Prelude

    When we got to the place on the lower west side I knew it was wrong. There, among the empty dirt lots and crumbling, abandoned apartments was this four story Victorian manor house.
    “Looks like our theurge was right,” said our pack’s Galliard, Works-For-Beer. “We should have listened to her.”
    I remember when she told me about it, which was only four days ago; she said that a spirit had come to her in a vision and told her of this old house that just appeared out of nowhere. She thought we should look in to it, but being pack leader I thought it would serve the pack better if we didn’t. She asked if she could investigate the house and report back what she found.
    I said okay. Was I wrong?
    Now it’s December 24, 2002; Christmas Eve and here the four of us stand looking for our missing pack mate.
    Our ahroun took the lead as we went up the walkway to the porch. I didn’t mind that Blood-Soaked-Claws wanted the lead; whatever happened had kept a garou from getting out and coming back to us with a report. Being a philodox, I can see the good judgment in letting a warrior go in first. Besides, it let Blood-Soaked-Claws feel like big wolf on the block and it keeps him from wanting to take the lead all the time. A good leader knows when to let his teammates shine.
    We reached the front door and Blood-Soaked-Claws tried the door. It was open. We went inside and, once we were out of sight of any humans, we all shifted to crinos and began searching the first floor of the house. We found a foyer, library, coat closet, den, game room, family room, kitchen and dining room. Among all of these rooms, one thing was common; Dolls.
    There were dolls of every shape and size all over the first floor. There was a plush tiger doll, human-like in build, wearing a red smoker’s jacket and matching pants. He had one of those poofy scarf things coming out of his jacket and a red fez.
    Not finding her there we moved up to the second floor. There we found a lot of bedrooms filled with dolls. At this point we were starting to get creeped out.
    There was a room that seemed like a nursery that was filled with cribs, each one holding one or two baby dolls inside. There were other dolls in the room and I swore up and down that they were watching us. Room-to-room, they were watching.
    The third floor was more bedrooms and more dolls, and at this point I decided that we should go back down stairs when there was a tinkling sound just behind us.
    We turned around just in time to see a door close and that’s when we broke into a mad dash for the first floor. Giggling and soft laughter came from all of the rooms as we ran; Doors opening and things… dolls coming out of their rooms.
    We made it back to the first floor and it had Christmas decorations up all over the place. We raced to the front door, but it wouldn’t open. Blood-Soaked-Claws tried to break down the door but it wouldn’t give. Just then we heard a grandfather clock chiming midnight. It was Christmas day now and we all heard the voice of our Theurge, Walks-with-Ghosts.
    “I’m so glad you came to join us for Christmas my brothers.”
    We looked and saw what could only be described as a doll in crinos form…
    I looked at, her, “Walks-With-Ghosts? Is, that you?”
    She smiled, “Yes, Calls-the-Storms, it is me. And Mother will be so glad that you could join us for Christmas…”

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