest area.

Quickly, get up and run to the green armchair - the Object is calling, and there are others who want it as well. Throw the cushion off the seat.

You will have revealed a skeleton, twisted in a position of horrible agony. In his arms, he holds a book bound in navy blue and embossed with gold. The name is embedded in silver on the front - it's a long one.

This book is Object 58 of 538. You have found His law, but it is entirely up to you if you should follow it.

## The Holder of Work

In any city, in any country, go to any construction site or foundry you can get yourself to. When you reach the overseer, ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of Work". The overseer will sneer and assault you with a barrage of hideous truths. Do not react and restate your request. He will ask you to wait for a second, as he has to call his boss; at least that's what he says. He will then leave. Wait for a minute or two, then a person will walk beside you. He will ask you for "The Holder of Twins". Tell him that the worker is currently away, talking to his boss. Tell him that both of you will have to wait until the warden returns.

In that very second, the worker will reappear, seemingly out of nowhere. He will ask you politely to wait here while the other person may follow him. Disobey the warden, for if you wait now, you shall never leave the spot you are standing at. Follow them, pretending that you simply have the same way as them.

After a short while, you will reach a paper door. Do not be fooled, this paper is stronger than any metal you have ever seen. The warden will now open the door, letting the other person in. Follow before the paper door closes again or wherever you are will turn into a house filled with all of your greatest fears, and you will be locked inside. Forever.

Should you have followed the other person into the door, both of you will find yourselves in a small paradise. Although you will find everything you like and love, do not touch anything with your hands and arms, for the beauty will then quickly fade away and madness will overcome your mind. Simply follow the path you will see below your feet and do not leave it.

The other person will do the same, and he will talk. He will tell you about many things that have happened in his life. Do not talk back; just listen. Neither he nor you want to see what will happen if he should ever stop walking on this path. For hours, you will walk and you will have to endure the talking. He will finally complain about having a sore throat and not having anything else to tell you.

You will then reach a golden door; it will open. The closer you are, the wider it opens. Enter the door and you will find yourself in an almost pitch-black room, lit by only two candles. One of them is beside a rucksack, the other beside a mirror. Walk to the rucksack and lift it, as heavy as it may be. Walk to the mirror; you will now choose your fate.

Should the other person already be standing there, you can quickly scream, "No matter how hard the work, it will be done!" and then smash the mirror if you want to obtain your piece of the puzzle. Should you have destroyed the reflecting item, the other person will scream inhumanly and slowly melt. After a minute, he will be gone, only his shoes being left. Take them and you will be returned to your home.

The shoes are Object 59 of 538. Don't ever put them on.

However! Should you choose not to scream and destroy the mirror, you will take the other person's place, as he will say, "What reflects them?" You will then feel unbearable pain; you will slowly die. After a minute, you will be gone and the other person's task will be fulfilled. It is up to you who dies.

## The Holder of Twins

In any city, in any country, go to any construction site or foundry you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of Twins". A person will suddenly appear beside you and the worker will be gone. Ask the person the same thing, but the answer will be that the worker is currently away, talking to his boss. He will tell you that both of you will have to wait until the worker comes back.

In that very second, the worker will reappear, seemingly out of nowhere. He will politely ask the other person to wait while he tells you that you may follow him. Do that and ignore the other person disobeying the worker and be glad that he didn't obey, or you would have walked into your death.

After a short while, you will reach a paper door. But do not let it fool you; this paper is stronger than any metal you have ever seen. The worker will now open the door, letting you in. The other person will quickly follow you. If he doesn't, pray for a swift death.

Should he have followed, both of you will find yourselves in a small paradise. Although you will find everything you like and love in this place, do not touch anything with your hands and arms, for the beauty will then quickly fade away and madness will overcome your mind. Simply follow the path you see below your feet and never leave it.

The other person will do the same, and you will have to talk. Tell him about everything you can remember from your life and hope that he doesn't talk back. Neither you nor he want to know what will happen if you ever stop walking while being on this path. For hours, you will walk and you will have to keep talking all the time. Finally, as you see something shiny at the horizon, you may complain about a sore throat and that you have nothing else to talk about.

You will reach a golden door. The closer you come, the wider it will open all by its own. Enter the door and you will find yourself in an almost pitch-black room lit by only two candles. One of them is beside a mirror, the other beside a rucksack. Walk to the mirror and stare into it, as horrifying as the pictures may be. You will notice the other person walking towards you; your fate will be decided in the next moments.

Should he scream, "No matter how hard the work, it will be done!" and then smash the mirror, then your fate is sealed. After he has destroyed the reflecting item, you will feel unbearable pain and you will scream, out of instinct. You will be melting in the next seconds. The other's task will be fulfilled.

But, should he choose to do nothing, you may utter the question, "What reflects them?" You will now see the other person slowly melting and he will scream inhumanly. Endure the screams for about a minute, then he will be gone; only the rucksack he has worn will be left. Open it, take the mirror inside it and you will be returned to your home.

The reflection is Object 60 of 538. Don't ever dare to destroy it.