Object 1 “The Velvet Lined Trunk”
Recently, a local antique shop went out of business and its stock was put up for sale. The place specialized in some unique imports, most coming from Eastern Europe. Much of the inventory was snatched up within a short amount of time. But even after the place was cleared out and a new owner took over, one item remained and was put up for sale. It was a solid oak chest, lined with velvet and dated at around the mid 1800's. It was bought by an interested local. Then three weeks passed, and now the trunk is in the hands of police as evidence.
The man who purchased the trunk was known to be dull but temperamental, prone to filling his home with a wide variety of unique items. He was also known as being very cold and distant, prone to outburst of rage when people came to his home for one reason or another. Many people say this was due to his house being broken into years ago, leaving him wary of people in general. Much of his inventory came from the shelves of the novelty shop, and he was on a first name basis with the previous owner.
According to the previous owner the man had been pressuring him to sell the piece for some time. When asked where he had gotten the trunk, or any other information at all, he refused to talk. He even refused to explain why he had kept the piece away from the man for so long. However, according to police he did disclose information to them, though they could not share the information with me due to the ongoing investigation.
The current owner, not understanding the conflict, sold it with little discussion. He had simply found it alone in the back and assumed that it had been simply missed in the initial sale. After purchasing the item, the older man became even more reclusive, and was not seen for several weeks. After two weeks he was seen at the local store, purchasing several items. Neighbors described him as being out of sorts, and seemed to be unable to keep track of simple conversations. A week later, his neighbors called police, after smelling something foul coming from an open window.
Upon arrival, police discovered the man dead on the floor. His leg below the knee had been amputated and placed in the trunk. It didn't take very long to discover that it was self-inflicted.
The man was not known to suffer any sort of mental illness. However, it was discovered through conversations with his bank that he had been seeing a psychiatrist. I spoke with the surviving family members, and was able to retrieve permission to learn about the man's treatment. However, the psychiatrist's eagerness to discuss the treatment of the man with me was surprising.
He told police that the man seemed to be suffering from toxenomelia, where a person believes a limb is not their own. He had sought treatment shortly after purchasing the trunk, and according to the doctor had been making steady progress. The doctor had asked if the man felt the limb belonged to anyone in particular, but the man insisted that all he knew was that it didn't belong to him. He would often become silent for extended periods of time, though after some coaxing his attention would return. The day before the incident the man gave little indication of his plans, and little seemed to be different from the previous session.
When asked about his purchase of the trunk, the man at first seemed exuberant, but gradually began to decline conversation about it all together. Under hypnosis the man’s mind seemed to be blank, and little of the efforts made seemed to eliminated the delusion, though the man was well aware that his thoughts were not normal.
Police ran DNA tests on the trunk as part of standard procedure. As was expected, a large amount of the DNA was attributed to the man. However, the investigation became more complex when it was discovered that the trunk contained blood from no less than seven other people. Work is still being done to try and identify the other persons, however progress has been slow.
I tried to see if I could pull up any history on the trunk, only to find many of the sites containing information had been shut down or would simply send me to a completely unrelated listing altogether. However, it was clear that the trunk has had many owners. Strangely, the piece itself originates not from Europe but the United States, namely the area of Louisiana.
I have met this psychiatrist before, and he once again pointed out I looked ill. I am…worse than when we last met. Despite my misgivings I know I need his help. He offered to see me for a free evaluation, and I agreed. It was hard for me to say yes, and I vomited on the way home. The madness of this place is pungent, and I cannot pretend to be immune to it. I only hope he can help me. Maybe...he can help me sleep again.
The only other piece of information I could pull up on the trunk was based on a name found within its lid. I did re-search, and discovered that the name belonged to a famous manufacturer of caskets.
