Holder of Dogs

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. However, make sure whichever place you decide to visit has corridors to both sides of the front desk, the one on its right is not important, but the one on the left must be of a moderately long distance (you should be able to walk at least three minutes on it without reaching the end). When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of Dogs". At first the attendant will look at you with anticipation and hunger, but will almost immediately ignore your presence. Should you insist for several minutes he will finally whistle nowhere in particular as if calling a lost pet and ask you to follow him to the right corridor. Do not follow him, unless you wish to end your life as the next meal for the pets of the Holder. Instead, turn to your right (the left corridor) and take that corridor without looking back, exactly two minutes after walking you will notice the attendant following you, if two minutes have passed and the attendant isn't there then run, flee as fast as you can from the place and do not stop until you find a large mud pit, pig pen, or some pool of any substance of strong, nauseating odor. If you do find one of these dive in and wait below the surface ten seconds. If you are lucky then your scent will be covered by the aroma and you will have survived. If not, pray that whatever is following you is hungry enough to finish you with a single bite.

However, should the attendant have followed you down the corridor, you will notice that what seemed to be a five minutes long walk will lengthen in an unnatural way, and you will spend hours walking in a straight line. The attendant behind you will ask you to stop at several doors, but you must ignore him for his intention is to feed the beasts of the Holder. Continue on your path until the attendant passes by your side and positions himself in front of you, do not stop and follow him. He will finally stop in front of an otherwise ordinary looking wooden door. If he says anything, then keep walking, for it is not the Holder but the most bestial of demons your imagination can muster that await you in the other side; the attendant will catch up soon. But should he simply stand there and silently point the door then proceed to open it, for this is the right place.

Behind the door you will find a grass fields dominated by a gray sun, and a single building at sight, maybe the only building in this universe. Enter it and you will find yourself inside a ruined dog pound. Keep walking past a corridor of empty kennels and your perception of colors will decrease until you can barely differentiate blue from gray and yellow from white. Also, dogs of all kind will start to appear apparently from nowhere and follow you, some of them will be of a beauty far beyond any living thing on earth, some others will be so horrendous they will remind you of your worst sins, but do not look at any of them for too long, for this will be a sign for them that your mind is weak, and your flesh delicious. Also most of them will follow you silently, but a few will bark at you fiercely, once again do not pay them any attention and continue walking in a straight line, for if you freeze or run in panic it will be your doom, and you will be amazed at how fast your organs can end in that many stomachs.

Be warned, however, that should you have faced the Holder of treachery or the Holder of future before this visit, the dogs won't be as well behaved, and your terrible trip will have been for nothing.

After walking for what you will perceive as months, you will reach the end of the corridor. There will be a metal door; open it. If the dogs flee, scared, which is the most likely event, continue. If they start barking furiously at you then it means their master is not there anymore, and you won't be there for too long as well.

Inside there will be a round room, dimly illuminated in gray, and in the center of it you will see fifteen of the most grotesque beings, most of them the size of dogs, feeding on what appears to be the corpse of an obese naked man. If you are curious you may stay in there for years and the corpse will never be finished, and the beasts will not stop festering from its decaying flesh, not noticing your presence. Since you are not in a hurry take your time and study the beasts, try to recognize the one you deem strongest.

Whenever you feel ready you may ask one and only one thing, "What are they loyal to?"

The beasts will howl in terrible anguish and the corpse will stand and look at you with an empty sight. He will tell you the terrible deeds of mercenaries, hired armies and filthy thieves. Of how they spread horror and blood on the land, terrible stories of murder and pillaging, by the orders of their masters and their own greed; and of how these masters kept the leash on these nameless dogs without fear. He will also tell you stories from immemorial times, of how similar dogs where dominated by similar masters, far before the dawn of men, and certainly far beyond your understanding. Try to keep your sanity, you will need it, because after his story is done the monsters will viciously attack him and feed on him with such a demonic rage that what was first a never-ending supply of meat will be reduced to bones in matter of seconds.

Wait for the beasts to calm down and, without losing any time, lest you want them to grow hungry again, walk to the remains of the Holder. In his ribcage you will find a dog collar. Quickly place it on the beast you deemed strongest, don't worry about it's size for the collar will change it's shape to your needs. However you must not fear the beast you chose, otherwise it will maul you without any mercy. As soon as the collar is placed the beast will howl and the others will respond attacking it. If you chose correctly, your dog should kill them in a breeze, if it is defeated however, you will soon take the place of the Holder.

If you chose right, your dog will collapse, lifeless, after murdering its last opponent. Take the object from its carcass, blink once, and you will see yourself sitting in a bench of the park closest to your home, the empty collar in your hand.

The Dog collar is the object 1972 of 2538. Whatever carries it will do your bidding, but for how long will a beast remain loyal in their presence?

Credited to Anonymous