Object 342

The Holder of Instruction

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 Instruction". The worker will open a trapdoor behind his desk and hand you a set of earplugs. Once you have them in, he will motion for you to descend. He will follow and firmly shut the door behind him, enshrouding you both in darkness.

Only remove the earplugs when instructed. Doing otherwise will result in your death. Some things were never meant to be heard by human ears.

Suddenly, a flickering, sourceless light will paint the large, oval room you occupy. Enter the wooden door at its far end, and step into the stone corridor beyond. A voice will begin issuing commands, and no matter what happens, you must obey. Do not even show the slightest hesitation. Failure to comply will result in a horrible waking nightmare from which you will never escape.

Only once will the voice allow you a choice. At some point, you will find yourself in front of two archways. The first archway is made from human muscle and bone; gore dribbles down it and collects into glistening pools. It is truly a horrific sight. The other archway is made entirely from fire. Beyond each lies impenetrable darkness.

One archway leads to the Holder of Instructions and his Object. The other leads to eternal damnation. It is unknown which one leads where. The choice is yours.

If you choose the correct archway, you find yourself standing in darkness. The only visible thing will be the Holder. He wears a dark cloak and is completely bald, excluding his long beard that nearly brushes the ground. He will smile at you and his voice will once more ring in your head. He will ask you to look him in the eyes and tell you the story of the earplugs and why it is necessary for you to wear them. Many go mad upon its recitation. If you are alive and sane when he finishes the tale, he will ask you to remove the earplugs and will present you with a new pair. This new pair is completely black.

He will clap his hands once and you will find yourself back where you began.

The black earplugs are Object 342 of 2538. They are the only thing that will deafen His screams.