# invitation Backstory



## Orgarob (Sep 11, 2016)

It may be apparent that I am alive at the time I am writing this, but I may not be by the time you read this. I fear that my precautions against the horrors that have afflicted those within the sanitarium walls have come too late and at a grave cost. Our mistake was believing the source of the affliction was something in the air or within the thin membranes within us. How were we to know, or even comprehend in that moment, the terrible truth without witnessing the horrors to come. 

It all began with the sudden psychosis of the Dyer children. A “Folie à deux” or shared madness. Three schoolboys who, only days prior, were strutting through the town instigating mischief in a manner only children know how. At the time of their admission, I witnessed each child convincing the other that they could hear voices others could not. More terrifying than their mental collapse of reality, was witnessing them instinctively submitting to the voices instructions. Each instruction more crueler and progressively evil than the previous. They afflicted physical harm, first to their pets, and then each other. Their final act outside the walls of the sanitarium was against their father, Professor William Dyer, professor of Geology at Miskatonic University. It was he who brought them to us and he who first voiced the idea of the contagion. 

There was no way to reason with the Professor, who was often known for fits of rage and prone to argue without motive. It was not long before the other Doctors followed his lead. Some followed out of true belief, while others, in my opinion, simply lacked resolve to continue the debate. Once it was agreed that there was a contagion causing this metal illness, all rationality became focused on other possibly infected individuals. Professor Dyer committed himself without instruction. A willing participant telling the others that it was for their own safety. He immediately ordered all manner of testing be performed on himself and his children. A whole ward was evacuated to hold the infected family and any others that could have possibly been exposed. I am not sure which is more frightening, the fact that submitted himself to electroshock treatments; that he maintained leadership; or that we were obedient to his commands during all the madness. Mania and panic soon griped the staff within the sanitarium. 

As if on cue, Professor Dyer announced on the second day that it was highly probable the infection had spread to the children of the town due to their contact at school with his children. A hasty plan was organized to gather the children and bring them to the sanitarium. Professor Morgan and Dr Hardstrom were to arrive before school and gather the children and the teacher, Miss Maddock, and bring them to the sanitarium. All of this was to occur without alerting the parents or officials of the town. This was intentional to avoid any panic as the test could show negative results. I admit fault in taking part of this abduction and deception. Had I known the danger we were exposing the children too, I would have never participated. 

After 24 hours of testing, and using the Dyer family as a baseline, we still had no concrete results. The town was active with fear and uncertainty as they searched for the missing schoolchildren. Rumors began spreading that the teacher had taken them away by force for some unholy reason. Parents began littering the town with advertisements of their child’s abduction. Search parties were formed and every conceivable area outside the sanitarium walls were searched. Not a soul even knocked on the sanitarium doors to seek their child or assistance with searching. It was as if the town had somehow collectively forgotten, or could not even visibly recognize, the sanitarium. Within our wall, whispers started of a full town infection and paranoia surrounding which staff member was also infected. The staff members were then restricted from leaving the sanitarium. 

I now possess the clarity to understand the threat was never from outside the sanitarium walls but has always been from within. I attest as I pen this to you, that all souls, save the last few of us, have succumbed to the same madness of the Dyer boys. I beseech you to gather your courage, and wit and find me. What has started here, must end here. The madness must not escape, or all is truly lost. 

Dr Edward Brooks


----------

